Donor: German Embassy in Belgrade
Duration of project: December 2009 – December 2010
The Belgrade Centre for Human Rights has been publishing in Serbian and in English its Annual Reports on the human rights situation in the country since 1998 with the aim to offer a comprehensive analysis of the human rights situation both in legislation and in practice in order to present accurate conditions of the human rights enjoyment in the country. The intention of the Centre is to examine all the aspects in which human rights were manifested, regulated and enjoyed, restricted or violated in 2009 and to describe the circumstances which influence the true enjoyment of human rights in the country. The Annual Human Rights Reports are still the only comprehensive human rights reports in Serbia.The 2009 Human Rights Report would consist of the following chapters:
I – Legal provisions related to human rights – will deal with the provisions of the Constitution of Serbia, laws and regulations related to human rights in comparison with international treaties binding on Serbia. The analysis will focus on the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) and the European Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (ECHR) as the most important documents in this field. Particular references will be made to specific cases from the jurisprudence of the European Court of Human Rights. The annual report of the Belgrade Centre will be a comprehensive and detailed analysis of the compatibility of the legislation of Serbia with the ICCPR and ECHR. Other standards established by international treaties which deal with specific human rights (e.g. Convention against Torture, Convention on the Rights of the Child, etc) will also be taken into consideration.
II – Human Rights in Practice – Main Issues will deal with respect for human rights in practice. Cases of the violation of human rights of particular relevance for the year 2009 will be discussed. It will follow the same pattern as the first chapter – rights will be reviewed individually. Research will be conducted on the basis of data and reports found in the national press, as well as those found in the reports and press releases of domestic and foreign non-governmental organisation and international organisations. Information gathered from these sources will be compiled and related to each individual right, which is formally recognised, in everyday life.
Researchers will give an overview of the legal framework for the enjoyment of human rights in the country, building on the analysis made in the previous years in regard of the laws that have not changed in the meanwhile, as well as giving the analysis on whether the new laws improve or diminish effective enjoyment of human rights. The crucial value and importance of the Report would be to serve as the basis for future legislative activity in the fields that have not been regulated yet and as a guide which provisions that already are in place need to be amended.
It will also be analysed how both the new and the old laws are applied in practice. The chapter on practice is an indispensable summary of the key fields that need an improved implementation of the European standards.
If you would like to read the Human Rights in Serbia – A Comprehensive Report for 2009 (in Serbian and English), 2010
