OSCE Mission to Serbia

Democratization

The Democratization Department of the Mission promotes democratic practices and egalitarian norms throughout Serbia. It focuses on a range of areas, including democratic governance, security and defence, human rights and equal opportunities, aiming to boost the capacities of national institutions and non-governmental organizations (NGOs).

Democratic governance

The Mission provides support to the Parliament and its committees to increase their efficiency and oversight capacities. It also assists the Parliament in its outreach activities to the citizens. The Mission provides advice to central and local governments on developing policies to further advance the decentralization process in Serbia and to strengthen citizens' participation mechanisms. In addition, the Mission assists in improving the central and local self-governments' transparency, efficiency and accountability by helping to build the capacity of civil society organizations, community groups and media to better monitor their performance.

Security and defence

The Mission assists with and advises on reforming Serbia's security sector. Activities aim to boost parliamentary oversight, increase adherence to the principles of good governance, and enhance respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms by increasing the role of civil society and improving education in global approaches toward security.

Human rights

The Mission focuses on three main areas related to human rights: assisting with refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs), combating trafficking in human beings and promoting human rights.

Due to the cross-border character of the refugee issues, the Mission, in co-operation with the other OSCE field missions in the region, UNHCR and the EC Delegation, put efforts in developing a regional policy formulation, as well as a regional think thank of lawyers who provide free legal aid to refugees and IDPs on minority rights. For more information, please refer to the factsheet available on the right.

As a leading international organization in combating human trafficking in Serbia since its establishment in 2001, the Mission has been working closely with the governmental bodies and civil society organizations on framing the national approach towards the fight against trafficking in human beings. For more information, please refer to the factsheet available on the right.

To address the issues of Serbia's international human rights obligations, the Mission works with state institutions such as the judiciary, and law enforcement by providing training opportunities. Along with governmental agencies and civil society organizations, it also aims to raise awareness of human rights issues and promote an improved human rights culture.

Equal opportunities

The Mission provides assistance to state institutions and civil society in implementing legislation that protects the rights of national minorities, with respect to their education, culture, tradition, language and heritage. In this regard, the Mission supports the establishment and development of the National Minority Councils as a means of better communication between the minority communities and governmental bodies, as well as initiatives that encourage the integration of national minorities in public life.

The Mission continues to actively support the integration and empowerment of Roma in Serbia, which includes support for the introduction and strengthening of nationwide schemes for Roma Teacher Assistants and Roma Health Mediators, and assistance in the legalization of informal Roma settlements. For more information, please refer to the Roma factsheet.

To promote tolerance, the Mission supports activities that focus on inter-ethnic tolerance and inter-faith dialogue among people, calling for the re-evaluation of long-standing cultural perceptions. It also creates and supports youth programs that promote and strengthen tolerance and respect for diversity at both the local and national levels, seeking to implement Serbia's National Youth Strategy and National Action Plan.

To promote gender equality, the Mission values mechanisms to overcome political under-representation of women, gender stereotypes and employment prejudices, in line with the OSCE Action Plan for the Promotion of Gender Equality.

Environmental issues

The Mission strives to address Serbia's need to develop a sustainable energy strategy by promoting energy efficiency, renewable energy resources and environmental awareness through education and good governance. To strengthen the advocacy capacity of governmental and non-governmental institutions, the Mission supports harmonisation of national legislation with the EU standards and fosters regional and cross-border co-operation.