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| PRIORITIES OF THE SERBIAN CHAIRMANSHIP OF THE COMMITTEE OF MINISTERS OF THE COUNCIL OF EUROPE Mi smo pomenuti ovde. Još ne znamo šta to praktično znači... 1. The Republic of Serbia is taking over the Chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers for the first time after four years of membership of the Council of Europe. During that period the Organization has significantly contributed to the further democratic development and consolidation of the society and institutions in Serbia. 2. Serbia is committed to making its full contribution to the strengthening of the role of the Council of Europe, as well as to multilateral dialogue among member States and peoples aimed at building a common Europe without dividing lines. On the basis of our common values and shared interests, we shall strive for political solutions in conformity with European standards and norms, and the principles of international law. 3. Serbia will do its utmost to further enhance the pan-European character of the Council of Europe. It warmly welcomes the fact that the Republic of Montenegro today became the Council’s 47th member state and will strongly support its full integration within the Organization. It will also support the efforts of the Council of Europe to improve contacts and cooperation with Belarus. 4. Serbia will continue to support efforts to advance stability throughout Europe, in particular in the South Caucasus and South Eastern Europe, which have been priority regions for the Council of Europe over recent years. Building on previous efforts, Serbia will make a significant contribution to the consolidation of regional stability, prosperity and rapid democratization in South Eastern Europe by promoting human and especially minority rights, tolerance, reconciliation and long lasting peace, making the current positive trends and forms of cooperation irreversible. 5. The Republic of Serbia, having fulfilled almost all its post-accession obligations and commitments, remains firmly committed to continue to fully and effectively cooperate with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, this being not only an international, but also a national obligation and duty as well. We hope that the Council of Europe’s monitoring procedure regarding our country will be concluded in the nearest future. 6. The Republic
of Serbia attaches the utmost importance to the full implementation
of the highest European standards in Kosovo and Metohija, especially
in the area of human rights and the rule of law and urges that no
one, especially the Serbs and other non-Albanians, should be left
out of the protection system guaranteed across the Continent, as
set out in the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights
and Fundamental Freedoms, as well as in the other Council of Europe
instruments. During our Chairmanship we will continue to support
the Council of Europe’s valuable contribution to the effective implementation
of the principles and standards concerning democracy, human rights
and the rule of law in Kosovo and Metohija, according to UN Security
Council Resolution 1244. The continued and enhanced contribution
of the Council of Europe in these fields will most be needed and
Serbia will fully cooperate with the Organization to achieve these
goals. 7. Like the previous Chairmanships, including the latest one of San Marino, Serbia will in the spirit of continuity also pursue with undiminished vigor the objectives that the Council of Europe member states agreed to achieve together at the highest political level, on the occasion of the Third Council of Europe Summit held in May 2005 in Warsaw. The May 2007 Ministerial Session is a juncture for the implementation of the Warsaw Declaration and the Action Plan, and defines a clear political mandate for the months to come in reasserting the role of the Council of Europe as the guardian of the fundamental values that are common for the whole Continent. 8. Convinced that further progress in building a Europe without dividing lines is both possible and needed, Serbia will pursue the following four main priorities under the slogan: ONE EUROPE – OUR EUROPE I Promoting
Council of Europe core values: human rights, democracy and the rule
of law: II Enhancing the security of persons - especially combating terrorism, organized crime and corruption III Building a more humane Europe – Towards more active participation of all citizens: - Fostering
European identity and unity based on shared fundamental values,
respect for our common heritage and cultural diversity IV Strengthening cooperation and good neighborly relations through full respect of values and implementation of Council of Europe standards in South Eastern European countries thus fostering European perspective of the Region
I Promoting
Council of Europe core values: human rights, democracy and the rule
of law 9. Serbia will, in accordance with the Warsaw Summit decisions, actively promote by all appropriate means the long-term effectiveness of the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms and the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), genuine pillars of the European system for the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms. As part of wide process of reforms, Serbia emphasizes the importance of the Report of the Group of Wise Persons that was submitted to the Committee of Ministers on 15 November 2006 on the long-term effectiveness of the European Court of Human Rights, which has been recently considered within all the relevant Council of Europe bodies. Serbia will encourage all activities related to the Follow-up to the Report particularly in the light of discussions at the San Marino Colloquy held in March 2007, and the comments made by the Secretary General, the Parliamentary Assembly, the ECHR, the Commissioner for Human Rights and NGOs. The Serbian Chairmanship will also support swift and efficient implementation of the decisions taken at the 117th Committee of Ministers’ Session with regard to sustained action to ensure the effectiveness of the implementation of the Convention at national and European levels. 10. The entry into force of Protocol No. 14 to the European Convention on Human Rights is of essential importance for the improved effectiveness of the Convention system. At the same time, it is necessary to improve and strengthen national implementation mechanisms of the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights. The Serbian Chairmanship will organize a Regional conference on the role of Supreme Courts in South Eastern Europe in the implementation of the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms at national level, hosted by the Supreme Court of Serbia in September 2007. The objective of the Conference will be to highlight the importance of Supreme Courts in encouraging lower instance judges to fully apply the Convention. Serbia will also organize a seminar on the effectiveness of national courts in the light of the standards set by the European Court of Human Rights in October in Belgrade, as well as an Awareness raising Conference on the Role of the Government Agents before the ECHR, in June 2007. Serbia will, for the first time, invite the President of the European Court of Human Rights to visit the country in order to raise public awareness and to discuss future cooperation, especially implementation of the judgments. 11. In accordance with the decisions of the Third Summit, Serbia will fully support every effort to strengthen the role of the Commissioner for Human Rights, an institution that has proven its effectiveness in contributing to a greater awareness of the issues of human rights and fundamental freedoms in member states of the Organization. 12. Full support will also be given to other Council of Europe’s monitoring mechanisms, especially the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) and the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI), which both play a unique role in their respective fields of competence. 13. Protecting the rights of all persons belonging to national minorities remains one of the human rights priorities for Serbia. Serbia guarantees a high level of protection for the minorities, including at constitutional level. It believes that continued activities are needed to protect the national minorities that are a source of enrichment of all our societies. Therefore, Serbia attaches great importance to the full implementation of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities and the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. These are essential tools for the maintenance and the development of democratic stability. A seminar on the different modalities of cultural autonomies for national minorities in Europe will be organized in October in Serbia. 14. Serbia is also committed to promoting freedom of expression and information and supports the activities of the Council of Europe in the media field, as well as the activities aimed at promoting the free flow of information at the pan-European level via the existence of a plurality of independent and autonomous media, while ensuring the respect for other fundamental rights. - Consolidating democracy and the rule of law throughout Europe 15. Serbia fully supports the work of the "Forum for the Future of Democracy". It will actively participate in the third session of the Forum in Sweden on 13-15 June 2007 that will focus on the interdependence of democracy and human rights, core issues of our Organization. 16. Dedicated to the core values of the Council of Europe, Serbia is determined to support the activities aimed at promoting the respect for the rule of law and improving the efficiency of justice for citizens, particularly the 28th Conference of European Ministers of Justice "Towards the efficient justice" to be held in Lanzarote, Spain, on 25-26 October. 17. Recognizing the close connection between democracy and the rule of law, Serbia also underlines the importance of the activities of the European Commission for Democracy through Law - The Venice Commission and its valuable contribution to ensuring a stable democratic legal framework in Europe. II Enhancing the security of persons - especially combating terrorism, organized crime and corruption 18. Terrorism, intolerance, exclusion, racism, discrimination, corruption, organized crime or trafficking in human beings, are no longer national, but cross-border and cross-regional issues, a worldwide phenomena and a major challenge to us all. In order to combat these new threats, our common priority is to achieve even more effective cooperation and the full implementation of the numerous mechanisms on international, but especially on the European and national levels. 19. Guided by the relevant conventions and protocols of the United Nations and the Council of Europe, Serbia hosted a regional Summit on the Fight against organized crime and terrorism in October 2006. The outcome of this meeting was the Joint Declaration of the presidents of South-East European countries pledging to contribute and actively cooperate at all levels in the fight against these phenomena. 20. In order to hasten entering into force of the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings and the Convention on Laundering, Search, Seizure and Confiscation of the Proceeds from Crime and on the Financing of Terrorism, Serbia will ratify them, encouraging other member states of the Organization to sign and/or ratify these important Council of Europe instruments. Serbia is also planning to ratify Civil Law Convention on Corruption, Convention on Cybercrime, Additional Protocol to the Convention on Cybercrime and Council of Europe Convention on the Prevention of Terrorism in the near future. 21. As a member of the Group of States Against Corruption (GRECO), and in order to further contribute to the valuable work of GRECO, Serbia is planning to host a Seminar devoted to the fight against corruption for the countries of South Eastern Europe during its Chairmanship. 22. Furthermore, a conference within the scope of the Project against organized economic crime (PACO) will be held in Belgrade during the Chairmanship. Subsequently, Serbia will support and actively participate in the plenary meeting of MONEYVAL to be held in Strasbourg on 10-14 September and during which the 10th anniversary of this important body will be celebrated. 23. Serbia will host a regional seminar on action against trafficking in human beings: "Prevention, protection, prosecution" in Belgrade in October. This will be the 10th seminar in the context of the Council of Europe’s campaign to combat trafficking in human beings. The campaign will be launched in Serbia in order to raise public awareness of this issue of importance not only for Europe but also for neighboring regions. III Building a more humane Europe – Towards more active participation of all citizens 24. In continuation of the efforts over the past two years, Serbia will emphasize the importance of activities aimed at the strengthening of social cohesion. In line with the Third Chapter of the Warsaw Action Plan, Serbia will use its Chairmanship to support endeavors to build Europe for and with its citizens. 25. Building capacities for children, youth, women is a priority for all member states of the Council of Europe. Capacity building for the people with disabilities and for other marginalized and vulnerable groups, especially the Roma, is a major challenge for member states. Only through education, employment and political participation individuals belonging to those groups will be empowered and contribute to the development of European societies, security, democracy and implementation of human rights. Such development needs to be rooted in the local communities and subsequently built on at all levels of societies, starting with the educational system. 26. In building a more humane and inclusive Europe, Serbia will give high priority, continue to support and will actively participate in all the activities of the campaign "Building a Europe for and with children". During the Chairmanship it is expected that two new important conventions will be adopted and opened for signature: the Convention on sexual exploitation and abuse of children and the European Convention on adoption (revised), which Serbia strongly supports. 27. Having in mind the very difficult situation of Roma and Travelers, Serbia emphasizes the importance of the campaign "Fight prejudice towards Roma", better known as "Dosta". The efforts of the Council of Europe in combating such prejudice are in line with the regional South Eastern European "Roma Decade". The message "Dosta - Enough" must be heard so th?t the Roma population and its contribution to the European civilization is recognized and their rights improved. Serbia fully supports and attaches significant importance to the work of the "European Roma and Travelers Forum". 28. Serbia will strongly support all actions aimed at full recognition and respect of gender equality and dignity. Bearing in mind that violence against women, including the domestic violence, is indeed among the most serious forms of gender–based violations of human rights, that undermine the core values of the Council of Europe, the Serbian Chairmanship will continue to support and promote the Council of Europe campaign to "Combat Violence against Women, including Domestic Violence". Our common aim must be to raise public awareness of this phenomenon in order to find common responses. 29. The civil society and non-governmental organizations are valuable components of democracy and democratization process. Their contribution to fostering of political culture and to creating a rule of law society is important. More room should be created for further cooperation between governmental and non-governmental sectors. Therefore, Serbia will especially support the active role of civil society, national and regional non-governmental organizations, while stressing the importance of the work of the INGO Conference of the Council of Europe. 30. Fully recognizing the work and already positive results of the Council of Europe Schools of Political Studies, the Serbian Chairmanship will support and participate in the work of the Second Summer University on Democracy to be organized by the Council of Europe in Strasbourg in July. A conference of the network of schools of political studies "Achievements and Challenges of Regional Cooperation" will be organized in Belgrade in November. 31. Recalling the importance of joint Council of Europe and United Nations activities as well as the importance of the environmental issues, Serbia will host the 6th Ministerial Conference "Environment for Europe: Building bridges to the future", in Belgrade, 10-12 October. The common dedication to cooperating in achieving high standards of environmental protection must be permanently high on the agenda, bearing in mind that all citizens have right to a safe environment and that the authorities have the obligation to secure it. In this regard, Serbia is planning soon to join the Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats. - Fostering European identity and unity based on shared fundamental values, respect for our common heritage and cultural diversity 32. In the 21st century Europe’s cultural diversity offers many opportunities. Protection, promotion and maintenance of cultural diversity are factors of human development and a manifestation of human liberty. The Third Summit endorsed intercultural dialogue as a major priority and a means of ensuring that the diversity of European cultures becomes a source of mutual enrichment. 33. In line with the previous chairmanships, as a highly important objective, Serbia fully supports all activities aimed at implementing the Council of Europe strategy to develop intercultural dialogue both within European societies and between Europe and its neighboring regions, adopted in Faro (Portugal) in October 2005. In this connection, Serbia attaches particular importance to the completion and publishing of the "White paper on Intercultural Dialogue" by November 2007, a unique document, the first of its kind on this specific topic at the international level. Being a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic and multi-confessional country Serbia also attaches significant importance to the work that has been carried out in the previous months concerning the religious dimension of intercultural dialogue. These activities provide a sound basis for the future follow-up actions of the Council of Europe in this field. Special attention will therefore be attached to the religious dimension of the inter cultural dialogue in order to continue the efforts of the Russian and San Marino Chairmanships, in the light of the conclusions of the conferences held in Nizhny Novgorod in September 2006 and in San Marino on 23-24 April 2007. 34. Serbia is ready to host an informal ministerial conference to present the "White Paper" to the European public and to discuss the strategic reflections on the long-term role of the Council of Europe in intercultural dialogue, in Belgrade in the first half of November. 35. Also, Serbia
will host the 2007 European Heritage Days, a joint action of the
Council of Europe and the European Commission aimed at promoting
the European heritage that fosters the European identity and unity
based on respect of our common heritage and cultural diversity on
21-22 September in Belgrade. 37. As a part
of the Bologna process, Serbia will host a Western Balkans Conference
on Higher Education: Qualifications Frameworks in Belgrade in September.
39. In protecting and promoting cultural diversity, Serbia attaches great importance to education, and in this context will actively support the European Youth Campaign for diversity, human rights and participation "All different - all equal". While implementing a number of activities during the Chairmanship, Serbia will also actively support the follow-up action to the campaign, which is due to start in October 2007. In the same spirit, Serbia will also support establishment of the Enlarged Partial Agreement on Sport and, by acceding to it, encourage others to do so. 40. Serbia will during its Chairmanship fully support the adoption of the "European Convention on the protection of old and traditional crafts", that has been, for the first time in the history of the Council of Europe, drafted and submitted to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe by a group of university students from the Belgrade Faculty of Law. - Building the capacities of local communities and individuals 41. Serbia will pay special attention to the roles of local communities and their empowerment. Bearing in mind that true democracy starts among citizens, Serbia attaches great importance to the strengthening of democracy at local and regional levels and consequently to the activities of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities. Hence, a priority for Serbia is to ratify the European Charter on Local Self-Government as well as the European Outline Convention on Trans-frontier Co-operation between Territorial Communities or Authorities. It will actively participate in the European Conference of Ministers responsible for local and regional government (Valencia, 15-18 October) and support the launching of the "Local Democracy Week", hoping that such campaigns will be organized every year in order to underline the importance of local self government. 42. Cooperation between local communities of different countries and regions will additionaly and substantially contribute to the further social, cultural and economic development. In order to build a Europe without dividing lines and develop understanding and trust amongst citizens, during its Chairmanship, Serbia will encourage the deepening and intensifying of transfrontier and cross-border cooperation, as a mechanism for improving good neighbourly relations and a contribution to development in border areas. In that respect, Serbia intends to: - Promote networking
and the creation of partnerships between regions, cities and municipalities,
as an efficient way of building trust and best practice exchange,
with special focus on cooperation in the fields of culture and economy; 43. Serbia remains commited to enhancing multiculturalism and tolerance at the local level and, among other activities, will implement the project on "The Promotion of the Multiculturalism and tolerance in Vojvodina" in order to promote multi-ethnic tolerance. The exhibition "Live Side-by-Side" will be held as well as a presentation of various ethnic communities? cultural, folklore and historical characteristics. A media campaign will also be organized in order to raise public awareness of the importance of multiculturalism. IV Strengthening cooperation and good neighborly relations through full respect of values and implementation of Council of Europe standards in South Eastern European countries thus fostering the European perspective of the Region 44. South East Europe is a region within the Council of Europe space that has, over the past fifteen years, passed through a profound transformation. In that process the South Eastern Europe countries joined the Council of Europe and embraced its values. Serbia will during its Chairmanship strive to further raise the Organization’s profile in the region, thus contributing to the strengthening of democracy, rule of law and human rights protection in this part of Europe. 45. This is, in our opinion, a good way to strengthen cooperation and good neighborly relations within the region, thus fostering European perspectives of all South Eastern European countries. In realizing that objective, Serbia will organize a number of regional events dealing with major issues such as judiciary cooperation, the fight against corruption, organized crime and trafficking in human beings and will give priority to efforts to promote inter-regional, transfrontier and crossborder cooperation, as mentioned above. 46. Furthermore, the Serbian Chairmanship will initiate contacts between the Council of Europe and the South East European Cooperation Process, the major regional initiative aimed at improving cooperation within the Region. 47. Fully recognizing the role and importance of the civil society and NGOs, the Serbian Chairmanship is planning to host a meeting between the Conference of international Non-Governmental Organizations of the Council of Europe and Serbian non-governmental organizations and to help the creation and accession of the regional union of non-governmental organizations to the Conference of international Non-Governmental Organizations of the Council of Europe. 48. The issue of refugees and internally displaced persons deserves particular attention. During the Chairmanship, Serbia would like to address this issue and the multidimensional approach needed to resolve it. In this context, Serbia will host an enlarged meeting of the Subcommittee on Refugees (PACE) in Belgrade on 29-30 October, that will especially focus on the difficult position of Roma, IDPs and refugees. 49. In line with the decisions taken at the Third Summit and in order to achieve these objectives, it is necessary to actively promote dialogue and cooperation between the CoE and its main partners at European and global levels. The Serbian Chairmanship will therefore continue activities aimed at strengthening the cooperation and coordination with other international institutions and organizations. 50. Firstly, in accordance with the Guidelines adopted at the Warsaw Summit, the Serbian Chairmanship will strive to enhance the cooperation and political dialogue with the European Union. It welcomes the successful conclusion, two years after the Summit, of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Council of Europe and the EU, and will give high priority to its implementation. Serbia also attaches great importance to the Report of the High-level follow-up Group on Juncker’s recommendations on the relationship between the Council of Europe and the European Union. On the basis of the Report submitted to the May Ministerial Session, Serbia will fully support during its Chairmanship the work of the High Level Group entrusted with the follow-up of these recommendations. 51. Secondly, the Republic of Serbia on the basis of the Declaration on the Cooperation between the Council of Europe and the OSCE, signed in May 2005, will continue to foster the coordination and cooperation between the two Organizations in areas of common interest, especially exploring new mechanisms of synergy concerning questions related to the fight against terrorism, combating trafficking in human beings, as well as promoting the protection of the rights of persons belonging to national minorities tolerance and non-discrimination. 52. Thirdly, Serbia will strongly support the strengthening of the cooperation between the Council of Europe and the UN, especially in the field of human rights. We believe that the establishment of the UN Human Rights Council represents a unique opportunity to explore and improve the cooperation and synergies between the two Organizations, and we are ready to lead the Council of Europe work in that respect. In line with the decision that was recently adopted by the Committee of Ministers Serbia expresses its readiness to play an active role in the Human Rights Council and the UNGA Third Committee sessions, by articulating the values and standards of the Council of Europe and promoting human rights in general. 53. Last but not least, the Serbian Chairmanship fully supports the institutional reform process of the Council of Europe in accordance with the provisions of Chapter V of the Third Summit Action Plan. Acknowledging the constructive approach and role of the Secretary General of the Council of Europe on this issue, we believe that further progressive steps could be taken on the basis of the important achievements that have already been accomplished, particularly in cost-efficiency and reforms related to the program of activity. We are convinced that enhanced overall effectiveness of the Council of Europe strongly depends on better internal cooperation and coordination and knowledge sharing. We expect that the results of the independent studies, that are under way, will give an useful impetus and will significantly contribute to the quality of the decision making process in all aspects of the implementation of the reform process of the Council of Europe’s organizational structures and working methods. Hopefully this will result in greater general efficiency, while providing, at the same time, better visibility and external communication. 54. We are also committed to strengthening dialogue and cooperation to this effect with the Committee of Ministers main institutional partners, in particular Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. Serbia strongly believes that the institutional balance between the Council of Europe bodies is of the highest importance and considers that it is necessary to optimize the complementarities between the Organization’s organs. In this connection, Serbia will host the Parliamentary Assembly Standing Committee meeting in Belgrade, on 23-25 May. A meeting within the framework of the joint initiative of the European Agency for Reconstruction and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe to support the parliamentary institutions of the Republic of Serbia will also be held in Belgrade.
55. The Republic of Serbia is assuming its Chairmanship at a crucial moment for the Council of Europe, two years after the Third Summit of Heads of State and Government in Warsaw on 16 and 17 May 2005 and two years before the 60th Anniversary of the Council of Europe. We are fully commited to make sure that, during the next six months, further progress will be made towards building a Europe without dividing lines ("One Europe"), where not only the states but also the people join efforts to implement the values we all share and which create the conditions of a common democratic future ("Our Europe"). |
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