New Tax Legislation Stimulating Projects to Promote Human Rights

December 21, 2005

Donor:  Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs – BHRN
Duration of project: November 2005 – March 2006

In the latter half of 2005, the Belgrade Centre for Human Rights, the Podgorica-based Human Rights Action and the Croatian Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in Zagreb began implementing the project Tax Reform to Support NGOs in Promoting Human Rights, Civil Society Development and Democracy. This project aimed at finding and suggesting potential mechanisms to create a system in which the funding of NGOs, notably those advocating the promotion of human rights, development of civil society and democracy, would be partly based on lasting and sustainable in-country sources of funding. (more…)

Seminar on Humanitarian Law

Donor: Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE)
Duration of project:  November 2005 

Seminar for state representatives and employees who deal with topics related to International Humanitarian Law was organised in Belgrade. Main issues were: development of International Humanitarian Law, Practical Implications of IHL for Institutions and Individuals, Individual Criminal Responsibility for Violation of National and International Humanitarian Law.
Lecturers were Andrew Mc Entee, Human Rights Advisor, OSCE Mission to Serbia and Montenegro, prof. Vojin Dimitrijević, Director, Belgrade Centre for Human Rights, Prof. Miodrag Starčević, Serbia and Montenegro Red Cross Society, Vladimir Đerić.

European Convention on Human Rights and Minority Rights

Donor: Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE)
Duration of project: November 2005

Belgrade Centre for Human Rights organized seminar on relation of European Convention on Human Rights and Minority Rights. Main issues addressed were: Protection of Minority Rights and European Convention on Human, Registration and Recognition of Minorities and Minority Institutions, Prohibition of Discrimination and Minority Protection, Freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, Linguistic rights and right to education, effective participation in cultural, religious, social, economic and public life. Lecturers were: Andrew Mc Entee, OSCE Mission to Serbia and Montenegro, prof. Vojin Dimitrijević, Belgrade Centre for Human Rights, Philip Leach, London Metropolitan University,Ružica Žarevac, Belgrade Centre for Human Rights.

EU and Human Rights

Donor: Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE)
Duration of the project:  October 2005

Belgrade Centre for Human Rights organised two day seminar in Belgrade for civil servants from relevant state ministries/ agencies; judges; NGOs. Main issues addressed on this seminar were: Serbia and the European Union (basic facts on the EU, accession process, Stabilisation and Association Agreement etc.); the Court of Justice of the European Communities (ECJ); the ECJ and the protection of fundamental rights, equality and non-discrimination before the ECJ; Economic, Social and Cultural Rights before the ECJ. Lecturers were: Milica Delevic-Djilas, Vesna Rakic-Vodinelic, Vojin Dimitrijevic, Borko Nikolic, Tanja Papic, Vidan Hadzi-Vidanovic.

Regional Human Rights Report

Donor: Neighbourhood Programe of the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Duration of the project: August 2005 – July 2006

The result of this project was comprehensive human rights report with the detailed and relevant information on the legislation, practice and citizen’s attitudes toward the human rights in the whole region. Report  included recommendations for the improvement of legislation gaps and failures in respect of human rights standards, comparison of the domestic laws with international human rights instruments which are binding and the case law before the international courts and tribunals affecting the human rights situation in the countries in the region. (more…)

Retraining Lawyers in Transition Countries of Southeast Europe

Donor: Norwegian People Aid
Duration of the project: April 2005 – April 2006

Partner organisations in this project are: the Belgrade Centre for Human Rights, the Croatian Helsinki Committee for Human Rights, the Centre for Human Rights of the University in Sarajevo, the Human Rights Action Montenegro and FORUM-Centre for Strategic Research and Documentation from Macedonia.
In 2005 six seminars were organised throughout the region. The participating organisations have reached 193 beneficiaries from the region. Majority of them were judges, prosecutors and deputy prosecutors, court advisors and judicial associates, but also attorneys and others (representatives of international organizations and NGOs, ministries, ombudsperson offices, etc.). (more…)