A delegation of the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) visited Serbia from 3 to 7 April 2023 as the first step in the preparation of a monitoring report. The visit was preceded by online meetings on 24 March 2023. During the visit, ECRI’s delegation gathered information on effective equality and access to rights; hate speech and hate-motivated violence; and integration and inclusion.

The delegation held meetings with representatives of the national government, the Parliament, the equality body (Commissioner for the Protection of Equality) and other independent institutions, members of civil society organisations, media professionals as well as (potential) victims of discrimination or hate speech. During a visit to Vojvodina, the delegation held discussions with the municipal authorities of Novi Sad and the Provincial Ombudsman. It also visited the technical school of Becej and the Veliki Rit Roma settlement. In Belgrade, the delegation visited the Belgrade Pride Info Center and the European Roma Institute for Arts and Culture (ERIAC).

Following this visit, ECRI is to adopt a report by Spring 2024, in which it will make a new set of recommendations on measures to be taken by the authorities to address racism and intolerance in the country. The implementation of two priority recommendations will be reviewed in two years’ time after publication of the report as part of ECRI’s interim follow-up procedure.

In its 2017 report, ECRI recommended, among other issues, that the authorities implement within the planned timelines their anti-discrimination strategies’ measures on introducing registered partnerships for same-sex couples. It also recommended, as a matter of priority, that the Serbian Parliament and Government adopt codes of conduct which prohibit the use of hate speech, provide for suspension of mandate and other sanctions for breach of their provisions and establish effective reporting channels.

For more information on previous ECRI reports on Serbia, please visit ECRI’s country monitoring page.