Council of Europe’s new Anti-discrimination Manual, promoted on 29-30 January in Sarajevo and 5-6 February in Tuzla, gives valuable guidance to civil servants, judiciary, civil society organisations and media how to identify discrimination and explains the steps needed for appropriate management of such cases. Furthermore, the manual gives detailed overview of the national protection system aimed to protect and enhance human rights in the country. Designed to be used primarily by civil servants, civil society organisations and media, it can be also used by the judiciary, wider public including the private sector. The manual is a powerful tool for inserting the data into the anti-discrimination database, administered by Ministry for Human Rights and Refugees of BiH, which will eventually be used for in-depth analysis of the  discrimination, the occurrences  and the main trends. Finally, the antidiscrimination database will contribute in the policy planning, to better define the scope of the prevention and reactive activities that are needed to ultimately enhance and promote human rights in BiH.

This activities being organised within the framework of the Action “Strengthening the Human Rights Ombudsman to fight discrimination” – a part of the joint programme between the European Union and the Council of Europe: “Horizontal Facility for Western Balkans and Turkey”. Further presentation of the anti-discrimination data base and the promotion of the anti-discrimination manual will be organised on 19-20 February in Mostar and 5-6 March in Banja Luka.