Implementation issues

AuthorKrstic, Ivana
Pages80-83
80
8 IMPLEMENTATION ISSUES
8.1 Dissemination of information, dialogue with NGOs and between social
partners
a) Dissemination of information about legal protection against discrimination (Article 10
Directive 2000/43 and Article 12 Directive 2000/78)
With regard to th e dissemination of information about legal protection against
discrimination, the Com missioner f or the Protection of Equality publishes brochures and
handbooks for various professionals and the wider public in order to i nform them about
discrimination and to explain the available remedies if discrimination takes place. The
Commissioner actively works to increase the visibility of the institution, appears in the
media and organises a moot court for law students. In 2019, a seventh law competition
was initiated in partner ship with the Open Society Foundation. The comp etition was open
to law students from undergraduate and masters programmes.
b) Measures to encourage dialogue with NGOs with a view to promoting the principle of
equal treatment (Article 12 Directive 2000/43 and Article 14 Directive 2000/ 78)
The Commissioner for the Protection of Equality cooperates with international organisations
and international and national NGOs. Th ey are very important partners in advising on
complex discrimination cases; being involved in joint activities; pr oviding important
information about discrimination cases; and en gaging in situation testing. In 2019, many
meetings were organised with different organisations and the Commis sioner participated
in several seminars, round tables and conferences organised by NGOs. In 2019, NGOs
submitted only 110 complaints (15 5%) less than in 2018 when they submitted 293
complaints (30.9 %), and almost the same as in 2017, when they submitted 105
complaints (19.7 %).252
c) Measures to promote dialogue between social partn ers to give effect to the principle
of equal treatment within workplace practice, codes of practice and workforce
monitoring (Article 11, Directive 2000/43 and Article 13, Directive 2000/78)
In order to promote dialogue between social partners, the Commissioner for the Protection
of E quality organises conferences, round tables, presentations and lectures on different
issues. The Commissioner also takes part in different training courses. The Commissioner’s
Office advises people about their rights and refers them to other institutions if it finds that
there is no discrimination case. The Commi ssioner has prepared guidelines and
methodologies for the adoption of th e Equalit y Code , wh ich c ontains anti-discrimination
policy for empl oyers in Serbia .253 In 2017 and 2018, the Commissioner provided training
for labour inspectors, and in 2019 it organised training sessions for advisers in the National
Employment Service.254
The Office for Human and Minority Rights ( Kancelarija za ljudska i manjinska prava) also
undertakes a lot of activities in relation t o discrimination. The Action Plan for the
Implementation of the Strategy for the P revention of and Protection from Discrimination
was adopted on 3 October 2014 and implemented in 2015. The strategy and the action
plan resulted from consultations with the relevant NGOs and social partners, and continued
252 Commissioner for the Protection of Equality (2020), Regular annual report of the Commissioner for the
Protection of Equality for 2019, Belgrade, p. 301.
253 Commissioner for the Protection of Equality, Equality Code: Guidelines for Developing Anti-discrimination
Policy of Employers in Serbia Instructions and Methodologies (Kodeks ravnopravnosti - Smernice za izradu
kodeksa antidiskriminacione politike poslodavaca u Srbiji uputstvo i metodologije), Belgrade.
254 Commissioner for the Protection of Equality (2020), Regular annual report of the Commissioner for the
Protection of Equality for 2019, Belgrade, p. 6.

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