Tim za socijalno uključivanje i smanjenje siromaštva

We celebrate the international Human Rights Day on the date when, 70 years ago, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was signed, and for the first time in the history of humankind the right to “life, liberty and security, without any difference” was recognized for all people, a right held by all persons, acquired by birth, unalienable and indivisible, belonging to all people, regardless of nationality, residence, gender, national or ethnic affiliation, origin, colour of skin, faith, language or any other characteristic, noted the Ombudsman Zoran Pašalić regarding 10 December, the international Human Rights Day.

Considerable progress was achieved worldwide during the past decades in the rights of women, international law in the field of identifying responsibility for human rights violations was developed, and progress was made in protecting and promoting the rights of marginalized social groups. However, this day is still celebrated, across the world and in Serbia, in light of many forms of human rights violations, primarily those of children, women, the LGBT community, national minorities, asylum seekers, etc.

Violence, primarily domestic and intimate partner violence, remains a large problem in our society. More than 30 women have been killed in instances of domestic violence this year. Data indicates that one in three women in Serbia have been beaten or have experienced a basic form of violence, while nearly 95 percent of murdered women did not approach institutions. Violence is minimized, and its processing has failed to reach sufficient efficiency, thus the punishments issued to the violent offenders remain light, warned Pašalić.

Persons with disabilities remain one of the most vulnerable and invisible social groups in our society, exposed to stereotypes and prejudice. Inaccessibility, lack of social welfare services, unemployment and lack of awareness on difficulties and issues faced by persons with disabilities confirm that the rights of persons with disabilities are still being violated and insufficiently exercised in Serbia today.

Persons with mental impairments are frequently practically incarcerated in dormitory-type social welfare institutions, despite there being no legal basis for this in the legal system. Furthermore, although the Law on the Protection of Persons with Mental Impairments prescribes the procedure for involuntary placement in psychiatric institutions based on court decisions, in practice the decisions on this are often made by third persons, the Ombudsman notes.

According to the latest official data around 30 percent of children in Serbia are living on the poverty line, one in ten children in absolute poverty, 20 percent have not received all vaccines, nearly one third of those younger than five do not have adequate nutrition, and around 50 percent of children in Serbia are receiving some form of social assistance. During the past eleven years the Ombudsman has received as many of 3500 complaints in the field of rights of the child only, issuing around one thousand recommendations to competent bodies in this regard for improving the status and rights of children.

The national mechanism for the prevention of torture issued over 200 recommendations through 40 visits with the aim of improving the status of persons in prisons, police stations, centres for migrants, dormitory-type social institutions and psychiatric institutions, with the majority accepted or being implemented.

The Ombudsman has noted that worker deaths in the workplace represent a warning on the insufficiently developed awareness of competent bodies, but also society overall on the importance of worker safety, and occupational protection, still resulting in such tragic events. The Ombudsman has once again this year received a large number of complaints indicating violations of the rights of workers. The most frequent violations of rights indicated by workers are unpaid or irregularly paid salaries, unpaid contributions for healthcare and pension and disability insurance, workplace harassment, unregistered employment, withholding of the right to the use of sick leave or vacations. The rights of workers in the private sector are particularly vulnerable.

Although significant progress was made in the exercise of the rights of members of national minorities in Serbia, the Ombudsman notes that problems in the implementation of the Law on the Official Use of Language and Script remain, particularly regarding the right to the registration of personal names in the language and script of the national minority. It was noted in practice that there remain unequal treatments and a lack of understanding among public administration officials regarding the implementation of this law. Therefore the Ombudsman has conducted surveys on the official use of the Albanian and Hungarian language and script, and issued a report to the competent bodies with recommendations for the correct and full application of this law.

Freedom of media and expression are key for the development of a democratic society and require the tireless efforts of the state, the non-government sector, citizens and the media. Pressure on media, however, warns Pašalić, is obvious and visible in a number of ways, including attacks against journalists. Low and irregular salaries, unregistered employment and unfavourable labour contracts have made the status of journalists even more difficult. The international joint mission of media organizations has recommended to the competent bodies in the Republic of Serbia to classify journalism and media as a separate issue of significance for the institution of the national Ombudsman, so that the institution would be given greater reach in working on complaints and issues in the field of journalist and media, said Pašalić.

Source: www.ombudsman.rs