Serbia beginning effort to reduce discrimination

Serbia beginning effort to reduce discrimination

A recent survey shows that discrimination is widespread, and even tolerated, in Serbia.

Protection for Equality Commissioner Nevena Petrusic (centre) holds a press conference on the survey results on February 28th. [Vesna Andic/RFE/RL]

A recent survey by Serbia's Commission for the Protection of Equality showed that a large percentage of people in public administration are ignorant when it comes to discrimination, and action must be taken in order to fulfil EU requirements, Commissioner Nevena Petrusic said.

Petrusic said she will send recommendations to state institutions on how to improve their work and reduce discrimination.

"This is important to us because of the accession negotiations with the European Union, this field must be regulated and fully standardised," said Petrusic.

"I think that the role of the media needs to affect a change in consciousness. It is the responsibility of our officers to give statements that do not encourage this kind of intolerance. In the long run, it seems to me that the greatest responsibility [lies with] educational institutions," Petrusic said after the survey results were released in late February.

According to the survey, more than 20 percent of public administration employees are unaware that discrimination is prohibited by law, and as many as 30 percent do not know that hate speech is legally prohibited.

The commission conducted the survey on a sample of 1,300 representatives of institutions encompassing the Serbian government, the Vojvodina provincial assembly, local administrations, courts and prosecutors' offices.

Petrusic said there is a high percentage of discriminatory opinions among the...