1 Strasbourg, 4 March 2008 ACFC/SR/II(2008)001
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Strasbourg, 4 March 2008 ACFC/SR/II(2008)001 SECOND REPORT SUBMITTED BY SERBIA PURSUANT TO ARTICLE 25, PARAGRAPH 2 OF THE FRAMEWORK CONVENTION FOR THE PROTECTION OF NATIONAL MINORITIES Received on 4 March 2008 1 FRAMEWORK CONVENTION FOR THE PROTECTION OF NATIONAL MINORITIES Second Periodic Report Submitted to the Secretary General of the Council of Europe pursuant to Article 25 of the Framework Convention Republic of Serbia Belgrade, January 2008 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS Part I I. Background Information................................................................................…………..…......9 1.1. Geographic Location.............................................................................................................9 1.2. Historical Development ........................................................................................................9 1.3. Demographic Data …….….................................................................................................10 1.4. Basic Economic Indicators….............................................................................................12 1.5. Indicators of Social Life ………..........................................................................................15 1.5.1. Education …..............................................................................................................15 1.5.2. Culture ......................................................................................................................17 1.5.3. Media ........................................................................................................................19 1.5.4. Periodical Publications ….........................................................................................19 2. Constitutional and Administrative Strucure .........................................................................21 2.1. Constitutional Definition of the Republic of Serbia ..........................................................21 2.2. Human and Minority Rights – Basic Principles ................................................................21 2.3. Relationship between International and Internal Law and the Status of International Treaties in the Hierarchy of Internal Law ……..................................................................................................22 2.4. Competences and Constitutional Bodies of the Republic of Serbia ..................................22 2.5. Competences of Autonomous Provinces ...........................................................................25 2.6. Competences of Local Self-Governments .......................................................................................27 2.7. Delineation of Competences in the Field of Minorities Protection and Regulation of Usage and Protection of Minority Languages ...................................................................30 2.8. Tasks and Organisation of the Public Administration ....................................................................31 2.9. Tasks and Organisation of the Administration of the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina .................................................................................32 2.10. Organisation and Operation of the Municipal and City Administrations.…………........33 2.11. Court Organisation ….......................................................................................................33 3. Information Concerning the Framework Convention .........................................................39 3.1. General Information Concerning the Framework Convention ...........................................39 3.2. Legal Instruments for the Implementation of the Framework Convention Referred to in the Report .....................................................................................................39 3.3. Consultations with Relevant Bodies …...............................................................................41 Part II II. Implementation of Individual Articles of the Convention ..................................................45 Article 1..........................................................................................................................................45 1.1. The Republic of Serbia and the Protection of Human Rights under the International Law ................................................................................................45 1.2. Collaboration with International Organisations ..................................................................47 Article 2..........................................................................................................................................49 2.1. Principles of Implementation of the Framework Convention .............................................49 Article 3..........................................................................................................................................51 Paragraph 1 3.1. The Concept of National Minority ......................................................................................51 3.1.1. Freedom of Expressing National Affiliation …….....................................................52 3.1.2. Procedures for Establishing the Existence of a National Minority, Disputes on National Self-identity and Affiliation with a National Minority ...............................52 3.1.3. Collection of Statistical Data and Protection of Personal Data …………................55 2 Paragraph 2 3.2. Ways of Exercising the Rights and Enjoying the Freedoms …...........................................56 3.2.1. Individual Rights ……...............................................................................................56 3.2.2. Collective Rights…....................................................................................................56 Article 4..........................................................................................................................................58 Paragraph 1 4.1.Equality, Legal Protection and Prohibition of Discrimination ….......................................58 4.1.1. Equality ……….........................................................................................................58 4.1.2. Equal Legal Protection ..............................................................................................58 4.1.3. Prohibition of Discrimination on grounds of Affiliation with National Minority .............................................................................................59 4.1.3.1. General Measures …....................................................................................59 4.1.3.2. Penalizing for Discrimination.……………..;…...........................................60 4.1.3.3. Prohibition of Discrimination in the Field of Education .............................60 4.1.3.4. Prohibition of Discrimination in the Field of Labour Relations...................60 4.1.3.5. Prohibition of Discrimination in the Field of Information ..........................60 4.1.3.6. Prohibition of Discrimination in the Field of Health Care ..........................61 Paragraph 2 4.2.Measures Promoting Full and Effective Equality ……………...........................................61 4.2.1. General Constitutional-legaland LegislativeBasesfor Undertaking Measures and PromotingFull and Effective Equality ……………..............................................................61 4.2.2. Measuresaimed at PromotingFulland EffectiveEqualityin the Field of Economic and Social Life and Employment ..............................................................................62 4.2.2.1. General Meaures ..........................................................................................62 4.2.2.2. Measuresaimed at PromotingFulland EffectiveEqualityfor theRoma in the Field of Economic and Social Life and Employment ........................63 4.2.3. Measuresaimed at PromotingFulland EffectiveEqualityin the Field of Educational and Cultural Life ……...........................................................................65 4.2.3.1. General Measures .........................................................................................65 4.2.3.2. Measuresaimed at PromotingFulland EffectiveEqualityfor theRoma in the Field of Educational and Cultural Life ..............................................65 4.2.4. Measuresaimed at PromotingFulland EffectiveEqualityin the Field of Political Life ..............................................................................................................67 Paragraph 3 4.3.1. Non-discriminatoryCharacter of theMeasuresaimed at PromotingFulland EffectiveEquality .....................................................................................................68 4.3.2. Disputes regarding the Measures aimed at PromotingFulland EffectiveEquality .....................................................................................................68 Article 5..........................................................................................................................................70 Paragraph1 5.1. Conditions forMaintaining andDeveloping the Culture and Preserving the Essential Elements of Identity .......................................................................................70 5.1.1. Legal Bases for Creating Conditions for Maintaining and Developing the Culture of National Minorities ..............................................................................................70 5.1.2. Preservation