Minister of Justice Nela Kuburović has met with the President and the General Secretary of the World Roma Organisation (WRO) Jovan Damjanović and Bajram Haliti, respectively. The parties discussed the improvement of the position of the Roma community in Serbia and of national minorities’ rights in accordance with the Chapter 23 Action Plan.

The WRO representatives said that the degree of respect for the rights of the Roma community in Serbia was much greater than in other countries in the region, as well as many EU member states; nothing, nonetheless, that further progress could always be achieved. They added that members of the Roma community preferred to have their existing issues resolved within and by the state authorities, highlighting a need for a greater representation of the Roma in the public administration organs.

Discussing the Action Plan to Chapter 23 - the sub-chapter of which concerned the promotion of the rule of law and the improvement of the rights of national minorities -, the meeting participants concurred that a proactive participation of the Roma representatives in the implementation of Action Plan measures was required. It was said that Roma attorneys and the WRO representatives ought to visit members of their community serving prison sentences in Serbia, as well as that free legal aid was needed.

The Minister of Justice expressed hope that the civil sector and the advocacy would soon reach a compromise on the draft Free Legal Aid Bill which aimed to grant all Serbian citizens equal access to justice.