ACTIVITIES

The organisations gathered around the Three Freedoms Platform fiercely condemn the aggression of the Russian Federation on Ukraine and warn that a blatant violation of international law norms is at hand. We call upon the international stakeholders and humanitarian organisations to do all in their powers to prevent further suffering of the civilian population, and upon the relevant institutions of the Republic of Serbia to contribute to that end, as well as to prepare for providing assistance to the people fleeing their homes. Also, we call upon the institutions of the Republic of Serbia to join other European countries and condemn the aggression of the Russian Federation on Ukraine. This is one of the important moments of the European solidarity and Serbia, if it wishes to be part of the European Union, must demonstrate that its shares the EU values.

During the internship program, BCSP interns participated in a series of practical workshops where they had the opportunity to learn about the concept of public policies, improve their communication skills, learn about advocacy, and try themselves in project writing.

To improve the position of human trafficking and smuggling victims, there needs to be a systematic collaboration between the government and NGOs, where the civil society organizations that provide help and support to victims would also be recognized by the state institutions as their partners who would have the necessary positions and resources. Because of the fact that human trafficking and smuggling is a transnational problem, international cooperation is of the utmost importance, but it can only be achieved by insisting on the rule of law and respecting human rights at the border. This is the conclusion of the discussion "When people become merchandise: the position of human trafficking victims,” held on 22 February, marking the European day for victims of crime organized by the Belgrade Centre for Security Policy along with partners within the Western Balkans Organized Crime Radar network.

In the last few years, Islamist extremism in Serbia is decreasing but far-right extremism is on the rise. Although there is the will in the community and among the citizens to work on this problem, greater progress is not possible without the assistance of the state, which has not shown interest in this problem so far. These are the main conclusions of the discussion "Towards a better strategic response to extremism in Serbia", organized by the BCSP on February 11 in cooperation with the Helsinki Committee for Human Rights, the Lawyers' Committee for Human Rights and the National Convention on the EU.

The year behind us was filled with serious challenges. The pandemic we are facing as humanity has been accompanied by a struggle to preserve the core values we follow. We have defended human rights, democracy, and the principles on which well-ordered state and society must rest. Together with you, we have raised important issues, awakened new energy and influenced change. Thank you for that! We know that in the next year, in which we will celebrate our 25th birthday, you will continue to be our greatest allies in building a safe and free community in solidarity.

A group of civil society organisations and experts hereby points out that the way laws and by-laws are passed, amended and abolished shows a true picture of the catastrophic state of democracy in Serbia. The content, enactment and urgent abolishment of the decree stipulating that scientific and other research of importance for the country's defense, conducted in cooperation with foreign entities, will require the approval of competent authorities, violates all principles of democracy, rule of law and freedom of expression.

The stampede of activities, especially in regard to completing constitutional changes, seeks to show sufficient progress to open new clusters before the elections in the spring of 2022, but the results are lacking. The fight against corruption and organized crime remain critical areas in cluster 1, and anti-immigrant activities and rhetoric contribute to the radicalization of society, representatives of the coalition prEUgovor warned at the online presentation of the new Alarm Report on 18 November.

BCSP warns the public that the draft Law on Foreign Affairs, if it does not undergo profound changes, will increase the power of the President in conducting foreign policy to the detriment of the Government and the discretionary power of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, and reduce the transparency of the Ministry, as well as centralize the supervision of all affairs related to foreign relations. Such a law would be another step toward formalizing the President's role beyond his Constitutional competencies, thus taking over the institutions responsible for formulating and implementing foreign policy.

By strengthening civil society, investigative journalism, NGOs and anti-corruption services we can show that the problem of organized criminal can be resolved. There is a lack of political will, so if we can’t tackle this problem necessarily from the top-down, we have to change the approach and tackle it from the bottom-up. This was concluded during the online discussion “Transnational Organized Crime in the Western Balkans: Effects in the Region and Beyond”, organized on October 7, by LSE IDEAS and Ratiu Forum, in cooperation with the Belgrade Centre for Security Policy (BCSP).