Marking the 75th anniversary of the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights adoption and International Human Rights Day, the Ministry of Human and Minority Rights and Social Dialogue presented Standing Conference of Towns and Municipalities (SCTM) with a recognition for special contribution and engagement in the field of improving human and minority rights and position of vulnerable groups in local self-government units.
SCTM Secretary General Nikola Tarbuk received this recognition as a confirmation of SCTM's efforts in the previous period on improving the living conditions and encouraging the inclusion of vulnerable and marginalized groups.
The ceremony was held on December 10, 2023, at the Pedagogical Museum in Belgrade, and on that occasion, Minister Tomislav Žigmanov awarded recognitions for supporting the improvement of human rights in Serbia to partners from public administration, media, civil society, local self-government, academic community, and other organizations and institutions, as well as to prominent individuals.
Minister Žigmanov emphasized that during the past year, the Ministry directed all its activities in alignment with the values and vision contained in the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Probably the most significant of all activities, the minister added, was the ratification of the Optional Protocol with the Pact on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, as it was promised last year on this very day.
Minister Žigmanov pointed out that the great jubilee is celebrated in the Pedagogical Museum with exhibition created by students of the Academy of Arts from Novi Sad, with a desire to meet the next jubilee of the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights, combining the future embodied in youth and energy and creativity of youth, with timeless values that we all strive for.
Françoise Jacob, UN Resident Coordinator in Serbia, reminded that the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted after two world wars, the Holocaust, destruction by atomic bombs, great economic crisis and colonial exploitation, and emphasized that human rights should be the center not only of this kind of speeches but also of policies and laws, as well as their implementation.
Journalists Sandra Mandić for the series "Small Big Stories" TV Insider, Jasmina Pašić for raising awareness about the position of children from vulnerable and marginalized groups of the same television, and RTS journalist Tamara Tankosić for media coverage in the field of human and minority rights and marginalized groups recived recognitions this year.
For special contribution and engagement in academic work in the field of improving human and minority rights and the position of particularly vulnerable and marginalized groups, recognitions were presented to Ivana Krstić from the Faculty of Law in Belgrade and Dejan Matić from the Faculty of Law in Kragujevac. Darko Vuković from the Academy of Arts in Novi Sad received recognition for his special contribution through academic work and artistic expression in the field of improving human and minority rights and marginalized groups.
Assistant Professor Valentina Bošković Marković, received a recognition for her contribution in the field of gender equality. Ana Janković Jovanović and Aleksandra Petrović from the UN Human Rights Team were presented with recognition for their support in the work of the Ministry in the realization and application of UN standards in the field of human rights.
Gordana Damjanović, City Council for Social and Health Care member of the City of Kragujevac, received a recognition for innovative approaches in improving the position of vulnerable groups in the city of Kragujevac, and Nataša Tanjević for her engagement in the protection of human rights and support for social dialogue in the area of the fight against discrimination towards persons deprived of their liberty.
Recognition was awarded to the Directorate for Defense Obligations, the Human Resources Sector of the Ministry of Defense for its contribution in the field of planning and preparation for defense and providing professional assistance to representatives of the Ministry of Human and Minority Rights and Social Dialogue in the preparation of planning documents, which was received by Snežana Vasić, and to the Academy of Arts of the University of Novi Sad, whose students created posters for the exhibition on values that were promoted within the 75 days for 75 years of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights campaign, which was received by Dean Siniša Bokan.
Recognitions were also received by representatives of the Network of Civil Society Organizations for the Fight against Homelessness for their special contribution in the fight against discrimination, the Mental Health Movement for promoting and protecting mental health as a human right, the Youth Association "Opens" from Novi Sad and the Center for Youth Integration from Belgrade for improving the position and human rights of young people.
On this occasion, an exhibition of works by students of the Academy of Arts from Novi Sad on the topic of human rights was organized in the Pedagogical Museum.
