Paunovic: We must not let a nation's fundamental human rights be violated in 21st century

MANAMA - Serbian Deputy Parliament Speaker Snezana Paunovic participated in the 146th session of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) in Manama, Bahrain, on Friday.

During a debate on fighting intolerance, Paunovic said Serbia was carrying out reforms in the field of non-discrimination to align its legal framework with relevant international and European standards.

"The fight against intolerance is not simple, and dialogue, education and political readiness are needed to achieve any visible results. Education, as one of the key and primary means of prevention, is the basis for combating intolerance and discrimination. Education promotes inclusion and peaceful coexistence.

States are obliged to take legal measures in the fight against discrimination," she said.

"By accepting cultural differences, we build an environment that exudes peace," she also noted.

Speaking about the situation in Kosovo-Metohija, Paunovic said hearing out each other and not allowing injustice to be inflicted through decisions by individuals was an obligation in the fight for fundamental human rights, which she noted included everyone's right to live where they were born.

"We must not allow the basic human rights of a nation to be violated in the 21st century - a nation that cannot go to its territory where it has a monastery from the 12th century," said Paunovic, who is a Serb from Kosovo-Metohija.

She also said that, at international level, Serbia was a signatory to numerous conventions and had ratified eight of the nine most important human rights treaties created under UN auspices.

"Serbia is an example of good practice in that it is the first UN member state to adapt the 'Leave No One Behind' principle from the 2030 Agenda to its normative framework.

Also, the Government of the Republic of Serbia has adopted the Strategy for Prevention and Protection against Discrimination for the period from 2022 to 2030," Paunovic said.