Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination

117 th session

Geneva, 13 April–1 May 2026

Item 6 of the provisional agenda

Consideration of reports, comments and information submitted

by States P arties under article 9 of the Convention

List of themes in relation to the combined sixth to ninth periodic reports of Serbia

Note by the Country Rapporteur

1.The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination decided at its seventy‑sixth session that the Country Rapporteur would send to the State Party concerned a short list of themes with a view to guiding and focusing the dialogue between the State Party’s delegation and the Committee during the consideration of the State Party’s report. The present document contains a list of such themes. It is not an exhaustive list; other issues may also be raised in the course of the dialogue. No written replies are required.

Statistics

2.Updated statistics on the demographic composition of the population based on self‑identification, disaggregated by ethnic origin, and on migrants, refugees, asylum-seekers, internally displaced persons and stateless persons. Economic and social indicators on various groups living in the State Party’s territory, disaggregated by national or ethnic origin, gender and age, including in respect of national minority groups.

The Convention in domestic law and the institutional and policy framework for its implementation (arts. 1, 2, 4 and 6)

3.Information on the legislative framework to combat racial discrimination and its implementation, particularly considering the amendments made to the Law on the Prohibition of Discrimination in May 2021 and to the Criminal Code in May 2019. Information on measures taken to align the domestic legal framework on the prohibition of racial discrimination with articles 1, 2 and 4 of the Convention.

4.Information on the policy framework to combat racism, racial discrimination and intolerance, including the scope and implementation of the national Strategy for Prevention and Protection against Discrimination for the period 2022–2030.

5.Updated information on other measures taken to combat racist hate speech, including in political discourse, in the media and on the Internet.

6.Measures taken or envisaged to ensure that police and other law enforcement officers do not engage in racial discrimination, including racially motivated violence and practices that amount to racial profiling.

7.Updated and detailed information on complaints registered with the courts or any other national institution, including the Commissioner for the Protection of Equality and the Protector of Citizens (Ombudsperson), concerning acts of racial discrimination, racist hate speech and racist hate crimes, including on the Internet and in the media, and information on the outcomes of those complaints and on investigations, prosecutions, convictions and disciplinary measures for perpetrators, and on reparations for victims.

8.Updated and detailed information on measures taken to guarantee and strengthen the independence of the judiciary, particularly the 2022 constitutional reform.

9.Updated information on measures taken to strengthen legal aid services and ensure their availability, and to provide legal assistance to facilitate litigation in racial discrimination cases, including information on the implementation of the Law on Free Legal Aid.

Situation of ethnic minority groups (arts. 2, 5 and 6)

10.Updated information on measures to ensure the enjoyment by members of ethnic minority groups of all the rights covered by the Convention without discrimination, particularly economic, social and cultural rights, and the effective participation and representation of members of ethnic minority groups in public and political life, particularly in State institutions, law enforcement and the judiciary. Updated information on the mandate and activities of the national councils of national minorities and the allocation of resources to carry out their mandate.

11.Information on the results achieved by and any assessment carried out on the implementation of the Strategy for Social Inclusion of Roma in the Republic of Serbia for the period 2016–2025 and on measures taken to develop a new comprehensive national strategy, ensuring consultation with and the participation of Roma in the design and implementation processes.

12.Information on measures taken to combat stereotypes and structural discrimination against Roma and to guarantee Roma their full and equal enjoyment of economic, social and cultural rights, particularly access to education and adequate housing. Measures taken to ensure that Roma children have equal access to quality education and to prevent de facto segregation of Roma pupils.

13.Information on the transitional justice process, accountability for past human rights violations and the denial of war crimes.

14.Information on measures taken to facilitate the sustainable return and reintegration of war refugees.

Situation of migrants, asylum-seekers, refugees and stateless persons (arts. 2 and 5)

15.Updated information on the legislative and policy frameworks on asylum-seekers and refugees and on measures to ensure access, without discrimination, to education, employment and healthcare services to all persons under the State Party’s jurisdiction.

16.Information on measures to provide access to its territory for persons in need of international protection, to respect the principle of non-refoulement and to conduct investigations into allegations of collective expulsions and pushbacks of migrants, refugees and asylum-seekers by law enforcement officials.

17.Updated information on measures taken to prevent and combat trafficking in persons, including on the impact of the measures, and on trafficking cases reported and prosecuted and convictions secured.

18.Measures to prevent and protect people from statelessness, including updated statistics on stateless persons and those at risk of statelessness.

Human rights education to combat prejudice and intolerance (art. 7)

19.Information on the measures taken to promote human rights education, including ways to combat racial discrimination, in all school curricula, university programmes and teacher training programmes, and on measures taken to raise awareness among the general public, civil servants, law enforcement and judicial authorities of the importance of cultural diversity and tolerance.