Samiksha Jaiswal (Editor)

Serb National Council

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Formation
  
1997

Headquarters
  
Zagreb

Type
  
umbrella organization

Region served
  
Croatia

Serb National Council httpsuploadwikimediaorgwikipediaen559Ser

Legal status
  
elected political, advisory and coordinating umbrella organization

Purpose
  
protection of interests of and rights of Serbs in Croatia

Milorad pupovac president of the serb national council in croatia


The Serb National Council (Croatian: Srpsko narodno vijeće, Serbian Cyrillic: Српско народно вијеће) is elected political, consulting and coordinating body acting as a form of self-government and institution of cultural autonomy of Serbs of Croatia in matters regarding civil rights and cultural identity. Council main focuses are human, civil and national rights, as well the issues of Serbs of Croatia identity, participation and integration in the Croatian society.

Contents

Formation

Founding members were:

  • Serbian Cultural Society Prosvjeta (SKD Prosvjeta)
  • Serbian Democratic Forum (Srpski demokratski forum)
  • Serbian Community of Rijeka
  • Serbian Community of Istria
  • Joint Council of Municipalities of eastern Slavonia, Baranja and western Syrmia
  • Independent Democratic Serb Party
  • Baranja Democratic Forum
  • Association of Serbian Refugees and Expellees from Croatia
  • Representatives of several church municipalities of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Croatia
  • Members of the Croatian Parliament of Serbian ethnicity

    • History

    The organisation was founded in July 1997 after and on the basis of the Erdut Agreement, as well as on centuries-old traditions of Serbian that dates back to the time of early church-folk parliaments, through legislative and political acts regulating position of Serbs in Croatia during the 18th and 19th century, and documents of ZAVNOH.

    Statute

    Serb National Council Statute consists of 29 articles. According to Statute Article 2, legal bases for establishment of Council are:

  • a) provisions from Constitution of Croatia
  • b) Croatian Constitutional law on national minorities rights
  • c) International laws on human rights and freedoms and the rights of ethnic and national communities and minorities (United Nations Charter, Universal Declaration of Human Rights, International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, Helsinki Final Act, Paris Charter and other relevant OSCE documents, European Convention on Human Rights with protocols, International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, Genocide Convention, Convention on the Rights of the Child and other relevant Treaties signed by Croatia)

    • Structure

    The Serb National Council structure consist of Assembly, Presidency, The Supervisory Board, President, Deputy President and Vice Presidents. Permanent working bodies of Presidency are: 1) Committee for the selection, appointment and organization, 2) Committee for Human Rights in the constitutional and legal position of the Serbs, 3) Committee on education and youth, 4) Committee for return, reconstruction and socio-economic position of Serbs, 5) Committee on Information, publishing and documentation and 6) Committee for Cooperation with the Serbs in other countries.

    Criticisms

    The Council is target of criticism of Croatian far-right parties and groups such as Croatian Party of Rights and Croatian Party of Rights dr. Ante Starčević.

    In 2012 Council was criticized by Serbian Democratic Forum for alleged non-transparent and illegal management of funds allocated by Croatian Government for development and work of Serb organisations and institutions in Croatia.

    Other

  • There are also other same-named organisations in the ex-Yugoslav region, notably the Serbian National Council of Kosovo and Metohija (SNV KiM)

    • References

    Serb National Council Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA