Montenegro's progress in safeguarding and promoting human rights and freedoms presented in Geneva

Podgorica, Montenegro (22 January 2018) -- National report on the state of human rights in Montenegro was presented earlier today before the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, within the third cycle of the General Periodic Review of the Human Rights in the UN member states.Presenting the report, head of the Montenegrin delegation, Deputy Prime Minister Zoran Pažin pointed out that comprehensive national reforms, which resulted in a high level of protection and affirmation of human rights and freedoms, were the best recommendations to Montenegro for achieving key foreign policy goals, namely NATO accession and progress towards EU membership. Over the past four-year period, DPM Pažin underscored,  tangible progress has been achieved in judicial reform and fight against corruption, new legal solutions have been introduced with a view to effectively protecting against discrimination, enabling further empowerment of women and girls, improving the fight against human trafficking and more successfully safeguarding the rights of persons with disabilities.

He also pointed out the areas in which more work needs to be done, such as the fight against domestic violence and violence against women and children, stressing that the State and judicial authorities in this area need to provide stronger and more effective protection for victims of violence and more decisively and rigorously act against the perpetrator. The Deputy Prime Minister stated that, despite the productive cooperation of  the state institutions and NGOs in improving the position of persons with disabilities, the practice shows that these people are still exposed to social marginalisation, which clearly indicates the need for further empowerment of both persons with disabilities and the capacity of institutions and their resources.

DPM Pažin expressed his appreciation to the members of the UN who participated in the discussion. He particularly thanked the Protector of Human Rights and Freedoms of Montenegro and NGOs in Montenegro for their contribution.

Speaking about the integration of the Roma and Egyptians into Montenegro's educational system, Minister of Labour and Social Welfare Kemal Purišić said that emphasis in this field is placed on preschool education, improvement of teacher competences, cooperation within the teaching process, strengthening the intercultural dimension and prevention of early school leaving. Minister Purišić presented the results of reforms that are being implemented in order to combat violence against women and domestic violence, protect the rights of persons with disabilities and respect basic labour rights.

Director General for Promotion and Protection of Human Rights and Freedoms in the Ministry of Human and Minority Rights Blanka Radošević Marović presented the key results in the field of developing institutional capacity and mechanisms for the prevention of torture, the fight against homophobia, and the achievement of gender equality.

Following the interactive dialogue during the presentation of the report, 73 countries took part in the discussion and Montenegro received about 180 recommendations from the UN member states for further affirmation of human rights and freedoms, which is at the level of the average number of recommendations the UN member states receive within the third cycle of the General Periodic Review.

OFFICE OF THE DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER