Source description last updated: 5 August 2020

In brief: The Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in Serbia (HCHRS) is a Belgrade-based non-profit organisation concerned with the protection of human rights in Serbia.

Coverage on ecoi.net:

The annual Human Rights in Serbia report and other reports

Covered monthly on ecoi.net, for Serbia

Mission/Mandate/Objectives:

“Established in 1994, the Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in Serbia […] has been trying to expose Serbia’s prevalent ideology – nationalism – and, inasmuch as possible, alleviate its fatal effects on the entire scope of human rights, the country’s economy, the rule of law, regional and global relations and international standing, but, above all, on younger generations and attitude towards modernity and demands of the modern time, vs. deep-rooted patriarchalism, gender bias, etc. […]

The Committee was the first NGO to stand up for thousands and thousands of refugees who turned to the organization, and did all in its power to ensure their civil rights and safe return to their hometowns. The organization was also a pioneer among NGOs to monitor and report on the situation of other vulnerable groups such as national minorities (exploring the situation of some 30 minority communities), prisoners – especially confined women victims of family abuse and inmates of reformatories - psychiatric patients, institutionalized persons with disabilities, children in the first place. […]

Presently, the Committee is mostly preoccupied with revisionism (historical), regional normalization with focus on Serbia-Kosovo relations, and the global phenomenon of radicalization and violent extremism.” (Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in Serbia website: About us, undated)

Funding:

Donors of the Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in Serbia have so far included the OSCE mission to Serbia, the US State Department, the foreign ministries of Germany, Hungary and Norway, the Delegation of the European Union to the Republic of Serbia, UN Women and USAID, amongst others (Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in Serbia website: Donors and Links, undated). No information could be found on the exact budget of the organisation.

Scope of reporting:

Geographic focus: Serbia

Thematic focus: human rights issues relating to nationalism, historical revisionism, patriarchalism, gender bias etc. including the rights of refugees, ethnic and religious minorities, prisoners, psychiatric patients and institutionalised persons with disabilities

Methodology:

The annual Human Rights in Serbia report draws on information from public sources including local media and government institutions. Sources are referenced by means of footnotes (see, for example, Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in Serbia: Report on Human Rights in Serbia in 2014; Political Culture vs. Europeanization, June 2015). Other reports (or contributions to reports) may be based on monitoring visits, during which interviews are conducted with persons of concern (Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in Serbia: Mental Healthcare; Befitting Human Dignity, April 2014, pp. 6­–16).

Languages of publications:

English and Serbian

 

All links accessed 5 August 2020.