MISSION PERMANENTE DE LA REPUBLIQUE DE SERBIE PERMANENT MISSION OF THE REPUBLIC OF SERBIA AUP RES DE NAT IONS UNIES. ET D'AUT RES ORGANISAT IONS I NT ERNAT IONALES T O T HE UNIT ED NAT IONS AND OT HER INT ERNAT IONAL ORGANIZAT IONS FORUM ON MINORITY ISSUES Minorities in the criminal justice system Item V - Addressing the root causes of discrimination in the administration of justice We thank distinguished panelists for their presentations on the item of addressing the root causes of discrimination in the administration of justice. Serbia is one of the countries that replied to the questionnaire of the Special Rapporteur on minority issues Mrs. Rita on experiences of minorities in the criminal justice system. It will be our pleasure to share with the participants of the Forum a few remarks on the approaches and best practices for advancing the minority rights in Serbia this area. The corner stone of the protection of minorities in the context of the criminal justice system in Serbia is the respect of the principle of non discrimination, The equal treatment of persons belonging to minorities is guaranteed by their participation in this system, by means of equal treatment of members of minority in all phases of the criminal proceedings, and by criminal-law protection from racial, national and religious hatred, discrimination and violation of equality. - Beside constitutional guarantees, various laws (such as the Criminal Code, Law on Judges, Law on Public Prosecution, Law on Police, Law on Protection of National Minorities, Law on Civil Servants, Law on the Prohibition of Discrimination), and Strategies (National Judicial Reform, Strategy for development of penal sanctions enforcement system, Strategy for prevention and protection against discrimination, Police Code of Ethics, Judicial Academy Training) contain specific provisions in terms of respecting non-discrimination based on nationality, race, language or religion. Allow me to mention only a few examples of good practice in our national institutional setting: