The seminar on registration in birth registry books, access to rights and protection from discrimination was organized by UNHCR and Praxis for representatives and activists of Roma associations and organizations, Roma coordinators, health mediators and pedagogic assistants in the Centre of Professional Development (Municipality of Sabac) on 4 March 2013. The seminar was attended by 31 participants from Sabac, Koceljeva, Loznica, Bogatic, Krupanj, Macvanska Mitrovica, Ruma and Sremska Mitrovica. Praxis organized the seminar with an aim to realize the project Legal Aid to Persons at Risk of Statelessness in Serbia funded by UNHCR.

Praxis representatives tried through the analysis of cases from practice to familiarize the present with the most significant problems related to registration in birth registry books. It was pointed at the importance of the registration of child birth and subsequent birth registration of persons who failed to register on time. The court procedure for determination of time and place of birth envisaged by the Law on Amendments to the Law on Non-Contentious Procedure was thoroughly presented. In the same manner, the issues related to citizenship, registration of permanent and temporary residence, and circumstances of the possibility to access other rights – conditioned by the registration in birth registry books and possession of citizenship. The subject of presentation was also the familiarization with the mechanism of protection against discrimination. The identification of discrimination in concrete situations was presented through the simulation of cases. The mechanisms of protection of rights and manners in which they can be used were presented in a simple way with an aim to affirm the confirmation about their availability and expediency.

The possibilities of exercise and protection of rights from the stated area were presented through the interactive presentation of cases and positive legal solutions. In the final part of the seminar, the participants discussed about the problems encountered in practice and exchanged experiences in acting of competent bodies in implementation of applicable regulations. The seminar ended by awarding certificates to the participants.

See: Agenda