At its Sixteenth Meeting held today, the Committee on Human Rights and Freedoms has considered and unanimously adopted the 2017 Performance Report of the Committee.

It was estimated that the Committee’s 2016 Performance Report had good quality, with detailed overview of all activities, both those determined by the 2017 Activity Plan, as well as the additional 23 implemented activities. Out of the 25 activities set out in the 2017 Plan, the Committee implemented 18, while three activities were not implemented due to objective reasons. Furthermore, due to the implementation of the 23 additional activities, four activities from the 2017 Plan were not implemented, but the Committee will strive to implement them in the first quarter of 2018.

Within the legislative role of the Parliament, during 2017, the Committee considered four proposals for laws: Proposal for the Law on Amendments to the Personal Data Protection Law, Proposal for the Law on Amendments to the Law on Non-Governmental Organisations, Proposal for the Law on Amendments to the Anti-discrimination Law, and Proposal for the 2018 Budget Law of Montenegro. Furthermore, the Committee considered the Proposal for the Decision on Amendments and Supplement to the Decision on Establishing the Fund for Protection and Exercising of Minority Rights, and it submitted a report thereon to the Parliament. 

In the same reporting period, within the control role of the Parliament, in line with Article 162 of the Rules of Procedure, the Committee considered six annual reports:  2015 Performance Report of the Fund for Protection and Exercising of Minority Rights, 2016 Performance Report of the Protector of Human Rights and Freedoms, 2016 Status Report on Personal Data Protection and on Access to Information, 2016 Report on Development and Protection of Rights of Minorities and Other Minority Communities (along with 2016 Reports on Performance and Financial Operations of Minority Councils), 2016 Annual Report of the National Preventive Mechanism against Torture, and 2016 Performance Report of the Fund for Protection and Exercising of Minority Rights.

In line with Article 68 of the Rules of Procedure, also within the control role of the Parliament, the Committee considered the following: Strategy for Social Inclusion of Roma and Egyptians in Montenegro 2016-2020, along with the 2017 Action Plan for the Implementation of the Strategy and the Report on the Implementation of the 2016 Action Plan, Strategy for the Integration of Persons with Disabilities in Montenegro 2016-2020, along with the Action Plan for the Implementation of the Strategy for 2016/2017, Strategy for the Protection of Persons with Disabilities against Discrimination and the Promotion of Equality 2017-2021, along with the Action Plan for 2017 and 2018, Report on the Work Conditions of Security Officers and Treatment in the Institution for Enforcement of Criminal Sanctions, Strategy for the Prevention and Protection of Children against Violence, along with the Action Plan for 2017-2021, Alternative Report of the Protector of Human Rights and Freedoms of Montenegro on the Second  and Third Periodic Report on Montenegro’s Implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, and Report of the Golden Advisers of the Protector on the Implementation of the Recommendations of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child and the Information Note on the Protection against Discrimination from the Scope of Work of the Institution of the Protector of Human Rights and Freedoms of Montenegro for the period 1 January - 30 June 2017.

Work of the Committee on Human Rights and Freedoms is transparent, and the Committee meetings cause interest of both print and electronic media. During 2017, 520 pages of text were published on the website of the Parliament alone.

 It was concluded that the Committee was recognised by its multi-sectoral approach to work and good cooperation with the state bodies and institutions, international organisations, and the non-governmental sector. 

Under the item of the agenda “Current issues”, the Chairperson of the Committee Mr Halil Duković informed the Committee members on the Petition of the Association of Youth with Disabilities of Montenegro, in which they initiated the convening of the joint meeting of the Committee on Tourism, Agriculture, Ecology and Spatial Planning and the Committee on Human Rights and Freedoms in order to hold a control hearing of Minister of Sustainable Development and Tourism Mr Pavle Radulović and Minister for Human and Minority Rights Mr Mehmed Zenka with regard to providing accessibility for persons with disabilities. Upon the proposal by its Chairperson, the Committee unanimously adopted the Conclusion to request from the responsible ministries the information on the implemented activities in this field, in line with Article 68 of the Rules of Procedure of the Parliament of Montenegro. After obtaining the information, and in agreement with the Chairperson of the Committee on Tourism, Agriculture, Ecology and Spatial Planning, the Committee would decide to hold a joint meeting.