www.bgcentar.org.yu 

Who are we?

The Belgrade Centre for Human Rights is a non-partisan, non-political and non-profit association of citizens concerned with the advancement of theory and practice of human rights. It assembles persons of various professions and backgrounds – jurists, attorneys, sociologists, economists, writers, teachers, students and entrepreneurs. They contribute to the mission of the Centre by their knowledge, experience and enthusiasm.

How long does the Centre exist?

The Belgrade Centre was established in 1995 and has since than being recognized as one of the most important and most influential non-governmental organizations in Serbia and Montenegro.

What are our aims? 

The principal goals of the Centre are advancement of knowledge in the field of human rights and humanitarian law, development of democracy, strengthening of the rule of law and the civil society in Serbia and Montenegro and other countries in transition from authoritarianism to democracy. In the ten years of its existence the Centre has endeavoured to raise the consciousness of the citizens on the importance and dimensions of the idea of human rights and individual freedoms and to establish a favourable climate for their full respect and enjoyment.

What are our activities?

The Centre has become an institution for human rights education. It permanently organizes schools on human rights which are adapted to needs of various target groups – undergraduate and graduate students, student of secondary schools, lawyers and advocates, judges and prosecutors, political scientist and members of armed forces and the police, teachers of various ranks and officials in local-self government.

The Centre has attached great importance to its publishing activities. It has produced and published many books and pamphlets, including university level textbooks.

In addition to its educational activities the Centre has been active in providing legal assistance and humanitarian aid. This was especially noticeable in the turbulent times of the conflicts in Yugoslavia in the 1990s.

The most important fields of the work of the Centre are:

Education
Research
Publishing
Public promotional activities (lectures, manifestations, public debates, film and radio productions, etc.)
Drafting model laws and projects for the reform and improvement of state institutions
Reporting on the state of enjoyment of human rights
Free legal aid to victims of violations of human rights
Humanitarian assistance
Co-operation with national and international organisations and institutions active in the field of promotion of human rights, rule of law and democracy

Raison d’ Etre of the Centre
 
Conviction that all human beings must be equal before the law
Belief that democracy implies full participation of citizens and in the decision making process
The need to develop critical attitudes of mature citizens
Conviction that the civil society has to be constantly developed and energetically defended

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