The roundtable was realised in cooperation with the Serbian Association for Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) and the German International Cooperation Institute (GIZ).

The Parliamentary Group on Reproductive Health, Gender Issues and HIV is a non-profit non-governmental group operating within the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia, dedicated to public advocacy, protection and promotion of human rights, sexual and reproductive health and gender equality in all spheres of social life, with a special focus on vulnerable population groups.

The roundtable was opened by Dragana Stojanovic, Executive Director of the Serbian Association for Sexual and Reproductive Health, who presented the sustainable development goals, part of the United Nations’ Global Agenda which the Republic of Serbia, along with all the other UN member countries, is to accept at the United Nations meeting in New York.

Stojanovic said that the turnout of today’s roundtable testifies to the country’s readiness to, through the participation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, public health institutions, international institutions, bilateral donors, MPs, representatives of the Provincial authorities and NGO, take active part in the creation of local indicators and pursue the goals once they are adopted.

Thanking the Parliamentary Group and the Association for the invitation to the roundtable, Michel Saint-Lot, acting resident coordinator of United Nations Serbia, reminded the participants that the Serbian people had actively contributed to the formulation of an adequate Agenda by taking part in the campaign Serbia We Want, organised as part of the global campaign World We Want. “By giving the people a say concerning the new UN Agenda, today we have a very comprehensive series of 17 goals and 169 targets of sustainable development the countries wish to achieve. Fighting discrimination is the only right included in all nine of the fundamental treaties on rights, international law and the EU acquis which are all harmonised in the sphere and call for clear action at the national level”, said Saint-Lot, commending Serbia’s efforts to develop new gender equality strategies and work on amending and modifying the existing law.

MP Zlata Djeric, Head of the Parliamentary Group on Reproductive Health, Gender Issues and HIV, said that the Group focuses on passing new legislation and amending and modifying the existing laws so as to improve the living standards and boost the benefits of the legislation to the Serbian citizens. “We are focused on the issue of reproductive health and sustainable development where all the experience and training the Group gained at international conferences have proved invaluable, and during the coming regular parliamentary session we will be open for cooperation with all the NGOs and the civil sector without which the Group cannot function satisfactorily”, concluded the MP.