OSCE organizes study visit to Serbia for Tajik state officials

A study visit for high level Tajik state officials to Belgrade was organized by the OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe in co-operation with the OSCE Mission to Serbia from 6 to 10 December 2017. A group of ten representatives from various state institutions such as the national parliament, the Presidential Office, the General Prosecutor’s Office, the Committee on Women and Family Affairs and several ministries took part in the visit.

The visit, which was focused on best practices in Serbia in the field of combating violence against women, consisted of high level meetings with the Serbian government, including the interior ministry and the ministries of justice and health as well as the Judicial Academy and the state prosecutor’s office. In addition, meetings with civil society and a visit to a safe house for victims of domestic violence were organized.  

“The purpose of this study visit was to learn about best practices in Serbia on how institutions tackle issues of domestic violence and violence against women, how they co-ordinate their roles, as well as to explore new ideas about working with perpetrators of such violence,” said Vesna Ivanovikj-Castarede, Gender and Anti-Trafficking Officer at the OSCE Programme Office.

The study visit marks the beginning of more extensive co-operation which will include various follow-up meetings and activities next year. All entities involved have committed to continued implementation of the Tajik Law on Domestic Violence, and also to developing a new, more comprehensive approach to countering and eradicating domestic violence in Tajikistan.