OSCE Mission awards five individuals in Serbia for upholding Organization's values

BELGRADE, 13 December 2006 - A police educator, an ombudsman, a political adviser, a journalist and a museum director received "Person of the Year" awards from the OSCE Mission to Serbia today.

"The award recognizes these individuals' contribution to implementing the Mission's programmes and upholding OSCE values through their work," said Ambassador Hans Ola Urstad, presenting the awards.

The recipients represent the Mission's five fields of engagement: law enforcement, rule of law and human rights, democratization, media, and economy and environment. They received Euro 2,000 each to give to a school or institution that has contributed to their professional development. 

Dragic Josifovic, the Head of the Interior Ministry's Police Education Directorate, was awarded for his contribution to the transformation of the Police High School in Sremska Kamenica into a Basic Police Training Centre. The financial part of the award went to the Sremska Kamenica School.

Petar Teofilovic, the Ombudsman of the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina, was awarded for his activities as a human rights defender who puts a strong emphasis on preventing human rights violations and educating the young people. Mr. Teofilovic designated the Gymnasium Jovan Jovanovic Zmaj from Novi Sad as the beneficiary of the financial award.

Biljana Stojanovic, Adviser to the Ministry of Education and Sports on minority education, was awarded for promoting intercultural understanding and dialogue. Ms. Stojanovic gave the financial part to the elementary school Marija Bursac in Belgrade.

Djordje Vlajic, a senior BBC correspondent in Serbia, was awarded for epitomising the highest professional and ethical standards promoted by the OSCE - freedom of expression and of the media, tolerance, fairness and accuracy. The final recipient of the award is the Faculty of Political Science.

Vladimir Jelenkovic, the Director of the Nikola Tesla Museum in Belgrade, was awarded for his outstanding work in promoting achievements of one of the greatest scientists of the contemporary era, Nikola Tesla, a forerunner of today's energy security concept. Mr. Jelenkovic decided to forward the financial part of his award to the Fifth Belgrade gymnasium.