Reports
Distorted picture – Economic and social rights in Serbia
May 2022
This is the report of Initiative A 11, which shows the most significant novelties and challenges during 2021 in five key areas for realising economic and social rights – work, health care, social care, education, and housing.
Living and labor conditions of the Linglong factory construction workers from Vietnam
November 2021
This joint report prepared by ASTRA and A 11 Initiative provides information about the living and working conditions of the Linglong factory construction workers from Vietnam, including information about their employment status, identified human trafficking indicators, the conditions of accommodation and information about their access to health care and the right to adequate housing.
Justiciability of economic and social rights in Serbia
October 2021
A comprehensive analysis of the justiciability of economic and social rights in Serbia examines the extent to which economic and social rights are guaranteed and protected in Serbia as well as shortcomings of the existing protection mechanisms. Specifically, this analysis refers to the right to social protection, health care, work and housing. Starting from the identified shortcomings, the analysis points out the advantages that the ratification of the Optional Protocol to the Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights could have and examines possibilities of improving the mechanisms for the protection of economic and social rights in Serbia.
The position of tradeswomen during the COVID-19 pandemic
April 2021
This report presents the main findings of A 11 Initiative`s research on the position and the working conditions of tradeswomen during the COVID-19 pandemic. The report additionally indicates that the labour rights of trade workers regressed in the first year of the pandemic.
The Application of the Law on Free Legal Aid from the Perspective of Internally Displaced Persons
December 2020
This report is focused on the implementation of the Law on Free Legal Aid with special reference to internally displaced persons. After a short review of the provisions of the Law on Free Legal Aid, the report highlights the main challenges encountered by the most vulnerable citizens in their access to free legal aid, illustrated through case studies, findings and testimonies from focus groups with members of vulnerable groups.
Precondition for Integration – The right to work of refugees and asylum seekers in the Republic of Serbia
December 2020
This report is focused on the right to work of refugees and asylum seekers in Serbia, as a precondition for their integration. The first part of the report gives an overview of the international and national framework regarding this issue, while the second one analyzes the right to work of refugees and asylum seekers in practice. After some statistical data in relation to the granted asylums and issued work permits, the report offers certain recommendations for improvement in this field.
Recommendations for better protection of economic and social rights during and immediately after the crisis caused by the pandemic
August 2021
These Recommendations were conceived as proposals for opening a discussion about some of the key issues identified during the first wave of the crisis caused by the coronavirus. They can serve decision-makers, expert bodies and public authorities in proposing and creating new measures, and civil society organizations, trade unions, activist groups and others in creating activities aimed at promoting economic and social rights during the crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Human Rights in Serbia during the First Wave of Coronavirus: from denial of danger to state of emergency
August 2020
Paying special attention to human rights protection standards, this analysis contains an overview of important events and measures in Serbia related to the COVID-19 epidemic during the first five months after the first registered case of infection in Serbia. The aim of this analysis is, on the one hand, to identify acts and measures that infringed on human rights and to examine whether the limits of what can be considered justified and necessary have been exceeded. The analysis also points to situations in which there was no response from the state when intervention was needed to prevent human rights violations.
What life looks like in informal collective centres in Serbia
February 2020
This research, conducted in ten informal collective centers or informal settlements where internally displaced persons live, examines the conditions of displaced persons living in these centers, particularly their position regarding the exercise of the rights to housing, education, work and employment, health care, and social protection to point at their marginalization and need to prioritize the problems they face.
Second Class Rights – Social Rights in the Light Austerity Measures
February 2020
This is A 11 Initiative`s first report examining the exercise of key economic and social rights, from the right to social protection and housing, to the right to health care and other so-called second-generation human rights. A particular focus of this report is on the aftermath of the global economic crisis and the impact of austerity measures on the right to social protection, health care and housing by citizens from the most vulnerable groups.
Annual Report 2020
February 2021
This report examines the impact of our work in the first year marked by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Analysis of Measures Derogating from Human and Minority Rights during the state of emergency in the Republic of Serbia caused by the epidemic of infectious disease COVID-19
March 2020
The goal of this analysis is to show to what extent measures derogating from human rights, enacted under the auspices of the state of emergency, have affected the daily life of citizens of the Republic of Serbia and whether they have been implemented in the manner prescribed by the Constitution. The analysis is divided into two sections. The first section provides an overview of the introduced “emergency” legal framework, as well as a mapping of derogated human rights. The second section provides an overview of the international obligations which must be observed in order for derogations to be admissible.
Deprivation of liberty of refugees, asylum seekers and migrants in the Republic of Serbia
March 2020
The goal of this analysis is to explain the consequences that the regular and extraordinary legal framework that introduced the “temporary restriction of movement” of refugees, asylum seekers and migrants caused to the enjoyment of the basic human rights to these categories of people. It also explores how this legal framework infringes on the right to liberty and security of persons. It examines whether the stated restrictions and derogations are in accordance with international conventions, generally accepted rules of international law and the Constitution of the Republic of Serbia.
Joint Submission to the United Nations Human
Rights Committee on Economic, Social and
Cultural Rights on List of Issues for the Third
Periodic Report of the Republic of Serbia
26 August 2019
A 11 Initiative, along with 12 CSOs and trade unions, submitted a joint report to the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights on the occasion of the adoption of the List of Issues for the 3rd reporting cycle of the Republic of Serbia under the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. The report covered issues such as the discriminatory exclusion of Roma children from the right to parental allowance; equal rights of men and women; the position of women in the informal economy, textile industry, and those involved in seasonal jobs; access to health care for undocumented children and uninsured pregnant women and legal amendments introduced by the new Law on Health Insurance (related to mandatory cancer screening) that might disproportionately affect women and Serbia’s rural population.
Useful Knowledge for the Improvement of Work of Human RIghts Organizations
2019
This publication is primarily aimed at activists and all those engaged in the protection of human rights through work in non-governmental organizations, local initiatives and other activist groups. The goal of the publication is to offer new ideas for the improvement of the work of human rights organizations, particularly their monitoring and advocacy work, as well as their efforts to empower vulnerable individuals and communities.
Realisation of Economic and Social Rights for Internally Displaced Persons in Serbia
December 2018
Through this report, A 11 Initiative highlights the main challenges that internally displaced persons (IDPs) face in their access to social rights and offers recommendations for the promotion of local integration of IDPs in Serbia. In addition to the difficulties and recommendations in the field of housing and social and health protection, the report pays special attention to obstacles related to access to personal documents and residence registration.
Information for the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, Pre-sessional Working group for the 72nd session on reviewing the Republic of Serbia
29 June 2018
In cooperation with the FemPlatz, Initiative A 11 submitted an alternative report to the CEDAW Committee for the 72nd Pre-sessional Working group reviewing of the Republic of Serbia, covering issues such as the impact of austerity measures on women’s human rights; stereotyping and patriarchal labeling of women/girls by the governmental officials; inequality before the law of women with disabilities who are placed under guardianship (deprived of legal capacity), which, inter alia, leads to a risk of inhuman and degrading treatment; access to prenatal and maternal health care for undocumented Roma women; participation of women in creation, implementation and assessment of public policies, and participation in public and political life.
The impact of economic reform policies on women’s human rights
April 2018
This joint submission to the Independent expert on foreign debt and human rights focuses on the impact of economic reform measures on the implementation of economic and social rights, lack of ex-ante gender impact assessment, lack of dialogue and transparency of economic reform policies, and lack of free legal aid. The submission emphasizes the importance of human rights impact assessment and reiterates that this assessment should be introduced as a part of the procedure for passing laws or adopting public policies, particularly in cases when these policies could have a disproportionately negative effect on vulnerable groups.
Report based on the questionnaire prepared by the special rapporteur on the right to adequate housing on the occasion of the preparation of her forthcoming report to the General Assembly on the issue of informal settlements and human rights
May 2018
A 11 Initiative made a submission to the UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Adequate Housing, on the occasion of the preparation of her report to the General Assembly on the issue of informal settlements and human rights. The report is focused on the ongoing housing crisis in Serbia and the challenges Roma face in enjoying the right to adequate housing.