Serb National Council
SNV logo | |
Formation | 1997[1] |
---|---|
Type | umbrella organization |
Legal status | elected political, advisory and coordinating umbrella organization |
Purpose | protection of interests of and rights of Serbs in Croatia |
Headquarters | Zagreb |
Region served | Croatia |
Membership |
Prosvjeta Serb Democratic Forum Serbian Community of Rijeka Serbian Community of Istria Joint Council of Municipalities Independent Democratic Serb Party Baranja Democratic Forum Association of Serbian Refugees and Expellees from Croatia Some of parishes of Serbian Orthodox Church in Croatia MPs and prominent individuals |
Official language | Croatian, Serbian |
President | Milorad Pupovac[2] |
Secretary | Branko Jurišić |
Website | snv.hr |
The Serb National Council (Croatian: Srpsko narodno vijeće, Serbian Cyrillic: Српско народно вијеће) is elected political, consulting and coordinating body acting as a form of self-government and institution of cultural autonomy of Serbs of Croatia in matters regarding civil rights and cultural identity.[3][4] Council main focuses are human, civil and national rights, as well the issues of Serbs of Croatia identity, participation and integration in the Croatian society.[4]
Formation
Founding members were:
- Serbian Cultural Society Prosvjeta (SKD Prosvjeta)
- Serbian Democratic Forum (Srpski demokratski forum)
- Serbian Community of Rijeka
- Serbian Community of Istria
- Joint Council of Municipalities of eastern Slavonia, Baranja and western Syrmia
- Independent Democratic Serb Party
- Baranja Democratic Forum
- Association of Serbian Refugees and Expellees from Croatia
- Representatives of several church municipalities of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Croatia
- Members of the Croatian Parliament of Serbian ethnicity
History
The organisation was founded in July 1997 after and on the basis of the Erdut Agreement, as well as on centuries-old traditions of Serbian that dates back to the time of early church-folk parliaments, through legislative and political acts regulating position of Serbs in Croatia during the 18th and 19th century, and documents of ZAVNOH.[1]
Statute
The Serb National Council’s Statute consists of 29 articles.[5] According to Statute Article 2, legal bases for establishment of Council are:
- provisions from Constitution of Croatia
- Croatian Constitutional law on national minorities rights
- International laws on human rights and freedoms and the rights of ethnic and national communities and minorities (United Nations Charter, Universal Declaration of Human Rights, International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, Helsinki Final Act, Paris Charter and other relevant OSCE documents, European Convention on Human Rights with protocols, International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, Genocide Convention, Convention on the Rights of the Child and other relevant Treaties signed by Croatia)[5]
Structure
The Serb National Council structure consist of Assembly, Presidency, The Supervisory Board, President, Deputy President and Vice Presidents. Permanent working bodies of Presidency are: 1) Committee for the selection, appointment and organization, 2) Committee for Human Rights in the constitutional and legal position of the Serbs, 3) Committee on education and youth, 4) Committee for return, reconstruction and socio-economic position of Serbs, 5) Committee on Information, publishing and documentation and 6) Committee for Cooperation with the Serbs in other countries.[5]
Regional and local councils
Criticisms
The Council is target of criticism of Croatian far-right parties and groups such as Croatian Party of Rights[6] and Croatian Party of Rights dr. Ante Starčević.[7]
In 2012 Council was criticized by Serbian Democratic Forum for alleged non-transparent and illegal management of funds allocated by Croatian Government for development and work of Serb organisations and institutions in Croatia.[8]
Other
There are also other same-named organisations in the ex-Yugoslav region, notably the Serbian National Council of Kosovo and Metohija (SNV KiM).
References
- 1 2 "Srpsko narodno vijeće-o nama". Serb National Council. Retrieved 2014-03-19.
- ↑ "Lecture by Prof. Dr. Milorad Pupovac, President of the Serb National Council in R. Croatia and a member of the Croatian Parliament, at the Diplomatic Academy". Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Serbia). 4 March 2014. Retrieved 2014-03-19.
- ↑ "About SNV". Serb National Council. Retrieved 2014-03-19.
- 1 2 "Serbian National Council". UNHCR. Retrieved 2014-03-19.
- 1 2 3 "Statut Srpskog narodnog vijeća" (PDF). Serb National Council. Retrieved 2014-03-19.
- ↑ "HSP: Srpsko narodno vijeće provocira hrvatsku javnost". Retrieved 2014-03-19.
- ↑ "Srpsko narodno vijeće potiče huškačke i radikalne poteze". Dalmacija News. 7 January 2011. Retrieved 2014-03-19.
- ↑ Radio.net (2012-07-24). "SDF urges gov't to stop non-transparent financing of SNV". T-portal. Retrieved 2014-03-19.