Serbia in the UN

The United Nations (www.un.org) was created after the end of World War II, with the signing of the Charter of the United Nations in San Francisco in 1945. This international organisation, with its global reach, now has 193 Member States.

The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SFRY) was one of the initial founders of this global organisation. The Republic of Serbia has been a Member State of the United Nations since 1 November 2000, and has been continuously contributing to the work and activities of various bodies and specialised agencies of the United Nations (UN) System.

The Republic of Serbia’s priorities for the current 75^th session of the UN General Assembly, are as follows: preservation of sovereignty and territorial integrity, importance and role of multilateralism, peace and security, sustainable development, climate change and environmental protection, and promotion and protection of human rights.

Preservation of sovereignty and territorial integrity — the Republic of Serbia’s activities in this area reflect the country’s efforts to protect the principles of international law, the UN Charter and the legally binding UN Security Council Resolution 1244 (1999) which guarantees the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Serbia. Always stressing the importance of observing the UN Security Council Resolution 1244 (1999), the role of the UN Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) and of other international presence in Kosovo and Metohija, the Republic of Serbia places great value in Security Council sessions about UNMIK operations, with a view to continuously informing the international community about the political and security situation in Kosovo and Metohija, particularly as regards the status of Serbs and other non-Albanian groups of the population, the rule of law, the sustainable return of internally displaced persons, and the protection of cultural and religious heritage.

Importance and role of multiculturalism — the Republic of Serbia strongly supports multiculturalism and the principles enshrined in the UN Charter, which become increasingly relevant in the face of new and progressively complex challenges. The country has been actively supporting activities of the UN and its specialised agencies in all priority action areas, including the current crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. This unique situation, with which the entire world is dealing, has shown that efforts of individual countries are not sufficient, and that global solidarity, cooperation and joint action are necessary.

Preservation of peace and security — the Republic of Serbia provides continued support to the UN in its efforts to promote and preserve peace and security through the participation of representatives of the Republic of Serbia in peacekeeping operations in the UN missions in Lebanon (UNIFIL), DR Congo (MONUSCO), Cyprus (UNFICYP), the Central African Republic (MINUSCA), and the Middle East (UNTSO). Moreover, as a country which strongly condemns terrorism in all its forms and all types of extremism and radicalism, the Republic of Serbia is firmly committed to helping eliminate this threat at the national, regional and global level. To that end, the Republic of Serbia is making efforts to fully implement all the relevant UN resolutions and conventions and the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy, and it actively participates in the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS.

Sustainable development — the Republic of Serbia attaches high importance on the implementation of 2030 Agenda and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, and it undertakes intensive activities at the national level to ensure that the appropriate timetable of their implementation is observed. The Republic of Serbia was actively involved in the process of defining the Agenda. At the session of the High-level Political Forum, held under the patronage of the ECOSOC in New York in 2019, the Republic of Serbia presented its Voluntary National Review (VNR) on the Implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals. The Republic of Serbia believes that a continuous implementation of reforms, European integrations, and the implementation of 2030 Agenda, are complementary and interpenetrating processes.

Climate change and environmental protection — the Republic of Serbia is dedicated to global efforts to combat climate change, to protect the environment, to reduce the risks of natural disasters, and to preserve biodiversity. It advocates a consensus on the rules, the modalities and the procedures for the operationalisation of the Paris Climate Agreement, and for ensuring financial assistance to all developing countries for the purpose of meeting obligations arising therefrom.

Promotion and protection of human rights — the Republic of Serbia actively participates in the operations of the UN treaty bodies and mechanisms, and, in this regard, it pays particular attention to the work of the UN Human Rights Council and its mechanisms as well as the operations of the Third Committee of the UN General Assembly in charge of human rights issues. The Republic of Serbia also cooperates with the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and the UN Human Rights Council's Special Procedures. With the underlying belief that advancement and protection of human rights should be based on the principles of cooperation and open dialogue, the Republic of Serbia actively partakes in the Universal Periodic Review — a unique mechanism within the framework of the UN Human Rights Council, which reviews the human rights situation in all countries throughout the world. Within the framework of this mechanism, the Third Periodic Report on the human rights situation in Serbia was presented in January 2018. A voluntary mid-term report on the implementation of the recommendations from the Universal Periodic Review of the Republic of Serbia is under preparation.

The Republic of Serbia strives to increase its visibility as well as to contribute to the work of the UN by presenting candidates for various management and expert bodies of the UN System.
Operations of the UN and international organisations under the UN System are monitored by the Permanent Missions of the Republic of Serbia to the UN in New York (www.serbia-un.mfa.gov.rs), Geneva (http://www.un-geneva.mfa.gov.rs) and Vienna (http://www.osce-vienna.mfa.gov.rs), as well as the Permanent Delegation to UNESCO in Paris (http://www.unesco-paris.mfa.gov.rs). Operations of UN specialised agencies, funds and programmes outside of the headquarters (in London, Rome, Nairobi, etc.) are permanently monitored by Serbian diplomatic missions and consulates in the respective cities.