VSE’s Aleksandra Ivankovic Speaks at UN Thematic Discussions & Attends Key Events in Serbia
This Tuesday and Wednesday (3 and 4 December 2024), VSE Deputy Director, Aleksandra Ivankovic, had the unique opportunity to address the United Nations Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice (CCPCJ), during their Thematic Discussions as the Follow up to the Kyoto Declaration.
Aleksandra was given the opportunity to discuss with the representatives of the UN Member States, the issues of needs of victims of crimes in general, and victims of terrorism in particular. On this occasion, Aleksandra reminded the member states that the initial problem with responding to the needs of victims of terrorism is the lack of an international definition of a terrorist act. She also discussed the fact that impact of terrorist victimisation affects our entire communities and also emphasised that the response to this phenomenon needs to be done in three phases: planning and preparation, crisis and long-term response.
Aleksandra invited the UN Members to look into the UN Model Provisions on Victims of Terrorism and adopt them in their national legislation and also turned their attention to some good practices regarding national victim support frameworks and victim compensation systems.
Finally, Aleksandra invited the UN Member States that 40 years after the adoption of the UN Basic Principles it was time to consider adopting a binding international instrument which would guarantee the rights to victims of all crimes.
Last week, VSE Deputy Director, Aleksandra Ivankovic, travelled to Serbia to attend two important events that took place on 28 and 29 November, and that were hosted by two VSE’s Serbian members.
The Humanitarian Law Centre Foundation hosted a conference on the topic of: Prosecuting War Crimes in the Countries of the Former Yugoslavia – a twenty-year review, where Aleksandra had the honour to moderate a panel that discussed ‘Support and assistance to victims and witnesses in war crimes trials’. Speakers included Ms Slavica Pekovic, from the court-based support services for victims of war crimes in Serbia, Tijana Jovanovic-Dacic from the International Assistance Network, and Mirjana Arsic, from the host organisation – the Humanitarian Law Centre Foundation.
The panel took a glimpse into the needs of victims of war crimes, three decades on, and discussed the important developments in the sphere of victim support, while also reflecting on still important gaps in the national victim support frameworks in the ex-Yugoslavian countries.
At the same time, the Victimology Society of Serbia (VDS), hosted their annual conference. This year, the conference topic was Victim Care and Roads to Recovery.
The participants discussed important topics of good practices in supporting victims of sexual violence and victims of mass victimisation, as well as the use of restorative justice and Aleksandra contributed to the discussion with her active participation in the event.
