Helena Dalli, European Commissioner for Equality, is in Belgrade, Serbia this Friday 16 and Saturday 17 September for Europride 2022. This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Europride and Belgrade became the first city in Western Balkans to host this event.

Commissioner Helena Dalli begins her visit with a meeting with the Deputy Prime-Minister Zorana Mihajlovic. The Commissioner will deliver a speech at the International Human Rights Conference at the Pride House in Belgrade. In the afternoon, the Commissioner then meets Equality Commissioner, Brankica Janković to present the main objectives of the upcoming EU initiative on binding standards for equality bodies and discuss Serbia’s progress on equality. She then meets LGBT organisations from the Western Balkans to learn about the issues that civil society organisations are currently working on and their concerns. In the evening, the Commissioner meets with a group of MEPs and parliamentarians from the Member States, hosted by Head of EU Delegation.

On Saturday 17 September, the Commissioner will meet with the Prime Minister, Ana Brnabic with the focus on LGBTIQ equality and equality for all.

Commissioner Dalli said, “At this EuroPride human rights conference, I reiterate that LGBTIQ rights are human rights, and all human rights are LGBTIQ rights. Equality and human rights are inextricable. No tradition, culture or belief system may be invoked to undermine that. Instead, human rights have to inform our societies and challenge discrimination. The EU will continue to advance its global leadership in protecting the universality and indivisibility of human rights for all.”