Lawyers’ Committee for Human Rights – YUCOM

Lawyers’ Committee for Human Rights – YUCOM was founded in 1997 as an expert, non-governmental organization whose members are legal experts engaged in promoting and advocating the idea of the rule of law and uphold of human rights, raising public awareness, conceiving, designing and leading civic initiatives, rendering legal assistance to victims of human rights violation, as well as developing co-operation with national and international organizations involved in human rights protection and promotion. YUCOM is recognized as an organization advocating human rights and promoting active participation of citizens in legal initiatives. It has profiled itself and gained much recognition as human rights defenders’ organization.

During the last 15 years YUCOM`s Legal Team has been constantly and successfully providing legal assistance to victims of human rights violations (to minority groups, human right defenders, journalists and others) before relevant national bodies and courts, as well as European Courts for Human Rights and UN Committee for Human Rights. Results of the YUCOM strategic litigation were, inter alia, in changing the constitutional provisions to provide more efficient protection before national authorities, first ruling of the European Court on Human Rights and UN Committee.

YUCOM constantly cooperate with different CSOs in the region and media representatives in accordance to protect human rights.

YUCOM is a member of various local, regional and international networks for monitoring human rights issues, and in November 2011 YUCOM took part in establishing Human Rights House in Belgrade as one of its 5 founding organizations.

The objectives of YUCOM are:

• Protection and promotion of human rights and freedoms;
• Advocating the respect for the principles of the rule of law and democracy;
• Harmonization of national constitution, statutes, laws, regulations and practice with international and European standards and conventions;
• Cooperation with national and international associations and organizations that are committed to promoting the ideas and practice of the human rights which are compatible to the objectives that YUCOM is committed to;
• Realization of other objectives that are of interests in promoting the ideas, practice of protection and promotion of human rights, the rule of law and democracy.