OSCE Mission awards five individuals in Serbia for upholding Organization's values and activities

BELGRADE, 16 December 2008 - A representative of civil society, officials of the Justice and Interior Ministries, a journalist, and an entrepreneur received "Person of the Year" awards from the OSCE Mission in Belgrade today.

"Each one of these five people has in an important and decisive way contributed to the Mission's success over the last year by upholding OSCE values and supporting projects and activities of our departments," said Ambassador Hans Ola Urstad, the Head of the OSCE Mission to Serbia.

The recipients represent the Mission's five fields of engagement: democratization, rule of law and human rights, law enforcement, media and economy and environment. They decided to designate the financial aspect of the award, worth 8,000 euro, to the Home for the Protection of Children and Youth "Dragutin Filipovic - JUSA", to a project financed by the Mission.

Romeo Mihajlovic, the President of the Union of Roma students at the Novi Sad University and member of the Novi Sad University Union, was awarded for his efforts in promoting Roma inclusion in schools and universities.

Damir Joka, the Head of the Department for Treatment and Alternative Sanctions within the Justice Ministry's Prison Administration, was awarded for his activism and close collaboration with the OSCE in advancing alternative sanctions.

Lazar Nesic, the Head of the Interior Ministry's National Crime Technical Centre, awarded for his co-operation with the OSCE in the Crime Scene Forensic Programme and for work on joint projects with the Mission.

Sladjana Novosel, the Editor of the weekly supplement of the daily Danas - Sandzak Danas, was awarded for nurturing the principles of objectivity, non-discrimination, tolerance and respect for human.

Sava Marinkovic, one of the tenants of the Business Technology Incubator Centre in Belgrade, established by the OSCE Mission, was awarded for his innovative entrepreneurship and for providing new employment opportunities to graduates from technological faculties in Serbia.