Report of the Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review: Serbia. Addendum: Views on conclusions and/or recommendations, voluntary commitments and replies presented by the State under review

A/HRC/10/78/Add.1

(...)

29. In the RS, the right to conscientious objection is adequately regulated by legal regulations, and civil control has been established both when it comes to decisions during the procedure of submitting conscientious objection and the realization of forms of military service on the basis of the said right. Certain proposals and recommendations of the Republic of Slovenia have already been incorporated into the Draft Law on Civilian Service, which is in parliamentary procedure. With the passage of that law, civil control regarding civilian service would be laid out in detail, so that the members of the Appeals Commission shall not be members of the Ministry of Defense, except for the Commission president. This will reduce the possibilities of abuse on the part of the First Instance Commissions and organizations or institutions, thereby ensuring total civil control over civilian service.

30. The duration of civilian service equals nine months, which is the shortest relative to countries that have civilian service as a way of regulating military service. The equalization of military and civilian service is not possible, because a soldier serving armed military duty spends an uninterrupted six months in his unit, while a person in civilian service spends eight hours in his assigned organization or institution, is free on weekends and has the right to regular and awarded leave. The proposal “to invalidate the exception of those who have held weapon permits from the right to conscientious objection” is in absolute collision with the arguments of the institution of conscientious objection and, thus, cannot be accepted.

(...)

Source: http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/hrcouncil/docs/10session/A.HRC.10…