Regulation on establishment of the office

Regulation on the Establishment of the Office for Cooperation with the Diaspora and Serbs in the Region

On the basis of Article 31, paragraph 1, of the Law on Government (‘Official Gazette of the Republic of Serbia’ nos. 55/05, 71/05 – correction, 101/07, 65/08, 16/11 and 68/12) and of Article 37 of the Law on Ministries (‘Official Gazette of the Republic of Serbia’ No. 72/12), the Government announces

R E G U L A T I O N of the Office for Cooperation with the Diaspora and Serbs in the Region

Article 1

The Office for Cooperation with the Diaspora and Serbs in the Region is established by this Regulation (hereinafter referred to as: The Office), which defines its scope, organisation and other issues relevant to its work.

The Office is a Government service.

Scope of The Office

Article 2

The Office performs professional tasks for the Government and relevant ministries, that include: monitoring the location of Serbian nationals living outside the Republic of Serbia; Supporting processes for improving conditions and obtaining voting rights for citizens of Serbia who live abroad; helping to maintain and develop the spiritual, national and cultural self-worth of Serbian people outside the Republic; improving connections between emigrants – Serbian citizens who live abroad and their organisations – and the Republic of Serbia; informing expatriates – Serbian nationals abroad – regarding Serbian politics; helping with the process of involving emigrants, people of Serbian descent, people originally from Serbia and Serbian nationals living abroad, in the political, economic and cultural life of the Republic of Serbia, and with their return to Serbia.

Director of The Office

Article 3

The Office is managed by the Director of The Office, who is appointed by the Government to work for a term of five years, on the nomination of the Prime Minister.  The Director of The Office is answerable to the Government and the Prime Minister. The Director of The Office is a civil servant in the position.

Deputy Director of The Office

Article 4

The Director of The Office has a Deputy, who is chosen personally, and who is appointed by the Government to work for a term of five years.
The Office Deputy Director assists the Office Director according to a personally-defined  remit  and stands in for him/her in the event  of absence or other engagements. The Office Deputy Director is a civil servant in the position.

Assistants to the Director of the Office

Article 5

The Office Director has assistants, who are chosen personally, and who are appointed by the Government to work for a term of five years. The Director’s assistants manage the defined working area of The Office, of which the department is formed. The Director’s assistants are civil servants in the position.

The Deadline for Adopting a Rule Book

Article 6

The Office Director will issue a rule book on the interior organisation and systematisation of positions in The Office within 30 days of this Regulation coming into force.

Funds

Article 7

Funds to cover initial costs and the performance of tasks at The Office, including funds to perform the duties of the Ministry of Religion and the Diaspora – which arose before this ministry ceased to exist, and which are related to work conducted by The Office – are provided from the present budget reserves.
The present budget reserve funds from paragraph 1 of this Article are available and ensured by the Law on the Budget of the Republic of Serbia for the year 2012 (‘Official Gazette of the Republic of Serbia’ No. 101/11) within the department of the Ministry of Religion and the Diaspora which are, in accordance with the law, transferred to the present budget reserves.
Until a new ministry is determined to manage the Budget Funds for the Diaspora and Serbs in the Region set by the Law in the Budget of the Republic of Serbia for the year 2012 (‘Official Gazette of the Republic of Serbia’ No. 101/11) within the compartment of the Ministry of Religion and Diaspora, the available resources of that Fund will temporarily be recorded within the resources of The Office, and the Office Director will decide about their usage, in accordance with the aims for which that budget fund was established.

Coming into Force

Article 8

This Regulation comes into force on the day after publication in the ‘Official Gazette of the Republic of Serbia.Репyблике Србије”.

05 number 110-4805/2012
In Belgrade, 2nd August 2012
The president,
Ivica Dačić, personally