Secretariat, Ministry of Defence, Republic of Serbia(RS)

Mission
The Secretariat, the Ministry of Defence, Republic of Serbia(RS) is to incorporate legal and organizational tasks and duties and carry out all those tasks and affairs thus ensuring a legitimate, unimpeded, effective and coordinated work of all basic organizational units within the Ministry of Defence in general, and conduct expert and other tasks for the Minister of Defence as needed.

Organizational units within MoD Secretariat:

• Department of Legal Affairs
• Directorate for Property and Legal Affairs
• The ICTY Cooperation Center
• Operational Affairs Department
• Higher Military Disciplinary Court

Department for Legal Affairs

The Legal Department is an organizational unit of the Ministry of Defence's Secretariat responsible for norm-setting and legal affairs management, The Legal Department prepares Law Drafts which regulate the defence system, proficiently organizes and coordinates the preparations for the enactment of defense laws and by-laws, makes and expert analysis and harmonization of laws and by-laws as well as international agreements in defense and military cooperation while harmonizing these with the laws of the Republic of Serbia. This department is also tasked with preparing and analysis the enforcement of these laws, while making proposals and amendments to the laws and by-laws of the defense system of Serbia and the Serbian Armed Forces.

The Directorate for Property Legal Affairs

The Directorate for Property Legal Affairs is tasked with protecting the rights and interests of the Ministry of Defense with respect to the property owned and used by the Ministry and the Armed Forces of Serbia, studies legal issues regarding the rights of the republic of Serbia to use, availability and management of property in used by MoD, offers legal advice and expert opinion as to the signing of property contracts and other property-related legal issues while at the same time representing MoD and SAF units before the court and other organs.

The Center for Cooperation with ICTY

The Center for Cooperation with the International Crimes Tribunal for Former Yugoslavia (ICTY), the Hague, is tasked with collecting, processing and delivering materials on their requests of the ICTY, ICTY Court Council, the defense lawyers of the ICTY indictees, the International Court of Justice and RS MFA Exert Teams, as well as the Prosecutor’s Office for War Crimes at the territory of Serbia and the War Crimes Council of the Belgrade District Court. In order to successfully complete the aforesaid tasks has established close cooperation with the National Council for Cooperation with ICTY.

Operational Affairs Section

The Operational Affairs Section carries out those tasks which pertain to monitoring and keeping abreast with the realization of all those RS Government’s conclusions regarding the Ministry of Defense, as well as to preparing materials for the Government’s sessions, drafting of monthly and annual MoD and Secretariat work plans, preparing the Defense Minister’s staff meetings, monitoring the realization of the conclusions reached during the staff meetings and carrying all other affairs as needed by the Minister.

Higher Courts Martial

Higher Court Martial decides as a second instance court in cases against military professionals and civilians employed in MoD and SAF who have been charged with gross misconduct. Disciplinary proceedings conducted before this court, as well as the proceedings before first instance courts martial are being conducted according to all the provisions of the Military Discipline Regulations which is adopted by the President of the Republic and according to the provisions of the Criminal Proceedings Regulations.

Secretary

Dragan Radulovic