GORAN SVILANOVIC

Former Minister for Foreign Affairs
Serbia and Montenegro

President of the Civic Alliance of Serbia (GSS). Minister of Foreign Affairs of Serbia and Montenegro from October 2000 to April 2004.

Born in 1963, Gnjilane, Kosovo, Serbia.

Assistant Professor at Belgrade Law School, teaching civil trial law from 1989 to 1998, when he was removed along with a group of professors and assistant professors for opposition to the new repressive Law on Universities.

Spokesman (1997) and Vice-President of the Civic Alliance of Serbia (1998). Elected President of GSS at his Party Conference on 1 August 1999.

Graduated and obtained his master's degree from Belgrade Law School. Awarded Sasakawa Foundation scholarship (1990). Received specialized training at the Institute of Human Rights in Strasbourg (France, 1989), the Law Faculty of the University of Saarbruecken (Germany, 1991) and the European Peace University (Austria, 1994). Published articles and books in the field of civil trial law and civil law.

Research Fellow of the Yugoslav Human Rights Forum (1989); ran SOS telephone hotline for victims of ethnic, religious, political and trade union discrimination with the Centre for Anti-War Action (1993-1997) and was President of the Council for Human Rights within the Centre in Belgrade (1996-1998). Cooperated also with the Belgrade Centre for Human Rights, the Centre for the Promotion of Studies of Law and other non-governmental organizations. Wrote about the legal status of refugees and the citizenship problem.

Married to Dusica, with daughter Danica (1991) and son Tihomir (1998).