On 26 March 2009 the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia voted to approve the Anti-Discrimination Bill (the Bill) submitted by the Government. The vote marked the end of an 8 year process which had begun with the first draft of the Bill in 2001. The new law prohibits discrimination based on race, religion, sexual orientation, gender or other grounds.

Although the drafting and approval of the Bill faced a number of challenges, in particular from conservative and religious groups, it received new impetus in spring 2008 following the establishment of the Ministry for Human and Minority Rights. The Ministry of Human and Minority Rights and the Coalition against Discrimination – an alliance of NGOs – were responsible for drafting the final version of the Bill which was due to be discussed in the National Assembly in early March 2009.