Launch of the Serbian Social Vulnerability Report

UNCLAS BELGRADE 001163

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR PRM-ECA AND DRL (MATES)

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KIRF PGOV PHUM PREL SR
SUBJECT: Launch of the Serbian Social Vulnerability Report



1. Summary: The UNDP in Serbia organized a conference on July 18
to discuss the findings of the Social Vulnerability Report of Roma,
Refugees, and IDPs. The conference brought together GOS, EU, and
UNDP officials as well as NGO leaders to discuss how programs
are/should be implemented to address the situation. The publication
of the report gives government and aid workers the chance to finally
quantify something that has been a known problem for some time. End
Summary.


2. According to the report, these groups, particularly the Roma
population, continue to live in conditions of extreme poverty with
limited access to education and healthcare. More importantly, while
it was acknowledged that some progress had been made, the report
notes that this has been minimal, and that the situation remains
largely unchanged since aid efforts began. However, the EU
representative and GOS officials working with EU integration
highlighted that efforts to eliminate poverty and form a more
inclusive society are key initiatives of the EU for candidate
states, and that work in this area would become increasingly
important as Serbia moves further through the integration process.



3. Many participants emphasized the differences between the groups,
noting that Roma tend to live in chronic poverty lasting through
generations, whereas the refugee and IDP populations are often in
situational poverty resulting from displacement and face better
prospects of future integration and economic advancement. Some
participants criticized the policies of the GOS towards refugees and
IDPs, claiming that the policies still assume that these groups will
return to their original homes, while the reality is that many are
already in the process of integration and establishing new lives
here in Serbia. Other participants reminded the group of the need
for policies aimed at the specific situation for women, especially
among the Roma population. At times, the NGO leaders seemed at odd
with the GOS and UNDP officials, one going so fr as to call their
strategies "fairy tales" far emoed from the realities on the
ground.


4. omment: Two incidents occurred during the conferece that are
of interest. Svezana Sojanovic-Plavsic, G-17+ MP representing the
Parliamentary Committee for Poverty, noted during her opening
address that it was sad that "some parties have not taken part" in
the committee, presumably referencing the DS walkout of parliament.
Later, Dragisa Dabetic, Commissioner for Refugees in Serbia,
responded angrily to one presenter who had discussed statistics for
the actual number of Roma and Refugees/IDPs, stating that her
numbers for Kosovo would make it seem that Roma could be the second
largest ethnic group in that region, rather than the Serbs, which
was an idea to which he was very strongly opposed. End Comment.
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