SERBIA: REFUGEE COORDINATOR WEEKLY ACTIVITY REPORT: MARCH

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BELGRADE 000325

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL KV SR
SUBJECT: SERBIA: REFUGEE COORDINATOR WEEKLY ACTIVITY REPORT: MARCH
24-28, 2008


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UNHCR SERBIA: NOT THE RIGHT TIME TO DISCUSS DURABLE SOLUTIONS
WITH GOS

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1. (SBU) On March 27, refcord met with UNHCR Serbia Senior
Program Coordinator Angelita Cecere to discuss country
operations planning. Cecere told refcord UNHCR Serbia submitted
a two year budget (2008-2009) plan in March 2007 and this year
planned only a few revisions to the original submission. Cecere
said she and UNHCR Serbia Representative Lennart Kotsalainen
would consult with key partners and GOS contacts this fall to
discuss durable solutions for the remaining internally displaced
persons (IDP) and refugee caseload. Cecere said UNHCR
representatives in the Western Balkans would meet this summer to
discuss strategies for the region. In a March 26 email to
refcord on country operations planning, Kotsalainen wrote, "It
is extremely difficult at this point of time with upcoming
elections in Serbia and the increasingly complex situation in
Kosovo to have meaningful consultations on needed changes in our
strategies." Referring to GOS unwillingness to consider
integration of IDPs into Serbia along with return to Kosovo as a
durable solution, he wrote, "... some changes will be required
in our durable solutions strategy for Kosovo (both in terms of
return and local integration) but it is not the right time to
discuss this... with the Government."

UNHCR RECEIVES ONE MILLION EURO ROMA LEGAL ASSISTANCE GRANT FROM
EU

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2. (SBU) Cecere told refcord March 27 UNHCR received a one
million Euro 18 month grant for legal assistance to vulnerable
Roma in the Balkans, to include Serbia (300,000 EUR),Kosovo
(200,000 EUR,) Macedonia (150,000 EUR,) Montenegro (150,000 EUR)
and Bosnia (150,000 EUR.) Cecere said the aim of the project
was twofold: conduct a civil registration campaign aimed at
registration of Roma children into birth registries and
subsequent registration of unregistered parents, and provide
direct free legal aid to the Roma population at large.
According to Cecere, UNHCR Serbia will implement the project
beginning May 6 in 20 select municipalities.

UNHCR SERBIA DISCUSSES JOVANOVIC CASE WITH KOSOVO MINISTRY

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3. (SBU) On March 28, UNHCR Senior Protection Officer John
Young and Danish Refugee Council (DRC) Balkans Representative
Anders Engberg met Assistant Minister for Kosovo Vuko
Antonijevic to assure the Ministry UNHCR was doing everything
possible to ensure Momcilo Jovanovic's rights were respected
while in detention in Kosovo. Jovanovic, an IDP Serb, was
arrested March 12 in Kosovo on suspicion of war crimes while
participating in a DRC led, UNHCR funded go-and-see visit (GSV.)
Following the meeting, Young told refcord that Antonijevic
appreciated their efforts, but reminded them it was under UNHCR
and DRC protection that Jovanovic was detained in the first
place. According to Young, Antonijevic believed the detention
was part of a larger plan by Kosovo authorities to undermine
Serb returns. Young promised Antonijevic UNHCR Kosovo staff
would continue to visit Jovanovic and would closely follow
developments in the case. Antonijevic is scheduled to speak on
the future of the returns process at UNHCR's April 11 IDP
working group meeting. (Jovanovic was released from the
Pristina Detention Center March 28 and is now under house arrest
in Brestovic village in Kosovo's Peje/Pec municipality. USOP is
closely following this case.)

VLADE DIVAC FOUNDATION OFF TO A GREAT START

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4. (SBU) On March 28 refcord met with Ana Koeshall, new
Executive Director of the Humanitarian Organization Divac (HOD),
the foundation set up in late 2007 by retired National
Basketball Association (NBA) player Vlade Divac and his spouse
Snezana. According to Koeshall, the organization is the first
private entity to focus on the displaced population in Serbia
and has collected over one million euros for the provision of
housing for refugees and IDPs still living in collective centers
across Serbia. She said the organization was working closely
with UNHCR, the Serbian Commissariat for Refugees, and the
Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare, which has pledged 500,000

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euros toward the effort. Koeshall, told refcord the HOD would
focus its activities and fundraising efforts toward housing
solutions this year, but would consider expanding its effort to
start up and small income generation grants in subsequent years.
MUNTER