SERBIA: REFUGEE COORDINATOR WEEKLY ACTIVITY REPORT: APRIL

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BELGRADE 000367

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TAGS: KPAO PBTS PGOV PHUM PINR PREL SR
SUBJECT: SERBIA: REFUGEE COORDINATOR WEEKLY ACTIVITY REPORT: APRIL
3-10, 2008


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European Commission Earmarks Ten Million Euros for Refugees and
internally displaced persons in Serbia

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1. (SBU) On April 10, refcord met with European Commission
Delegation to Serbia's First Counselor and Head of Operations
Ferenc Simon to discuss the 2007 and 2008 Instrument for
Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA) support for internally displaced
persons (IDPs) and refugees. The EC announced on April 4 a 165
million Euro 2007 IPA package to Serbia for a wide range of
sectors, including support to IDPs and refugees. Ferenc told
refcord 10 million euros of the grant would fund housing
construction, the purchase of village housing, and income
generation grants for IDPs and refugees. He said the funds
would also support free legal aid to refugees from Croatia and
Bosnia who wished to return to their place of origin. He argued
that although funding programs that helped displaced persons was
important, support to IDPs and refugees was not specifically
linked to criteria for EU accession, and thus the EC planned to
cut the earmark down to 5 million euros for the 2008 IPA.
Ferenc doubted the Serbian Commissariat for Refugees had the
capacity to make a meaningful difference in the lives of IDPs
and refugees in part due to failure by the GOS prioritize
programs for IDPs and refugees. He believed that other
components of the IPA, including economic development,
infrastructure and health sector reform would tangentially
benefit refugees and IDPs as Serbia progressed in the accession
process.



Helsinki Committee for Human Rights: GOS Does Not Care about
Refugees

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2. On April 3, refcord and poloff met the Helsinki Committee
for Human Rights leader Sonja Biserko. She shared impressions
of her recent trip to Kosovo and discussed her views on what
could be done to help Kosovo Serbs in enclaves. Biserko said
the GOS only encouraged Kosovo Serbs to stay in Kosovo because
it had nothing to offer them in Serbia. "The Serbian government
goes not care about refugees," she said. Biserko said she had
heard of several cases of Serbs in Kosovo requesting
resettlement to Norway, ostensibly because they know "there is
nothing for them in Serbia." She shared her recommendations for
how the international community and Kosovo authorities could
help settle the problems facing Serbian communities in Kosovo.
Biserko's suggestions specific to returnees and IDPs included
settling property disputes, encouraging IDP returns to Kosovo,
reconstructing houses, assisting Serb returnees in rural areas
with agricultural equipment and farming subsidies and fostering
interethnic dialogue and tolerance as preconditions for IDP
returns to Kosovo.



Ambassador's Fund Makes a Big Difference for Belgrade Youth
Center

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3. (SBU) On April 9, refcord visited the Educational Institute
for Children and Adolescents in Belgrade, a recipient of the FY
2007 PRM Ambassador Fund. The facility provides short-term
accommodation and assistance to victims of trafficking,
runaways, youth with behavioral and social disorders and other
at-risk children and adolescents; these categories often include
IDP, refugee and other migrant children. The three-story
facility, which houses up to 90 children at one time, required
substantial renovation (dilapidated doors and windows) and
needed equipment (heaters, furniture, small appliances and
medical equipment) when it was selected to receive the $12,000
Ambassador Fund. Refcord visit coincided with completion of the
renovations and procurement of equipment. The institute's
manager Danijela Stajkovic said she was grateful for the
assistance. "You cannot imagine the difference these upgrades
make for the children living here," she said. Stajkovic proudly
added that the center was able to leverage the grant to convince
other donors, including Norwegian telecommunications provider
Telenor and the city of Belgrade to contribute supplementary
assistance to the center.



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News Roundup: IDPs call on Kostunica to appoint new Refugee
Commissioner; Justice Ministry-UNDP Announce Free Legal Aid
Program for Marginalized Populations

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4. (U) Belgrade daily Danas reported April 8 that disgruntled
IDPs in Vojvodina called on Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica to
immediately appoint a new Refugee Commissioner. They said
current Commissioner Dragisa Dabetic would be remembered by IDPs
and refugees for "empty promises and deplorable living
conditions in collective centers." The IDPs cited financial
irregularities and failure to respond to the needs of refugees
and IDPs as means for Dabetic's dismissal.




5. (U) Belgrade daily Danas reported April 8 that the Justice
Ministry and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) had
embarked on an initiative to provide free legal assistance to
vulnerable populations in Serbia, including refugees, IDPs,
Roma, disabled individuals and domestic violence victims. The
article stated that the Swedish International Development
Cooperation Agency (SIDA) funded project would benefit 4,600
individuals and would be implemented by local legal aid NGOs.
According to the article, the initiative would be a precursor
for an effective state-funded and state-run legal aid system for
those people who could not afford legal services.
MUNTER