„By encouraging better communication between the local authorities and the representatives of the Roma community, the Ministry of Public Administration and Local Self-Government shall contribute to improving the position of this national minority in the Republic of Serbia and solving the perceived problems, while respecting the characteristics of each local community, as well as of Roma living within them,“ the State Secretary at the Ministry of Public Administration and Local Self-Government, Stevan Gligorin, has said on behalf of Minister Marija Obradović at the official opening of the second phase of the Joint Programme of the Council of Europe and the European Union “ROMACTED“.
In addressing the participants, he recalled that, during the previous three years, a total of 11 local self-government units have cooperated with Roma facilitators in solving specific issues and problems of Roma at the local level within the first phase of this programme, with an emphasis on providing basic living conditions and support. programmes aimed at children, women, youth and employment.
“We were not stopped by the COVID-19 pandemic. Together, we found ways to ensure that the Roma community in Serbia is not deprived of information about COVID-19, for them to be included in the immunization process, and we also worked on raising awareness on the importance of respecting the epidemiological measures with the aim of preserving health,” Gligorin has said, pointing to numerous actions that MDULS had carried out in the field in Roma settlements throughout Serbia.
“The result of these actions is that, in a relatively short period of time, over 18,000 Roma have been registered for vaccination, and in cooperation with the Red Cross of Serbia and donors, we made sure that more than 12,000 most vulnerable Roma families shall receive hygienic family packages. Thus, we have shown that the State cares about all categories of our society, and that no one must and shall not be left behind,” Gligorin has said.
He has stressed that the Ministry shall remain a dedicated partner to the line ministry, local self-government units and the Roma community in the Republic of Serbia, as well as to the Delegation of the European Union and the Council of Europe Office in the implementation of the new phase of the “ROMACTED” Programme.