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Addressing Challenges Faced by Children with Disabilities in the Western Balkans

Written by WeBalkans on . Posted in Stories.

An EU funded project supports new assessment system for children with disabilities in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

In 2018, UNICEF released a report titled “Everybody Counts,” which revealed significant challenges faced by children with disabilities in the Western Balkans. The report, funded by the EU, emphasised that despite the efforts of governments in the region, children with disabilities encountered various obstacles, such as limited access to early identification and intervention programmes, entrenched social discrimination and stigma, high financial costs for families, lack of protection from violence and abuse, and more. The report’s most striking finding was that society systematically excluded children with disabilities from birth. The report called on governments to take action, which they did to a limited extent.

On the other hand, with EU support, UNICEF launched projects to address this issue. One such project, implemented in Bosnia and Herzegovina, specifically the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton, focused on the evaluation and referral of children with disabilities. The project’s goal was to improve the system, which previously relied on professionals making independent decisions about the child’s needs and development trajectory. The new approach, introduced by the project, places families and the child at the forefront.

“Our goal is a humane approach, and I’m pleased that we have parents who have chosen this method. We concentrate on the child, family, professionals, and community. I hope that our efforts will be beneficial.”

Darko Kobetić, a rehabilitation professor, UNICEF consultant in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and author of “Analysis of Policies and Practices in the Area of Assessment and Referral of Children with Disabilities at the FBiH Level,” has been involved in the development of a new assessment system since its inception. He states, “Our goal is a humane approach, and I’m pleased that we have parents who have chosen this method. We concentrate on the child, family, professionals, and community. I hope that our efforts will be beneficial.”

The new assessment system is entirely focused on the child and the family, with all relevant data gathered about each child from all stakeholders involved in their growth and development, including parents, speech therapists, educational rehabilitators, and physical therapists. Furthermore, unlike before, members of multi-sectoral professional bodies coordinate the implementation and work on creating tailored support plans for each participating child. The emphasis is on empowering the child and family, determining the child’s abilities, needs, and interests. Initial feedback from parents has been positive.

Martina, a mother of four-year-old Noa, shares her positive experience with the new assessment system: “The previous way of assessment was stressful because my child may not have been in the mood that day and could not show anything. I had to bring him in for the assessment two or three times, and it was very upsetting. You can’t determine anything in 10 minutes. What is important for me is to see Noa making progress, and we should get the best out of him. He has made progress, and it should be acknowledged. I believe that he can achieve a lot, and we should work with him.”

“In Bosnia and Herzegovina, there was a strong focus on diagnosis, and the assessment’s primary objective was to identify the child’s problem type, which was the end of the assessment process. Shifting the focus to the child’s interests and needs, which is also a shift from a medical to a human rights paradigm, is the most successful element of this project.”

About the project

 Implementation of assessment and referral of children with disabilities is part of the “Mitigation of the impact of COVID-19 on the lives of children and parents in the Western Balkans and Turkey” programme implemented by Unicef and funded by the EU through the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations (DG NEAR). Through this €5 million programme, 490,000 children and parents across the programme area are expected to have better access to public services that promote early childhood development, education, health, and protection as part of recovery from COVID-19.

According to Darko, the primary goal of the new system is to identify problems early and provide better support plans for families and children to prevent institutionalisation. They create an annual plan for the child and family and update it as their circumstances change. “We also prepare families and children for the transitional period when they have to enrol in kindergarten or primary school, and we also prepare schools for the enrolment of children with disabilities, so that when the child enrols, the schools have a better approach,” explains Darko.

Darko believes that the project’s main impact was changing the perspective and focusing on the child and family’s needs. “In Bosnia and Herzegovina, there was a strong focus on diagnosis, and the assessment’s primary objective was to identify the child’s problem type, which was the end of the assessment process. Shifting the focus to the child’s interests and needs, which is also a shift from a medical to a human rights paradigm, is the most successful element of this project,” says Darko.

Serbian doctors travel to the EU peacekeeping mission

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The seven-member medical team of the Army of the Republic of Serbia will go to the Central African Republic next week, where they will join the training mission of the European Union and provide medical assistance and support in the implementation of this mission. On this occasion, the EU Ambassador to Serbia Emanuele Giaufret ceremonially sent off the members of the Serbian contingent to the Central African Republic, together with the hosts, Lieutenant General Želimir Glišović, head of the Operational Directorate (J-3) and Colonel Mirjana Milenković, head of the Center for Peace Operations, today at the Centre for Peace Operations of the Serbian Armed Forces.

 

The Army of the Republic of Serbia is currently participating in three peacekeeping missions and operations of the European Union. These are: the training missions in Somalia (EUTM SOMALIA) and the Central African Republic (EUTM RCA) with medical teams and medical advisors; operation EUNAVFOR SOMALIA ATALANTA with staff officers; in the operation piece in Rota (Spain), as a staff officer on the command ship (in the Gulf of Aden); and upon request with the World Food Program (WFP) Autonomous Ship Protection Team.

 

Around 5,000 EU military and civilian personnel are currently deployed in missions and operations of the EU’s common foreign and security policy on three continents, working for a more stable world and contributing to a safer Europe. The most recent missions and operations support security in the Central African Republic, enforcement of the United Nations arms embargo on Libya in the Mediterranean Sea, and prevention of piracy near the Horn of Africa.

Conference on protection of journalists: BiH needs more efficient judicial processing of attacks on journalists

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Representatives of judicial institutions, ministries of interior and police bodies and associations of journalists gathered in Banja Luka on 4-5 April 2023 at the Conference “Ensuring systematic and institutional follow-up to cases of threats and violence against journalists and media workers”, organised by the European Union in Bosnia and Herzegovina in partnership with the OSCE Mission to BiH and the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council of BiH. 

 

Participants discussed practices for protecting journalists and mechanisms for registering the number of attacks as a step towards implementation of Key Priority 12 from the 2019 Opinion of European Commission on the BiH’s application for EU membership. The Opinion notes that BiH needs to ensure it guarantees freedom of expression and of the media and the protection of journalists, including through ensuring the appropriate judicial follow-up to cases of threats and violence against journalists and media workers.

 

The panels during the conference also reflected on the most recent developments regarding media freedom, especially in the Republika Srpska, that include the adoption of draft changes to Criminal Code of RS towards re-criminalisation of defamation, as well as cases of pressures on journalists, including lack of protection in individual cases. The EU’s position is that proposed legislation in the RS to criminalise defamation would impose unnecessary and disproportionate restrictions on independent media and civil society, resulting in a chilling effect on media freedom and freedom of expression, as well as a step backward on the EU path.

“Made of us” – Campaign launch event

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Meet the protagonists of this adventure, as well as the creative team managing the project behind the scenes.
Made of Us is the third regional campaign under the EU Regional Communication Programme for the Western Balkans (WeBalkans.eu), managed by the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations. Through Made of Us, we want to raise awareness about opportunities created by the EU-Western Balkans partnership. The campaign is narrated by six video bloggers from the Western Balkans, joined by six from the EU, who will travel together in pairs in each of the Western Balkan Six. You will get to explore 18 EU-funded projects and dozens of unique locations through the eyes of these 12 young creatives. In 42 days, they will travel the region covering hundreds of kilometers by car to bring the local stories directly to your screen.
We are very excited to introduce this campaign to you and invite you to save the date in your calendar to join the livestream.

Enhancing Collaboration to Tackle Challenges Faced by Vulnerable Returnees in Serbia

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UNDP and EU Support Local Migration Councils to Aid Returnee Reintegration in Serbia.

Having well-connected platforms where local service providers (public and NGOs) collaborate effectively is essential to providing timely services to returnees coming back to their home communities, whether it’s access to personal documents, healthcare, education, or employment. Despite the Serbian government allocating significant funds from its budget to support vulnerable returnee groups access to these services and programmes has remained a challenge for most vulnerable. Several years ago, Local Migration Councils were established to help returnees navigate through complex bureaucratic processes to access necessary institutional support and services. However, since their establishment, the councils were not very vibrant, leaving the local service network rather fragmented and not fully functional and effective for returnees.

With support from the EU and UNDP, the Local Migration Councils have been re-energized and capacitated to effectively provide integrated and holistic support to returnees. Today, the Local Migration Councils are vibrant platforms where different local stakeholders – city administration, police, Centre for Social Work, local employment office, local Commissioner for Refugees and Migration, Red Cross, and CSOs – regularly convene, coordinate and work together effectively to address returnee challenges. The Local Migration Councils have a cross-sectoral approach, ensuring that local institutions and providers are connected and accessible to returnees, making it easier for returnees to access employment opportunities, education, and healthcare services.   By mapping complex challenges faced by returnees, identifying systemic bottlenecks and finding (often innovative) solutions to address returnee challenges, migration councils are system solutions and connectors between national policy makers, local (public and NGO) service providers.

“In previous years, all actors at the local level worked separately to solve issue of returnees. Through the Local Migration Council, all these different actors became connected within a single network.” – explains Ljiljana Mihajlovic, member of Novi Sad Local Migration Council and Director of the Provincial Office for Roma Inclusion.“

The assistance was provided under the EU-funded project “Strengthening National and Local Systems to Support Effective Socio-economic Integration of Returnees in the Western Balkans.” As part of this project, the UNDP is aiding three local governments – Novi Sad, Valjevo, and Bujanovac – in activating, or in some cases reactivating, their Local Migration Councils. The project also provides capacity building support of public service providers and local NGOs to provide holistic support and streamline access of returnees to local level services, and to introduce new services addressing returnees specific needs. This forms part of UNDP’s collaborative efforts with partners to experiment and implement innovative, system-wide solutions for socio-economic reintegration of vulnerable groups of returnees, particularly Roma.

There are a number of vital roles that the Local Migration Councils play in effectively reintegrating vulnerable returnees. One of these roles is scanning the needs of returnees and connecting actors for providing holistic solutions.  For most returnees across the Western Balkans economies one of the biggest challenges is lack of formal jobs, majority of returnees earning for life through informal jobs. However, there are other critical challenges that returnees face, explains Ljiljana Mihajlovic, Director of the Office for Roma Inclusion of Autonomous Province of Vojvodina and a member of the Local Migration Council in Novi Sad, Serbia.

In Novi Sad, the largest informal Roma settlement in the city is Veliki Rit, where most returnees reside. Alongside poor infrastructure and substandard living conditions, there is no provision for registering a home address in Veliki Rit. As a result, returnees are unable to acquire personal documents, and without identification, they are ineligible for social protection. To address this urgent issue, the Local Migration Council in Novi Sad identified a temporary, short-term solution of registering returnees at a temporary local address, enabling them to access vital services promptly. Meanwhile, the Local Migration Council is actively working towards a long-term solution. “We are working on establishing procedures and a local network that will assist returnees in obtaining personal documents,” says Ljiljana. Although the process requires coordination between many entities and multiple procedures, the Local Migration Council is taking the lead in seeking a solution for returnees.

The Local Migration Councils also play a leading role in the formulation and implementation of Local Action Plans(LAPs). The LAPs are strategic and action documents that local governments adopt along with budgets to ensure that necessary actions addressing needs are put into action. The project provided expert support to the local migration council in Novi Sad and two other municipalities in preparing their Local Action Plans.

“I would like to emphasise that this is the first time these institutions have come together to work on the returnee priorities and challenges specifically and in a holistic manner. In Western Balkans and in our case in Serbia, this is a significant step towards ensuring that returnees receive the support they require to thrive in their home communities.”

About the project

The Reintegration of Returnees in the Western Balkans project is focused on addressing key barriers for socio-economic reintegration of vulnerable returnees in the Western Balkans, specifically in Albania, North Macedonia and Serbia. The project is part of the Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA) II Multi-Country Action, EU support to Fundamental Rights of Roma Community, and Reintegration of Returnees, entrusted to UNDP, World Bank, and the Council of Europe.

In the instance of Novi Sad, apart from the challenge posed by the absence of a home address, few other pressing priorities were identified to address the needs of returnees. One of the identified priorities is to set up a one-stop-shop service centre near the Veliki Rit settlement, so that services are brought closer to returnees. It is of importance for Roma and returnees to have easy and speedy access to different services through this centre.  Priorities that have been identified have been included in Novi Sad’s LAP, along with a proposed budget to implement them.  For example, in this service centre, support for enrolment to schools of returnee children and learning assistance to returnee children is provided,  which are vital for preventing school-drop outs and contributing to enhanced education outcomes and reintegration of returnee children.

Bogdanka Tasev Perinovic, Project Manager at UNDP Serbia, explains that local migration councils play a significant role in ensuring that returnees can successfully reintegrate into their home communities and lead fulfilling lives. By providing assistance and support to returnees, promoting social inclusion, and monitoring and assessing the reintegration process, the local migration councils ensure that returnees have the necessary support to thrive in their home communities. “I would like to emphasise that this is the first time these institutions have come together to workon the returnee priorities and challenges specifically and in a holistic manner. In Western Balkans and in our case in Serbia, this is a significant step towards ensuring that returnees receive the support they require to thrive in their home communities,” says Bogdanka.

The European Union donated valuable equipment to the rescue services of civil protection in Bosnia and Herzegovina

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On 5 April, in Mostar, specialized equipment (firefighting, diving, mountaineering) and IT equipment for the Operational Center of Civil Protection in Herzegovina-Neretva County/Canton worth more than 200,000 KM was donated to the rescue services of the BiH civil protection.  
The equipment was donated as part of the “Joint response for a better protection and rescue system” project, which is financed by the European Union as part of the Cross-Border Cooperation Program Bosnia and Herzegovina – Montenegro. The delivered equipment and project activities will contribute to the cross-border partnership in improving the system of prevention, intervention and recovery process from disasters caused by climate change in the cross-border area.  
The project will additionally work on the education and training of personnel for field work, through various trainings and intervention exercises, and at today’s event, members of the cross-border mountain rescue services performed a short rescue intervention from heights, in order to show the participants what kind of risks such intervention carry, as well as how important it is to have quality equipment and well-trained staff.  
The total value of the project “Joint response for a better system of protection and rescue” is over €590.000, out of which the European Union provided about €490.000 in grants. Implementation started on 01.07.2022. and will last for two years, and it is implemented by the Directorate for Civil Protection and Firefighting of HNC in cooperation with partners: The Entrepreneurship and Business Association LiNK Mostar and the Foundation for the Development of the North of Montenegro (FORS MNE).

BiH countersigns Financing Agreement for 70 million euro EU Energy Support Package

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On 4 April, at a ceremony in Sarajevo, the Chair of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina Borjana Krišto handed over the countersigned Financing Agreement for the EU Energy Support package to the Head of the EU Delegation and EU Special Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ambassador Johann Sattler. The European Commission will therefore soon disburse the first instalment (90%) of the €70 million package, which will provide assistance to Bosnia and Herzegovina’s most vulnerable households to cope with rising prices as well as support energy transition.

 

The Financing Agreement will be sent to the European Commission with a report outlining how the Action Plan for the Energy Support Package, approved by the BiH Council of Ministers on 22 December 2022, will be implemented. The report describes the methodologies and criteria by which the funds will be disbursed by the relevant BiH authorities, as well as the expected number of beneficiaries and timeframe for implementation. Of the €70 million allocated in immediate assistance to Bosnia and Herzegovina, €50 million has been allocated to support vulnerable households, and €20 million to support energy efficiency efforts.

 

The authorities in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Republika Srpska and Brčko District, will work on the disbursement of funds through relevant entity ministries and entity environment protection funds and administrative units in Brčko District.

 

 The Energy Support Package for the Western Balkans was announced at the end of October last year by the European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen at the beginning of her visit to the region. The overall package is worth one billion euros in grants with €500 million allocated as immediate assistance for the region. Another €500 million is allocated as medium to long-term support in grants for investments in support to energy efficiency and energy independence, through improving gas and electricity infrastructure and interconnectors including LNG.

EIB Vice-President Pavlova signs second EU grant for Belgrade – Niš railway

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Only a month after the first grant was signed, EIB Global signed a second EU grant for €174.6 million for the subsection Paraćin – Trupale – Međurovo rail route, part of an EU financial package totalling €2.2 billion for the Belgrade – Niš section of the Railway Corridor X. The first grant under the Western Balkans Investment Framework (€82.8 million) was signed in February 2023. The funds will enable the upgrade and modernisation of 230 km of railway. This will enable travel speeds of up to 200 km/h between Belgrade and Niš, increase trade flows and stimulate economic growth along the route.  
The signing ceremony was attended by Serbia’s Prime Minister Ana Brnabić, EIB Vice-President Lilyana Pavlova, Minister for European Integration Tanja Miščević, Minister of Construction, Transport and Infrastructure Goran Vesić, EU Ambassador to Serbia Emanuele Giaufret and representatives of Serbian Railways. This is a flagship project of the Economic and Investment Plan for the Western Balkans, and a Team Europe Initiative. It also benefits from EU technical assistance in preparing documentation that satisfies EU economic, environmental and social safeguards and procurement rules.  
The grant signed is part of an EU financial package of €2.2 billion to modernise the Belgrade – Niš railway, encompassing up to €600 million in EU grants. It is a clear demonstration of the rapid progress made by Team Europe in funding this flagship railway project. The package also includes a €1.1 billion EIB loan and a €550 million loan from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.  
In the last 10 years, the EIB has supported the rail sector with more than €39 billion globally, helping to construct or upgrade almost 2 000 km of tracks and 304 stations. As a lead financier of strategic railway routes in the Western Balkans, the EIB has invested over €1.2 billion in the region’s rail sector, supporting regional cooperation and connectivity.

WE CARE – BETTER TOGETHER!

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“We care about Europe, we care about Serbia and its citizens – We are better together”, is the main message of the campaign in which the Ambassador of the European Union in Serbia and the ambassadors of the member states participate.

 

At the launch event of the campaign, Ambassador Giaufret and his colleagues hosted media representatives at the Residence of the European Union in Belgrade. The event was also attended by the Minister for European Integration Tanja Miščević, in the spirit of the partnership between Serbia and the EU, as well as proof of the continuation of Serbia’s European integration path.

 

Ambassador Giaufret explained the motivation behind the launching of the campaign.

 

“Why do we have this campaign? You often see us in the media discussing political issues – such as the Dialogue between Belgrade and Priština or alignment with foreign policy. These are important topics, but sometimes we don’t explain why we invest so much energy and resources. The response is in the slogan of the campaign – We care about Serbia and its citizens – We are better together”, says Ambassador Giaufret.

 

The ambassadors stated that with this campaign they want to emphasise that they care about the citizens of Serbia, and about the same things as they do – successful agriculture, empowering companies, environment, ensuring better air quality, road infrastructure and connectivity, energy efficiency and support in overcoming the energy crisis, cultural heritage, rule of law, education and many other topics.

CONNECTA workshops ‘Technical Assistance for the Deployment of Smart and Sustainable Mobility in the Western Balkans’

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On 29-30 March, CONNECTA organised in Podgorica, Montenegro, a series of workshops on the Deployment of Smart and Sustainable Mobility in the Western Balkans.  
A two-day event gathered representatives of the Transport Community Permanent Secretariat,  the Ministry of Infrastructure and Energy and the Ministry of Tourism and Environment of Albania, the Ministry of Communications and Transport, the Federal Ministries of Spatial Planning and the Environment and Tourism of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Ministry of Environment, Spatial Planning and Infrastructure of Kosovo*, Prime Minister Office, Kosovo,  the Ministry of Capital Investments of Montenegro, the Ministry of Transport and Communications and the Ministry of Economy of North Macedonia, and the Ministry of Construction, Transport, and Infrastructure of Serbia.
 
The workshop titledSustainable mobility – Vehicle development and charging/fuel infrastructurefocused on the results related to the locations of electric vehicle charging stations on the TEN-T network, savings in energy consumption and reduction of CO2 emissions due to the deployment of the infrastructure needed for e-mobility. The workshop also presented the proposed models for the charging infrastructure, including a roadmap related to the way forward.  
The second day workshop Sustainable mobility – Energy, greenhouse gas emissions, and finance issues, served to discuss results related to the activities required for the implementation of the Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy for the Western Balkans’ Action Plan, the transport sector’s role in Green House Gas emissions and decarbonisation scenarios, as well as financing of sustainable development and share of responsibilities among key stakeholders and final beneficiaries.  
The sub-project kicked off in March 2022 and will end at the end of April 2023. The scope of the assignment is the development of the strategic documentation needed for the deployment of smart and sustainable mobility in the Western Balkans.