EC Delegation support to 22 civil society organisations

The Head of the European Commission’s Delegation to the Republic of Serbia, Ambassador Josep M. LLOVERAS today signed grant agreements with 22 civil society organisations worth a total of €1.5 million for projects whose goal will be to promote and strengthen human rights, political pluralism, democratic participation and representation. The completion of the selection process of grantees and the signing of contracts this year coincides with the worldwide marking of the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Of the 22 organisations that will benefit from EU funding, 13 are from Belgrade, while other grantees are from Užice, Niš, Novi Sad, Pančevo, Požega and Zrenjanin. The project actions take place in numerous towns and municipalities, thus ensuring a balanced regional representation and project impact. With €1.5 million, the Delegation will support projects that range from co-operation between schools and parents in defence of children rights, inclusion of children and people with disabilities into the education system and employment, encourage the involvement of religious organisations in civil society actions, to advocacy about labour rights and prevention of mobbing and prison reforms aimed at prevention of discrimination of ethnic, religious, national minorities and disabled prisoners.

“The respect and protection of human rights and democratic principles is one of the main elements of the EU’s policy in the Western Balkans and it greatly contributes to the stability of the region. The European Commission closely monitors the human rights situation in Serbia in our annual Progress report and I am happy to say that in recent years, Serbia has made significant progress in this area. I would like to reiterate the readiness of the EU to continue supporting Serbia in its efforts to further the democratization process and help promote human rights,” ambassador LLoveras said.

Pierre Dybman, Josep M. LLoveras and Lennart Kopstalainen

Civil society organisations play an important role in the process of consolidating democracy and promoting human rights. With their “watch-dog” and advocacy efforts these organizations contribute to both safeguarding and awareness-raising of human rights. They should be solid partners for the Serbian Government in pushing forward reforms, completing the transition process and promoting EU integration.

In this round of support, the key general objectives of the EIDHR Call for Proposals were to strengthen the role of civil society in promoting human rights and democratic reform, in supporting conflict prevention and in consolidating political participation and representation. The projects supported should contribute to peaceful reconciliation, combat discrimination and develop an equal participation of men and women in social, economic and political life, foster interethnic, inter-religious and intercultural tolerance and understanding.

The European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR) is one of the oldest European programmes aimed at supporting democracy building and enhancement across the world. In Serbia, the EIDHR programme has been active since 1996.

BACKGROUND

A total of 74 organisations applied to the Call for Proposals, while the following 22 organisations will receive funding from the EC Delegation:

(1) UŽICE CHILD RIGHTS CENTRE / UŽIČKI CENTAR ZA PRAVA DETETA
(2) HELSINKI COMMITTEE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS IN SERBIA / HELSINŠKI ODBOR ZA LJUDSKA PRAVA U SRBIJI
(3) HUMANITARIAN LAW CENTER / FOND ZA HUMANITARNO PRAVO
(4) BELGRADE CENTRE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS / BEOGRADSKI CENTAR ZA LJUDSKA PRAVA
(5) CENTER FOR PEACE AND DEMOCRACY DEVELOPMENT / CENTAR ZA MIR I RAZVOJ DEMOKRATIJE
(6) NOVI SAD SCHOOL OF JOURNALISM / NOVOSADSKA NOVINARSKA ŠKOLA
(7) ETHNICITY RESEARCH CENTRE / CENTAR ZA ISTRAŽIVANJE ETNICITETA
(8) INITIATIVE FOR INCLUSION VELIKIMALI / INICIJATIVA ZA INKLUZIJU VELIKIMALI
(9) ASSOCIATION FOR PROTECTION AND PROMOTION OF MENTAL HEALTH IN CHILDREN AND YOUTH / DRUŠTVO ZA ZAŠTITU I UNAPREĐENJE MENTALNOG ZDRAVLJA DECE I OMLADINE
(10) CENTER FOR CIVIL SOCIETY DEVELOPMENT – PROTECTA / CENTAR ZA RAZVOJ GRAĐANSKOG DRUŠTVA – PROTECTA
(11) BELGRADE OPEN SCHOOL / BEOGRADSKA OTVORENA ŠKOLA
(12) GROUP 484 / GRUPA 484
(13) CIVIC INITIATIVES – ASSOCIATION OF CITIZENS FOR DEMOCRACY AND CIVIC EDUCATION / GRAĐANSKE INICIJATIVE
(14) THE SAVE THE CHILDREN FUND, a.k.a. SAVE THE CHILDREN, UK
(15) LAWYERS COMMITTEE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS – YUCOM / KOMITET PRAVNIKA ZA LJUDSKA PRAVA – JUKOM
(16) ASSOCIATION OF CREATIVE COMMUNICATION AND DEBATE / ASOCIJACIJA ZA KREATIVNU KOMUNIKACIJU I DEBATU
(17) FORUM FOR CIVIC ACTION – FORCA POZEGA / FORUM CIVILNE AKCIJE – FORCA POŽEGA
(18) BELGRADE FUND FOR POLITICAL EXCELLENCE / BEOGRADSKI FOND ZA POLITIČKU IZUZETNOST
(19) CENTER OF DEVELOPMENT OF CIVIL SOCIETY / CENTAR ZA RAZVOJ CIVILNOG DRUŠTVA
(20) FUND B92 / FOND B92
(21) CITIZENS ASSOCIATION UZICE CENTER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS AND DEMOCRACY / UDRUŽENJE GRAĐANA UŽIČKI CENTAR ZA LJUDSKA PRAVA I DEMOKRATIJU
(22) CENTER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS NIŠ / CENTAR ZA LJUDSKA PRAVA NIŠ

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For more information please contact – EC Delegation to Serbia at +381 11 30 83 200 (Aleksandar Djordjevic, Press and Information Officer)