REGISTRATION OF LOCAL SELF-GOVERNMENTS

The Programme PRO - Local Governance for People and Nature, which is implemented in the period from 1 January 2023 to 31 December 2026, and which is jointly implemented by United Nations organizations (UNOPS, UNICEF, UNFPA and UNEP), in cooperation with the Government of the Republic of Serbia, with the financial support of the Government of Switzerland, will include 110 eligible cities and municipalities throughout Serbia. Within the framework of this Programme, the activity of strengthening local capacities to reduce discrimination against the elderly is foreseen, which will be carried out by the UN Population Fund in Serbia (UNFPA) in the period from 1 September 2024 to 31 August 2025, and whose partner at the national level is institution of the Commissioner for Protection of Equality.

Regarding this, the Commissioner for Protection of Equality and the United Nations Population Fund in Serbia are opening the public call for registration of local self-governments for the organisation of round tables with the goal of strenghtening local capacities for reducing discrimination of elderly persons.

Public call is open in the period from February 5 to 20, 2024.

• Round tables will be organized in 12 local self-government units in the period March - October 2024.
• More detailed terms of the round tables will be specified later in agreement with the local self-government units.
• The roundtables will be led by representatives of the Commissioner for Protection of Equality and the UN Population Fund in cooperation with representatives of cities and municipalities, with the mandatory participation of all other relevant actors - representatives of social welfare centers, health care institutions, educational institutions, the elderly, young people, the media, civil society organizations and others.
• The aim of the roundtables is to promote a changed narrative about aging, but also an opportunity to identify the biggest challenges that older people face in local communities, to define the key prerequisites for active and healthy aging and to contribute to the creation of policies at the national and local level that improve their position elderly persons, intergenerational exchange and prevent discrimination, marginalization of elderly persons and their social exclusion.

These 12 round tables will be the basis for creating an analysis that will include the current situation when it comes to the position of the elderly and discrimination based on age, mapping problems, ways to overcome them, but also examples of good practice, which will be an incentive for further discussion at the local level among relevant actors, and formulating recommendations for the actions of local self-government units in the future.

The local self-government units that are selected will have the opportunity to, through this project, with the expert support of representatives of the Commissioner for Protection of Equality and the UN Population Fund, elaborate what can be done to improve the position of the elderly and thus demonstrate their readiness to improve their status.

Interested local self-government units can apply electronically, at the email: povenik@ravnopravnost.gov.rs, by February 20, 2024.

NOTE: the selection of local self-government units will be completed by March 1, 2024.