National Assembly Speaker Maja Gojkovic said that our efforts on ensuring the rights of people with disabilities should not be limited to one day - 3 December, International Day of Persons with Disabilities, a day dedicated to raising awareness that persons with disabilities have the right not to assistance but to have the same life as everybody else. Speaker Gojkovic said that 800,000 people in Serbia have some type of disability and this project aims to include them in social life and boost their presence in political life and the election process. She thanked the President of the Centre for Independent Living of Persons with Disabilities for inviting the National Assembly to join the project and be partner to the associations of persons with disabilities, with the support of USAID. Gojkovic opined that the parliament should help persons with disabilities take part in Serbia’s political life, which could be done through the establishment of a working group which would comprise representatives of all the political parties in the parliament and discuss what laws concerning persons with disabilities should be passed or improved and how to best include the abovementioned 800,000 people in the decision-making process. Speaker Gojkovic said she was pleased the National Assembly, along with the local self-governments, would be joining the 18-month project, and be partner to persons with disabilities in Serbia.

US Ambassador to Serbia H.E. Michael Kirby said that the project supported by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) would both help persons with disabilities and Serbia’s development. He opined that the inclusion of persons with disabilities in political life can only help improve their lives and contribute to the state as a whole. Ambassador Kirby said he was pleased to see MPs from different political parties take part in the event, underlining the importance of the parliament, participation of all the political parties, and adoption of new laws concerning persons with disabilities. He opined that the presence of the National Assembly Speaker on such a very busy day at the parliament proves that the institution is aware of the importance of the issue at hand. Kirby said he expected the most basic obstacles would be eliminated in the next 18 months and that laws would be passed to enable persons with disabilities to contribute to the improvement of economic and social life in Serbia.

Commissioner for Protection of Equality Brankica Jankovic said the project has her full support, adding that one in four complaints lodged with the Commissioner for Protection of Equality concerns discrimination based on disability. Speaking of the status of persons with disabilities, Jankovic said that considerable progress has been made in the past 15 years, a good legislative and strategic framework has been put in place which provides a solid basis for the protection of the citizens. She said that the most common source of discrimination against persons with disabilities are the obstacles that prevent them from fully participating in life and exercising their rights, most often in the spheres of education, employment and use of services for persons with disabilities and independent living.

The President of the Centre for Independent Living of Persons with Disabilities Gordana Rajkov said that during the 18-month project she hoped for good cooperation with the National Assembly, Government, Republic Electoral Commission and the local self-governments of Bor, Negotin, Kladovo, Prijepolje and Novi Pazar. She said that politics always concerns persons with disabilities, no matter whether they themselves take part in it or not, because politicians make decisions that directly affect the lives of persons with disabilities, which is why they should take part in the political processes.

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