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AN OVERVIEW OF GENERAL SOCIO-ECONOMIC SITUATION IN SERBIA
in poor shape and understaffed. Hence, besides medicamentous therapy, residents have
only a few other contents at disposal that would positively affect their progress. Mental
Disability Rights International’s report “Torment not Treatment – Serbia’s Segregation
and Abuse of Children and Adults with Disabilities” 146 , released in late 2006, sparked
enormous resentment of the government and shocked the public. Namely, in addition to
compliments to government’s commitment to improve the position and social inclusion of
persons with disabilities, accusations have been made, accompanied by adequate photos,
claiming that persons living in homes for mentally challenged persons are exposed to the
treatment that is not far away from torture. Further, a legal framework is lacking which
would prevent the practice of depriving persons with disability of their legal capacity
and putting them under guardianship. Serbia still does not have developed alternative
programs for non-institutional care for mentally challenged persons, while special foster
care is still in its early stage. Families with children with disabilities often have little or no
support to provide care to their children, both in financial terms (because some types of
disabilities require permanent presence of a parent who for that reason cannot have a job)
and in terms of availability of experts who are specialized in certain conditions. 147
§ 95. In December 2006, the Government of Serbia adopted the National Strategy for
the Advancement of Position of Persons with Disabilities for 2007-2015, but action plans
for its implementation have not been made yet. Since 2000, there were two advisory
bodies within the Government of Serbia in charge of disabilities issues – the 2002 Council
for Persons with Disabilities, which made the draft of the said Strategy and the 2004
Council or Disabilities Issues, which comprises the representatives of government and
organizations of persons with disabilities. However, this advisory body meets really
seldom and it may be said that it exists only formally. In 2009, the Republic of Serbia
ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities from 2006 148 .
§ 96. In the last couple of years a strong movement of persons with disabilities emerged
in Serbia, advocating for the social model and approach to disability, starting from
presumption that disability is a social and not a health phenomenon, while persons
with disabilities are put in the position of disadvantage and inequality thanks to social,
physical 149 and communicational and attitudinal barriers. These organizations share
the same problems with the rest of the civil society in Serbia. Our country has a strong
tradition of associations of persons with disabilities, which have government’s support.
The main objection concerns the fact that the state recognizes only those organizations
that are based on membership and benefits and that gather persons with disabilities with
the same diagnosis, but not those fighting for the rights of persons with disabilities.
Belgrade, 2011.
146
http://www.mdri.org/PDFs/reports/Serbia-rep-english.pdf
147
Ibid.
148
Official Gazette of RS – International Treaties no. 42/09, http://www.un.org/disabilities/countries.asp?navid=17&pid=166
149
Physical barriers are present with regard to access to health, not to mention access to education, entertainment, sport and the like.
HUMAN TRAFFICKING IN THE REPUBLIC OF SERBIA - Report for the period 2000-2010 39