VZCZCXRO6211
RR RUEHAST
DE RUEHBW #1162 2011144
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 201144Z JUL 06
FM AMEMBASSY BELGRADE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9040
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS BELGRADE 001162 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR PRM AND DRL (MATES) 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KIRF PREF PGOV PHUM PREL SR
SUBJECT: Launch of the Serbian Social 
Vulnerability Report 
 
 
¶1.  Summary:  The UNDP in Serbia organized a 
conference on July 18 to discuss the findings of 
the Social Vulnerability Report of Roma, 
Refugees, and IDPs.  The conference brought 
together GOS, EU, and UNDP officials as well as 
NGO leaders to discuss how programs are/should be 
implemented to address the situation.  The 
publication of the report gives government and 
aid workers the chance to finally quantify 
something that has been a known problem for some 
time.  End Summary. 
 
¶2.  According to the report, these groups, 
particularly the Roma population, continue to 
live in conditions of extreme poverty with 
limited access to education and healthcare.  More 
importantly, while it was acknowledged that some 
progress had been made, the report notes that 
this has been minimal, and that the situation 
remains largely unchanged since aid efforts 
began.  However, the EU representative and GOS 
officials working on EU integration highlighted 
that efforts to eliminate poverty and form a more 
inclusive society are key initiatives of the EU 
for candidate states, and that work in this area 
would become increasingly important as Serbia 
moves further through the integration process. 
 
¶3.  Many participants emphasized the differences 
between the groups, noting that Roma tend to live 
in chronic poverty lasting through generations. 
Refugee and IDP populations, on the other hand, 
are often in situational poverty resulting from 
displacement and face better prospects of future 
integration and economic advancement.  Some 
participants criticized the policies of the GOS 
towards refugees and IDPs, claiming that the 
policies still assume that these groups will 
return to their original homes, while the reality 
is that many are already in the process of 
integration and establishing new lives here in 
Serbia.  Other participants reminded the group of 
the need for policies aimed at the specific 
situation for women, especially among the Roma 
population.  At times, the NGO leaders seemed at 
odds with the GOS and UNDP officials, one going 
so far as to call their strategies "fairy tales" 
far removed from the realities on the ground. 
 
¶4.  Comment:  Two incidents occurred during the 
conference that are of interest. Svezana 
Stojanovic-Plavsic, G-17+ MP representing the 
Parliamentary Committee for Poverty, noted during 
her opening address that it was sad that "some 
parties have not taken part" in the committee, 
presumably referencing the DS walkout of 
parliament.  Later, Dragisa Dabetic, Commissioner 
for Refugees in Serbia, responded angrily to one 
presenter who had discussed statistics for the 
actual number of Roma and Refugees/IDPs, stating 
that her numbers for Kosovo would make it seem 
that Roma could be the second largest ethnic 
group in that region, rather than the Serbs, 
which was an idea to which he was very strongly 
opposed.  End Comment. 
 
MOORE