VZCZCXRO6213
RR RUEHAST
DE RUEHBW #1163 2011144
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 201144Z JUL 06
FM AMEMBASSY BELGRADE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9041
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS BELGRADE 001163 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR PRM-ECA AND DRL (MATES) 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KIRF 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 with 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, whereas the refugee and IDP populations 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 odd 
with the GOS and UNDP officials, one going so fr as to call their 
strategies "fairy tales" far emoed from the realities on the 
ground. 
 
¶4.  omment:  Two incidents occurred during the conferece that are 
of interest. Svezana Sojanovic-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