BCIF :: News :: 2011 Archives :: Held Conference on Partnerships

News

19-05-2011.
Held Conference on Partnerships

 “In the process of integration of Serbia, the European Union requires a strong partnership and cooperation between civil society and public authorities at all levels”, said Deputy Head of EU Delegation in Serbia, Adriano Martins, opening the Conference on partnerships that was held on 18th May at the Palace of Serbia.

Projects and UN strategy until 2013, involve providing strong support to partnerships between civil society, public administration and the economy. The European Union plans to allocate 20 million Euro for these projects for the Western Balkans and Turkey.

Opening the conference, the Director of the Office for cooperation with civil society of the Government of the Republic of Serbia, Ms Ivana Ćirković, stated that an extremely large number of participants at the Conference on partnerships indicate the significance of cooperation and partnerships issues. The Ministries have received many requests for cooperation, so it is necessary to organize more such events in future.

Contribution to development of partnerships through active participation at the conference was given by representatives of European institutions and organizations: OSCE, UNDP, Rockefeller Foundation, Euclid Network, but also many state institutions, such as the European Integration Office, Ministry of Youth and Sports, the Agency for European Integration and cooperation with associations of Belgrade, municipalities Novi Beograd, Niš Mediana, Čačak, Novi Pazar, Lapovo, the Agency for Economic Development of Pančevo, and others. A lot of civil society organizations participated, including the Civic Initiatives, 484, the National Coalition for decentralization, Forum of Youth with Disabilities, Centre for Cultural Decontamination, the Autonomous Women’s Centre, MNRO Trstenik. The importance of corporate philanthropy, restoring well-being of all in the community and participation in inter-sector partnerships has been recognized by many companies, such as Ernst&Young, Telenor, Erste Bank, Credit Agricole Bank, British American Tobacco. The conference was organized by the Office for Cooperation with civil society of the Government of the Republic of Serbia, TACSO office for technical support to civil society organizations, and the Balkan Community Initiatives Fund BCIF.

Currently, the majority of civil society organizations in Serbia relies on the support of international organizations in their work, but the key to development of a democratic state and sustainability of civil society lies in its strong partnerships with own communities, whether it comes to government administration, local self-government, the economy or just the general public.

Photo gallery may be viewed here.

<<Previous                                 Next>>