The Commissioner for the Protection of Equality, Brankica Janković, opened the two-day conference “Policies for Equal Opportunities” at which the Methodology for Equality Impact Assessment in Serbia was presented — a practical, comprehensive tool created for state administration bodies and local self-government units as a form of support in fulfilling legal obligations related to preventing discrimination and promoting equality.

The goal of the methodology is to support the systematic analysis of the potential effects of laws, policies, measures, and projects on different social groups, particularly those at risk of discrimination, who are also most often the poorest and most vulnerable.

“This conference is an opportunity to jointly enhance our understanding of this methodology and its practical application, especially at the local self-government level, where the lives of citizens most directly take place,” said Janković. She emphasized that local self-governments play a key role in this process because they are closest to the citizens, best understand their needs and problems, and make decisions that directly impact their quality of life. She assessed that this is a concrete step toward creating a society in which all citizens have equal opportunities.

As part of the conference, a training session for representatives of local self-governments was also held. The event was organized by the Center for Research and Development of Society IDEAS, in cooperation with the Commissioner for the Protection of Equality, and with the support of the British Embassy in Belgrade.