Good cooperation and a partnership-based relationship among institutions, local self-government, and civil society at the local level are crucial for creating conditions in which all citizens, especially those at increased risk of discrimination, can live with dignity and equality, the Commissioner for the Protection of Equality, Milan Antonijević, and the President of the Municipality of Obrenovac, Miloš Peković, agreed during a working meeting dedicated to the state of equality in the municipality.

The discussions highlighted the municipality’s good and continuous cooperation with civil society organizations, the implementation of the Local Action Plan for the Improvement of the Position of Roma, as well as the support plan for displaced persons and returnees, with an active mobile team working in the field. Particular emphasis was placed on the importance of education, employment, and healthcare as key areas for long-term integration and equal living conditions.

Taking into account the importance of education on equality, possibilities were considered for the Commissioner to present a handbook for teachers on protection against discrimination in schools, as well as for linking local initiatives with the Commissioner’s Youth Panel, in order to further strengthen youth participation in policymaking.

The meeting also addressed further improvements in the position of persons with disabilities, strengthening gender equality, support for women’s entrepreneurship, and the prevention of discrimination against foreign workers, whose number in the municipality has been increasing.