A two-day workshop titled “The potential of civil society organisations (CSOs) in addressing the needs of persons with disabilities in Bosnia and Herzegovina” was held in Sarajevo on 30 and 31 October 2012.

The aim was to discuss the latest developments in the inclusion of disabled persons in Bosnia and Herzegovina; to learn about trends at the EU level; and to familiarise with EU structures, policy making processes, programmes, and best practices in the Disability Policy Implementation.

The Workshop was organised under the European Commission’s People to People Programme (P2P) in cooperation with the Delegation of the European Union to Bosnia and Herzegovina and the local office of the Technical Assistance for Civil Society Organisations (TACSO).

Ms Natalia Dianiskova, Head of Operations Section for Social Development, Civil Society and Cross Border Co-operation of the EU Delegation to BiH, stressed the importance of the role the civil society sector has in the social inclusion of disabled. She also emphasised the Union’s devotion to the issue: “The EU is currently financing a 1.4 million Euro-project, implemented by UNICEF, to enhance the social protection and inclusion of children. An additional 1million Euro is planned to support the implementation of disability policy. In particular, EU funds will target harmonisation of domestic legislation with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which BiH ratified in 2010, as well as financial support to associations of disabled through grant schemes”.

Cveto Uršić, the Secretary of Directorate for Disabled Persons at the Ministry of Labour, Family and Social Issues of the Republic of Slovenia presented the most important regulations and policies of the EU and also shared his experience in the implementation of disability policies in Slovenia.

Žarko Papić, the Director of the Initiative for Better and More Human Inclusion (IBHI), said that CSOs in Bosnia and Herzegovina play an important role in adopting and implementing the state policy concerning social inclusion of persons with disabilities.

P2P programme represents one of the three structures of support to civil society, helping CSOs from candidate and potential candidate countries broaden their knowledge about the EU and the accession process through visits, meetings and international and regional networking.