Letter of Attention - Deinstitutionalization reform in the Republic of Serbia

The group of seventeen local and international civil society organizations joined their efforts to draw your attention to recent events regarding the deinstitutionalization process in the Republic of Serbia. 

Serbian Parliament is preparing to adopt two very important documents: Strategy of Deinstitutionalization and Development of Social Services in the Community 2021-2026, and Law on Protection of the Rights of Residents of Temporary Residential Services in Social Care Homes. The Republic of Serbia is obliged to follow the international legal framework, primarily UN CRPD, however, both the Strategy and the Law, undermine rights of persons with disabilities and the whole deinstitutionalization process.

Given the gravity of the situation, we decided to call upon you to react within your mandate, in order to avoid further deterioration of the position of persons with disabilities in the Republic of Serbia.