OSCE Mission to Serbia adapts its support to Serbia’s changing needs during COVID-19 pandemic

To help Serbia face the challenges stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic, the OSCE Mission to Serbia immediately adapted its support to meet the country’s needs.
The Mission provided first aid kits to the shelter for victims of trafficking of human beings (THB) and to socially disadvantaged persons in south Serbia, including migrants, on 30 April 2020.
As the Mission focuses particularly on the most vulnerable groups, a similar donation for citizens in need in southwest Serbia will soon follow.
“In the short term, we redirected some of our funds to provide first aid kits,” said Andrea Orizio, the Head of the OSCE Mission to Serbia. “In the long term, we remain focused on the work we are carrying out in the crucial areas of our mandate, such as the implementation of the Media Strategy through its Action plan, the protection of the safety of journalists, and strengthening the Interior Ministry’s operational capacities for regional co-operation in the fight against human trafficking.”
Orizio said that the Mission stands ready to assist in assessing the impact of this extraordinary period on crucial issues. “Human rights, gender equality, domestic violence, or the fight against corruption, is what we are focusing on, deepening our partnership with all stakeholders, including civil society, while helping Serbia take ownership of these achievements,” said Orizio.
The OSCE Mission to Serbia will continue to adapt to the changing needs of the host country’s institutions and civil society organizations. The Mission will implement its assistance in several areas, including: providing psychological support to persons with intellectual and mental disabilities; providing personal protection equipment for partner institutions; enabling virtual meetings of stakeholders involved in the protection of THB victims and combating human smuggling; supporting Roma families in informal Belgrade settlements; assisting local self-governments in providing training on the official use of minority languages and developing a gender analysis of Serbia’s COVID-19 response.
All the initiatives are part of the Mission’s comprehensive effort to help Serbia in its humanitarian and institutional response to the COVID-19 pandemic.