Donor: Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Duration of the project: November 2006 – June 2007
This project had regional impact thanks to the fact that it was implemented trough Balkan Human Rights Network (BHRN). First phase of the project included activities such as:
- established database of relevant national and international documents dealing with the issue of protection of incapable adults (such as Family Law and other
- identified relevant factors in this field of family law practice and theory
- meetings with selected individuals and institutions dealing with the guardianship issues
- identified potential lecturers and participants of the seminar
- drafted program of the seminar
- developed reader for the seminar
- prepared letter of invitation for lecturers and participants
The Belgrade Centre for Human Rights have translated and published the Council of Europe Recommendation R (99) 4 on Principles Concerning the Legal Protection of Incapable Adults and the UN Standard Rules on the Equalization of Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities in accordance with the project proposal. UN International Convention on disabilities was added as an extra document in the publication. One thousand copies of the publication were printed.
The publication was distributed among partner organizations in Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Montenegro. Publications were sent to Centres for Social Affairs, Non-Contestant Procedure Departments of the Municipal Courts and NGOs. The publication was also available on-line on two web sites, one of the Balkan Human Rights Network and the Belgrade Centre for Human Rights.
Thanks to this project Centre established co-operation with Mental Disability Advocacy Centre, Centres for Social Affairs, Non-Contestant Procedure Departments of the Municipal Courts and NGOs. One seminar held in Belgrade in April 2007 three day long, with 24 participants representing judges, activists from non governmental organizations and Centres for Social Affairs from Serbia and Montenegro. It was a great opportunity for the representatives coming from different sectors but dealing with the same issue to exchange the experience from the practice, learn more about legal regulations, and comparative international standards and practice. For most of them it was a first chance to meet each other and exchanged different wives and experiences. Most of the representatives from Centres for social Affairs had no chance before to meet with judges at this kind of meeting. Following topic were covered: introductiry lecture about the UN Convention and it’s Optional Protocol, procedure for deprivation of legal capacity defined in the local and international legislation, Recomendation of the Council of Europe No. R(99) regarding rights of the adults who were deprived of their legal capacity, protection of the people with mental disabilities in the light of the European Convention of Human Rights, Anti-Discrimination Law of People with Disabilities, UN Convention for Child Rights and rights of children with disabilities and the UN General Comments No. 9 about children with disabilities, gurdianship of people who are deprived of legal capacity and their rights – local legislation and finally professional responsability and Rules of Conduct of social workers and networking and co-operation of three sectors in the field.
