Empowered conference: advancing inclusion across the Western Balkans
As part of the three-year regional project EMPOWERED – Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities, Regional Cooperation, and Development in the Western Balkans, the first regional conference titled “Empowered – Challenges and Opportunities for Labour and Social Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities in the Western Balkans” was held in Skopje. The event brought together over 100 participants, including representatives of ministries, international organizations, organizations of persons with disabilities (OPDs), local governments, civil society, and experts from all six Western Balkan countries. The conference was opened by Gjoko Velkovski, Deputy Minister of Labour and Social Policy of the Republic of North Macedonia, with welcoming remarks from representatives of the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany, Arbeiter-Samariter-Bund Deutschland e.V. (ASB), and ASB South East Europe (SEE). Local Commitment Across the Region Within the Empowered project, activities are implemented in 15 municipalities across the Western Balkans, committed to advancing the rights and inclusion of persons with disabilities: Key Themes and Conference Outcomes Participants engaged in three thematic panels: These sessions addressed challenges and opportunities related to employment, education, service accessibility, and cross-sectoral cooperation, while highlighting the importance of leveraging existing funding, developing local action plans, and strengthening partnerships among public, civil, and private actors. One of the most significant outcomes of the conference was the political and institutional consensus reached on the establishment of a Regional Working Group on Disability Inclusion, as well as an agreement to jointly develop a Regional Declaration on the Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities. Participants also shared best practices, innovative ideas, and project proposals aimed at strengthening local-level inclusion across the region. Unified Message: Inclusion Is a Right, Not a Privilege Conference conclusions were delivered by Prof. Dr. Violeta Marković of the Faculty of Political Sciences in Belgrade and Gordan Velev, Director of ASB Serbia, who emphasized that the inclusion of persons with disabilities must be grounded in human rights, and that full and equal participation of all citizens is essential for sustainable development and social cohesion in the region. About the EMPOWERED Project The EMPOWERED – Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities, Regional Cooperation, and Development in the Western Balkans project spans 44 months (2024–2027) and focuses on: The project is led by Arbeiter-Samariter-Bund Deutschland e.V. (ASB) and is funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), with a total value of 3.33 million euros. It is implemented in partnership with regional organizations: The project seeks to establish a sustainable regional network of solidarity and knowledge, with the goal of creating societies where equality, inclusion, and full participation of persons with disabilities are core values.