Cooperation Strategy Serbia 2010 - 2013 - Deza - admin.ch

SERBIA 2010-2013
of government, by enabling the SCTM to develop
its advocacy function and implement its strategies
and priorities.
At the level of individual municipalities, the
approach of working directly through local systems
will be emphasized. The current level of
harmonization with other donors must be maintained
at least.
Relevant context variables are i) the level of government
commitment to decentralization, in particular
related to a conducive legal framework,
fiscal decentralization, as well as the transfer of
municipal property and ii) the political willingness
of municipalities to team up with the SCTM
to advocate their interests at central level.
Sub-domain: judicial reform and social
inclusion
While Serbia has already developed a national
judicial reform strategy, implementation has not
progressed in earnest, and there is a continued
lack of public trust and confidence in the judiciary.
The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) is aware of
these shortcomings and has requested that the
donor community supports the updating and
implementation of the reform strategy. SDC has
agreed to co-finance a World Bank multi-donor
trust fund. The expected outcome is a national
judicial reform action plan for implementation.
At the explicit request of the government, SDC
has agreed to provide institutional support to the
Social Inclusion Unit, which is responsible for
drafting and implementing social inclusion policies
jointly with line ministries, local governments
and civil society. This follows on from the success
of mainstreaming the poverty reduction strategy
as part of the regular activities of all relevant
governmental and non-governmental institutions.
As a means of lifting marginalized groups
out of poverty, social inclusion complements
SDC’s domain portfolio, and progress monitoring
in this regard is essential for EU candidate
countries and member states alike.
3.5 Education (SDC)
National priorities
From a broad range of government priorities,
SDC will selectively align itself with the following:
an enhanced quality of education, the inclusion
of the vulnerable population (minorities and persons
with special needs), and reforms to enhance
the efficiency and relevance of education.
Domain objectives (SDC)
SDC’s domain portfolio contributes to (i)
strengthening the capacities of the Ministry of
Education (MoE) with regard to drafting and
implementing EU-compatible, equality and quality-driven
reforms and policies; it also supports
the full integration and formalization of all components
of in-service teacher training in the Serbian
compulsory education system, and (ii) the
implementation of the national Roma inclusion
action plan in education, through system development
and lobbying for better integration in the
government agenda.
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