Human Rights Action yesterday proposed to the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare to withdraw the Draft strategy for the development of the social and child protection system from the procedure in order to properly improve it.

The Draft strategy was developed prior to the adoption and entry into force of the Law on Social and Child Protection, which led to it not being compliant with the Law and the important issues that became clear during the process of adoption of the Law – such as the issue of abuse of rights – were not covered or dealt with appropriately.

An analysis of compliance of measures and aims defined by the previous Strategy for the development of social and child protection had not been conducted prior to this Draft strategy. It is logical and in line with good democratic practice to thoroughly analyse and publish the extent to which the previously set aims were fulfilled, prior to the adoption of new strategies.

The Draft strategy states outdated and inaccurate data, as well as contradictory statements about key issues, such as the issue of equitable distribution of social benefits. Thus, a separate Objective 1 – Improving the protection of the poor – states: “Analyses indicate that the material family benefit is well focused on the poor, and that the Law on Social and Child Protection provides an adequate system of inspection of the economic status of citizens”. In contrast to this, the “Baselines” section states: “The protection of families and individuals requires a better approach, targeting and adequacy of material benefits, as well as the improvement of monitoring and tracking the needs for material benefits”, i.e. “the activation programmes could provide a clear separation of beneficiaries of the material family benefit, who work in the grey economy, from those who really do not have an income or a job”.

The Action Plan provides deadlines for applying the measures that are too long and need to be shortened, having in mind the urgency of the situation. For example, the deadline for the development of activation measures for inclusion in the programmes of employment and work engagement of beneficiaries who are able to work should be shortened from end of 2014 to the end of 2013, because the material family benefit for beneficiaries who are able to work is already limited by the Law to 9 months a year. Having in mind that the issue of homeless people and others in a state of vulnerability had not been systematically resolved in the meantime, the deadline for the establishment of the service of social and child protection in local communities (e.g. day care centres, shelters, SOS hotlines, etc.) should be shortened.

The strategy must further stipulate the reform of social work centres and plan adequate care of the so-called social patients who currently reside in the Special Psychiatric Hospital in Kotor, although their mental state does not require further hospitalization.

Human Rights Action Team