Signing ceremony of the agreement for opening of the first resource center for returnees and other marginalized groups

January 16, 2024

Today, in the Municipality of Shuto Orizari, the Agreement for opening the first Resource Center for Returnees and Other Marginalized Groups was signed by the Mayor of Suto Orizari – Kurto Dudus and the UNDP’s Resident Representative, Armen Grigoryan. The ceremony was also attended by the Prime Minister, Dimitar Kovachevski and the representatives of the Delegation of the European Union and other international organizations.

The center is established with the aim of providing services and support at the local level for a more effective reintegration of returnees into their home countries, focusing on several key segments such as social protection, employment, education, healthcare services, legal advice, and more.

The center will be located in the Municipality of Shuto Orizari and it will be constructed as a separate modern, contemporary and energy-efficient facility covering an area of 310 m2.

"Shuto Orizari is the first municipality in the country to introduce this model of support for returnees and other vulnerable categories through information, direct contacts, and assistance for individuals to actively engage in socio-economic processes in the country. We hope that the example of our municipality can be replicated in other municipalities, where returnees and other vulnerable groups will receive appropriate support for an improved quality of life in their home country," emphasized the Mayor of Shuto Orizari, Kurto Dudush.

The Resource Center, under the jurisdiction of the municipality, will closely collaborate with all line ministries, government bodies, and agencies, as well as municipal organizations and the non-governmental sector.

Armen Grigoryan, Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Programme, highlighted the need for cooperation with local authorities: "The United Nations Development Programme, in partnership with the Municipality of Shuto Orizari, has been extensively working on providing appropriate mechanisms for Roma and other vulnerable groups of citizens in order to ensure conditions of equal opportunities for all."

Construction is expected to start in two weeks, with an anticipated duration of 7 months. The Center will officially be operational in the second half of 2024.

The establishment and construction of the Resource Center for Returnees are part of the project activities within the framework of the regional project "Strengthening National and Local Systems to Support the Effective Socio-Economic Integration of Returnees in the Western Balkans," implemented in three Western Balkan countries by the United Nations Development Programme and financially supported by the EU - DG NEAR.