Serbian Parliamentary Poverty committees visit Belfast

A visit by parliamentarians from Serbia to poverty reduction projects in Belfast has begun.

Serbian MP's from all parties visiting NICVA
on a poverty reduction fact finding visit.

The tour

The group of law makers are engaged in a capacity building trip sponsored by the Belgrade Fund for Political Excellence. They have visited several organisations on a wide-ranging tour to gain insights into community projects in Northern Ireland.

Many interests

Five committees of the Serbian Parliament are taking part, ensuring a wide range of interests on the trip; committees for:

• Poverty Reduction,
• labour, veteran and social affairs,
• education,
• local self government
• agriculture

They all hope to learn something from Northern Ireland's voluntary and community sector as the week-long visit progresses, as a key to meeting their national Millennium Development Goals.

A varied and packed schedule

Their gruelling schedule sees them meet some 22 groups, all of whom are keen to assist the group, in line with their objective of regular and continuous information exchange with parliaments and institutions overseas.

Support

The event is supported by the European Union agency for Reconstruction, the United Nations and the Belgrade Fund for Political Excellence.