In addition to the Committee members, the sitting was attended by MPs, representatives of ministries and public authorities, independent state bodies, local self-government units, hospitals and social welfare institutions, international and non-governmental organisations and associations.
Opening the sitting, the Chairman of the Committee on Human and Minority Rights and Gender Equality, Meho Omerovic, stressed that it is important to return the persons placed into psychiatric institutions and social welfare institutions into their primary social environment. Social inclusion of persons with developmental difficulties and disabilities is a complex process which calls for an inter-sector approach and the implementation of a series of measures and activities at all levels of government, said Omerovic.
Ombudsman Sasa Jankovic pointed out that a great many of the people placed in into psychiatric institutions and social welfare institutions meet the medical criteria to be returned home, into their primary environment, as outpatients, but that they remain institutionalised because their communities lack the adequate support and social services which would enable them and their families to lead normal lives. The Ombudsman stressed that de-institutionalisation is a complex process, with many challenges and risks, and requires a joint effort of state authorities, independent state bodies, local self-governments, civic organisations and each citizen individually.
Minister of Health Slavica Djukic Dejanovic said that de-institutionalisation means providing adequate social and professional care for the people who leave psychiatric hospitals and social welfare institutions. First of all, this means providing all the healthcare centres, as primary healthcare institutions, with psychiatric teams which would monitor the status of persons with mental difficulties and offer the necessary assistance and support, said the Minister of Health.
The representative of the European Expert Group, Ines Bulic, presented the Common European Guidelines on the Transition from Institutional to Community-Based Care. The Guidelines give practical advice on how to ensure a sustainable transition form institutional to community-based care for people currently housed in specialised institutions, as well as those living in the community, frequently without adequate support. The representative of the European Expert Group also pointed out which population categories the Guidelines refer to and who they are intended for.
The participants discussed the importance of beginning the de-institutionalisation process and the difficulties faced by the families of institutionalised children. They also spoke about the need for wider community support, such as introduction of social services which would enable people with mental difficulties to lead normal lives in their primary environment. In the course of the discussion, they also stressed the need to establish better inter-departmental cooperation among state institutions, healthcare institutions, social welfare institutions and educational institutions.

The sitting was chaired by Meho Omerovic, Committee Chairman.