At the fifteenth session of the Poverty Reduction Committee of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia, held on 21 July 2005, officials of the Deputy Prime Minister’s Team for Implementing the Poverty Reduction Strategy, Ivana Aleksic and Zarko Sunderic, presented the Report of the Government of the Republic of Serbia on the implementation of the Strategy. The Poverty Reduction Strategy foresees the adoption of a number of laws, so Committee members were given a list of adopted legislation, legislation in Assembly procedure, and legislation in preparation. The final version of the Report is to be discussed by members of the Poverty Reduction Committee after it is adopted by the Government of the Republic of Serbia.

Committee chairperson Snezana Stojanovic-Plavsic informed the deputies about the activities of the Committee and the Deputy Prime Minister’s Team for Implementing the Poverty Reduction Strategy on assisting in the creation of projects to address consequences of the recent floods. Based on the Committee’s conclusions on the measures of addressing damage in flood-stricken municipalities, the Committee and the Team have, assisted by the United Nations Development Programme, implemented phase one of the agreement to enlist foreign donors in alleviating effects of the floods. From August to October 2005, flood-stricken municipalities are to see seminars to instruct municipal officials in drafting projects whereby the municipalities would directly apply to foreign donors for assets to address effects of the floods.

The Committee’s chairperson announced that activities of the Poverty Reduction Committee were to be intensified, as wide-ranging promotion was planned of the Report of the Government of the Republic of Serbia on the implementation of the Poverty Reduction Strategy. Committee members are to be involved in promoting the Report, while a regional conference on poverty is also planned for October, to be hosted by the Poverty Reduction Committee.