Ljubljana, 16 April 2018 – What are the challenges in bringing 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) closer to community level, how to achieve social inclusion and what is the way forward – all these questions will be in the focus of the “Regional conference on social inclusion and (re)integration through 2030 Agenda and SDGs”, organised on 17 and 18 April 2018 in Brdo, Slovenia.

The conference will provide a platform for over 120 local stakeholders, NGOs and representatives from national level in order to (1) improve mutual learning among professionals and practitioners on successfully implemented community-based approaches to social inclusion and (re)integration, (2) increase awareness on the challenges in the municipalities and acknowledge the importance of collaboration within and between the countries among various stakeholders, (3) create awareness on the SDGs and migration, and (4) recommend approaches on social inclusion and (re) integration in the form of a bottom-up policy advice following the do-no-harm principle.

“The municipality must provide equal opportunities to all and involve all citizens in making it a place of wellbeing. I expect that this conference brings new ideas and opens interesting discussions on what we as Mayors and local governments can do to contribute to making the Sustainable Development Goals our reality. The way we need to undergo requires a strong commitment by all stakeholders, both at local and national level, so we are looking forward to join forces for the benefit of our citizens”, says Mr. Mico Micic, President of NALAS and Mayor of Bijeljina, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The conference is organised by the Network of Associations of Local Authorities of South-East Europe (NALAS), supported by the GIZ regional project “Social Rights for Vulnerable Groups (SoRi)”, commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).

Key session of media interest:

17 April 2018 (Tuesday), Brdo Congress Centre (09:00 – 09:45)

Welcoming & introduction into the agenda

Moderator: Mr. Stefan Friedrichs

Welcome addresses

  • Mr. Mico Micic, NALAS President
  • Dr. Ute Boettcher, Head of Section Democracy, Policy Dialogue, Urban Development of Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ)
  • Mr. Branko Ledinek, President of SOS, Association of Municipalities and Towns of Slovenia

For more information, please contact NALAS Knowledge and Communications Manager Jelena Janevska, at janevska@nalas.eu, ++389 70 280 582, www.nalas.eu.

To download the full Press Release:

Press Release-Brdo Conference