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PSYCHOSOCIAL WORKING GROUP
AGENDA:
Introduction of new participants/adoption of minutes. Minutes of the last meeting were adopted; participants introduced themselves. Brief Update on present situation. UNICEF reminded participants that whilst the situation remained relatively calm in fYRo Macedonia, as a whole, in certain areas the return of police forces to villages had been obstructed by local inhabitants. Although return had eventually occurred, tensions remained high. Further developments included a communique allegedly issued by an NLA group declaring their intention to re-arm. UNICEF highlighted the fact that the NLA had officially denied responsibility for this communique and had re-stated their commitment to the peace process. The process of re-registration for IDPs by the IFRC and Macedonian Red Cross was completed in early January and the figures were shared with participants: according to the report from IFRC, 2871 persons remained as IDP’s accommodated in Collective Centers, 13,530 as IDP’s accommodated in Host Family accommodation, and 4,801 persons were reported as ‘micro displaced’ in Tetovo and Skopje.
Update on ongoing psychosocial response/ mobile teams UNICEF asked the participants to give short introduction of new / ongoing activities. SOS Kumanovo informed the group of ongoing outreach activities by their teams in the villages surrounding Kumanovo, including Lipkovo. They noted that tensions remained high in areas of mixed ethnicity. They also highlighted the lack of heating in the premises (a school building) used to conduct workshops in Lipkovo. This information was noted by Ms. Gjozeva of UNHCR who will follow up with UNHCR’s firewood distribution program. Ms. Tiziana Clerico of UNHCR introduced herself as the new Community Services Program Officer at UNHCR. She informed participants that UNHCR was at present defining it’s strategy for community services support – including psychosocial activities, and support of groups through QIPs funding – in 2002, and that she hoped to be able to provide more concrete information to the PSWG at the next meeting. She also noted that UNHCR was exploring greater collaboration with the Centers for Social Work. Safe Childhood informed participants on ongoing activities with IDPs. They also noted that they are exploring ideas for increasing their assistance to long term refugees from Kosovo in the Skopje area. ARC reported that they are in the process of re-assessing the needs of refugees and IDPs and developing a strategy on the basis of this re-assessment. Possible psychosocial interventions they are exploring would include work with adult men, single parent households, and greater implementation through supporting local NGO’s. IFRC, aside from presenting the revised figures on IDP numbers, reported that at present they are continuing with primary health care activities with refugees and at present do not have plans to conduct psychosocial programs in 2002. Mr. Micahel Szporluk of IOM informed the participants of the presence of IOM in Skopje and fYRo Macedonia, and of their program in the area of Confidence Building Initiatives. They aim to work with local communities and associations to support diverse groups of citizens. A small fund will be established to which local groups can submit applications for support. Ms. Huijbregts of UNICEF outlined aspects of UNICEF’s strategy for psychosocial assistance – and the functioning of the working group – in 2002. She emphasised the developmental approach UNICEF will be taking in building the capacity of state institutions in their provision of psychosocial assistance to children and their carers, and of broadening the definition of psychosocial assistance to include assistance to children vulnerable as a result of situations not just related to conflict and displacement. UNICEF will be collaborating with the World Health Organisation in this approach. The Chair then further elaborated Ms. Huijbregts presentation by asking participants to develop ideas to bring to the next meeting elaborating a strategy to complement the work of UNICEF and UNHCR’s work in developing capacity of state institutions with the more direct implementation activities of NGO’s. UNICEF (Kerry Neal) will undertake to develop talking points for the next meeting on this theme and distribute them for consideration before the next PSWG meeting.
Motion to move PSWG meetings to fortnightly basis and to a later time in the day. UNICEF noted that they had received requests from some of the Tetovo and Kumanovo based NGOs attending the meeting to move the meeting to a later time in the day due to the traffic problems incurred in travelling from outside Skopje to attend at 13:00. It was also noted that all other Sectoral meetings were now being held on a fortnightly basis. It was therefore decided by the participants that the meeting be moved to 14:30 on a fortnightly basis: Subsequently, the next meeting of the PSWG will be held on Tuesday 29 January at 14:30 at UNICEF. OCHA has been informed of the change in schedule accordingly.
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