The Netherlands Ambassador, H.E. Simone Filippini, visited the Polio Plus Movement against Disability on 31 January 2008. Polio Plus has been supported by the Netherlands since 2003. Mr. Zvonko Shavreski, the President of the organization, presented the initiatives that Polio Plus had launched in the past few years. In 2003 Polio Plus established an Inter-party Parliamentary Lobby Group chaired by Lilijana Popovska with the aim to promote the rights of the people with disabilities, in particular by first introducing an Anti-Discrimination Law. Since the elections of 2006 Chairman of the Lobby Group is Ratko Dimitrovski.

Mr. Shavreski stated that the general public still is not sensitized enough to actually guarantee the implementation of the rights of people with disabilities although things have changed to the better since the early ‘90s. In the framework of the project, promoting the concept of anti-discrimination in the country and equal opportunities for everybody, Polio Plus together with a great number of NGO formed a Coordinative Body for information exchange and space for further joint action on the field of anti discrimination (KATE). Most important objective is the early development of an anti-discrimination law. The focus right now is on the adoption of a Law on the Protection of Rights and Dignity of Persons with Disabilities. An initiative for housing of people with disabilities will be launched during a live event and auction on MTV on Sunday, 3 February. People can contribute during the programma by dialling specific numbers. Both the President, Prime minister and the Speaker of the Parliament have agreed to man the phones. The Ambassador offered to further actively support Polio Plus in changing the mentality and prejudices towards people with disabilities. She will also look for a Dutch partner for Polio Plus to assist in developing a long-term integrated approach as to disabled people. The embassy will furthermore inform whether Macedonia has already ratified the UN Convention to protect Disabled People’s rights. In the coming weeks she will visit institutions in the country for people with disabilities as well as children’s homes to get acquainted with the situation on the ground. 

 Polio Plus Website