The Republic Centre for Support of Persons with Intellectual Disability – PORAKA in 2025 will continue to implement its activities arising from the foreseen goals and principles. The programme activities of the Republic Centre – PORAKA are based and are in line with the implementation process of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, as an exceptionally imperative document that is legally binding for the states that have ratified it. The reference document that the Republic Centre – PORAKA is going to use in its activities will be the Concluding observations on the implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities sent to the Republic of North Macedonia during the 2018 September session of the Committee. The Republic Centre – PORAKA has had and will have a significant role in all processes that refer to the UN Convention.
In that direction, the Republic Centre – PORAKA is going to continue with the regular activities for representing the rights of persons with intellectual disability and advancing the legal framework in the areas of social protection, education, health care and health insurance, employment, imposing the adopted priorities of its membership as crucial changes for improving the rights of persons with intellectual disability. The Republic Centre – PORAKA’ s Report on the advancements in the implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in the past decade, titled “10 Years After” will serve as a basic instrument for lobbying and advocacy.
One of the fundamental activities of the Republic Centre – PORAKA is maintaining, developing, and advancing the work in the community-based social services. The activities in this area are aimed in two directions: towards maintaining the continuity of work at the established social services (day centres and social clubs) for persons with intellectual disability and towards creating conditions for promotion of other types of services, especially small group homes and services for organised living with support aimed for persons with intellectual disability who will leave the residential institutions as a result of the deinstitutionalization process. During 2025, the Republic Centre – PORAKA will continue to initiate local authorities to actively participate in the process of sustainability and opening new social services in the community, according to the Law on Local Self-Government. Additionally, the Republic Centre – PORAKA will continue its initiatives for creating services for Early Childhood Intervention. The position of the Republic Centre – PORAKA is that it is necessary to establish a positive model of support for families that have children with intellectual disability. The existence of these services where parents and children will receive direct psycho-social support from the earliest age is the base for further work on developing the potential of children with intellectual disability and their inclusion in the mainstream systems from early age.
During 2025, the Republic Centre – PORAKA will continue with the initiative to improve the licensing conditions concerning organisations that provide daily services. The Republic Centre – PORAKA proposes a revision of the Rulebook by including associations that have experience in providing day care services, in order to enable:
- Minimum realistically achievable standards that will be necessary to meet/fulfil by each organisation.
- Greater flexibility of the criteria and the possibility for differentiation according to target groups, especially when it comes to day centres for different groups of persons with disability, because it is not appropriate that the same standards apply to different groups.
- Greater focus on the quality of the service provision process, in accordance with the modern frameworks for quality of social services, through the introduction of provisions that will regulate the individual approach and personal planning, the use of modern working methods and techniques, as well as the involvement of the users in the process of planning and delivering the service.
The advancement of legal opportunities regarding realisation of human rights for persons with intellectual disability is continuous activity of the Republic Centre – PORAKA. In 2025, special attention will be given to the implementation process of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, as an exceptionally important and legally binding document for those countries that have ratified it. At the same time, the Republic Centre – PORAKA will continue to use its report “10 Years After” as an instrument for lobbying the institutions responsible for realization and advancement of human rights for persons with intellectual disability. In 2025, the Republic Centre – PORAKA actively will contribute to the implementation of the new National Strategy on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities 2023 – 2030. During the preparation process, the Republic Centre – PORAKA advocated for serious solutions through concrete, achievable measures, and activities, based on real perceptions of the needs, which will be designed in cooperation with the organisations of persons with disabilities. The Republic Centre – PORAKA, as a member of EASPD – European Association of Service Providers for Persons with Disabilities, is directly involved in creating and implementing numerous important acts on European level, such as the European Strategy for the rights of persons with disabilities 2021 – 2030, which leads towards the full participation of persons with disability in society. The Republic Centre – PORAKA will continue to convey European trends and initiatives in our country and will contribute to the actualisation of the need for effective acceptance and implementation of the European documents and development programmes.
During 2025, the Republic Centre – PORAKA will continue to implement activities related to raising public awareness regarding the needs and rights of persons with intellectual disability and their families. These activities represent continuation of the Republic Centre – PORAKA’s previous campaigns and will be aimed at highlighting the need for effective implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and promoting the right to a dignified life for persons with intellectual disability through adequate support services.
Due to more effective realisation of the programme tasks of the local organisations, part of the regular activities of the Republic Centre – PORAKA are also coordination and professional and methodological support to its local organisations aimed for realisation of important activities on local level. The Republic Centre - PORAKA in cooperation with the local organizations will provide direct support in the realisation of public events on local level and meetings with local authorities. Strengthening the capacity will also be carried out through organising workshops for SWOT analysis and strategic planning for advancement of the work in the local organisation and the social services. Moreover, the Republic Centre – PORAKA will organise and provide targeted participation in trainings for representatives of the local organisation, depending on the needs on local level. за реализација на значајни активности на локално ниво. РЦПЛИП – ПОРАКА, во договор со локалните организации, ќе пружи директна поддршка во реализацијата на јавни настани на локално ниво и состаноци со локални и власти и институции. Зајакнувањето на капацитетот ќе се изведува и преку организирање на работилници за SWOT анализа и стратешко планирање за унапредување на работењето на локалните организации и на сервисните служби. Исто така, РЦПЛИП – ПОРАКА ќе организира и ќе овозможи таргетирано учество на обуки за претставници на локалните организации, во зависност од потребите на локално ниво.
The recognition of the Republic Centre – PORAKA as a leader in the field of the rights of persons with disabilities continuously results in new partnerships and joint activities with organisations and institutions whose programme activities have similar interests with the Republic Centre – PORAKA. In 2025, the Republic Centre – PORAKA will explore possibilities for cooperation with partner organisation on national and international level for creating innovative development programmes to modernise the approach to work and introduce new programme activities using digital innovative projects. Thie modern approach will enable the improvement of the quality of life of persons with intellectual disability in our country.
In 2025, the Republic Centre – PORAKA will continue the cooperation established on international level with EASPD and other associations, and will participate in joint initiatives, activities and projects that arise from the membership in these associations. The Republic Centre – PORAKA will also continue to implement activities within the partnership projects that are implemented on European level.
Also, the publishing and information activities, which is a regular activity of the Republic Centre – PORAKA will continue to be implemented in 2025.
The working programme of the Republic Centre for Support of Persons with Intellectual Disability – PORAKA for 2025 is open and can be upgraded during its implementation.
