Promoted by the Embassy of Italy in collaboration with the Roman Academy of Public Health and the Serbian Ministry of Labour, Employment, Veterans, and Social Affairs, the Older People: a Resource for the Development of Society conference took place on Monday, October 6, at the Palace of Serbia, under the high patronage of the Consort of the President of the Republic of Serbia, Tamara Vučić.
The aim of the conference was to exchange experiences and strategies between the two countries to strengthen the social role of older adults, highlight their contributions to society, and promote an active and healthy later life – one that is not a burden but a valuable resource for the community. In her remarks, Tamara Vučić underlined the following:
“Our society is changing, and we must adapt as a State and as a community. Today, both life and working life are getting longer, and modern medicine, together with better living and working conditions, allows for active and high-quality engagement even among our elderly. We should seize and make the most of all the opportunities that these changes bring,” said Tamara Vučić.
The event featured speeches by Milica Đurđević Stamenkovski, Serbian Minister of Labour, Employment, Veterans, and Social Affairs; Orazio Schillaci, Italian Minister of Health; Luca Gori, Italian Ambassador to Serbia; and Hans Henri P. Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe. Among the keynote speakers was Monsignor Vincenzo Paglia, President of the Commission for the Implementation of the Reform of Health and Social Care for the Elderly of the Italian Ministry of Health.
The following roundtable, moderated by Dragan Radovanović, President of the Serbian Red Cross, included contributions from prominent academics such as Professor Leonardo Palombi, President of the Roman Academy of Public Health, representatives of civil society, as well as delegates from the World Health Organization and the European Union Delegation in Belgrade.
The conference provided an opportunity to present the contents of the Italian Law for the Elderly (Law 33/2023) and the Italian Charter of the Rights of the Elderly and the Duties of the Community. It also reaffirmed the joint commitment of Italy and Serbia to strengthening policies that support active aging and foster a more inclusive and supportive society.