At the end of last month, a meeting was held in the Office of the Mayor of Doboj with representatives of local associations of persons with disabilities: the Association of Paraplegics, People Affected by Polio and Other Physical Disabilities of the Doboj Region; the Association of People with Muscular Dystrophy of the Doboj Region; the Association of Amputees Doboj; the Inter-Municipal Organization of Blind and Visually Impaired Persons Doboj; the Association of Work-Related Invalids Doboj; the Volleyball Club for Persons with Disabilities “OKI” Doboj; and the Association for Assistance to Children with Special Needs Doboj.

The meeting was organized following two initiatives—submitted to the city authorities with the support of the PRAGG project—aimed at improving the position of this vulnerable population in the local community.

“During the meeting, it was emphasized that these associations represent an important pillar of support for persons with disabilities, and that their work significantly contributes to improving the quality of life in the community,” the Doboj City Administration stated after the meeting.

Civil society organizations that bring together persons with disabilities in this city on the three rivers have been trying for several years to obtain a dedicated budget status that would recognize them as CSOs of special social interest. On 19 September 2025, they renewed their Initiative to be declared CSOs of importance for the City of Doboj. They submitted this initiative together with a second one—an Initiative to Establish a Personal Assistance Service in the City of Doboj—which they had been working on since April of this year.

This Initiative was launched by the Coordination Board of Organizations of Persons with Disabilities Doboj (KOOSI), and its adoption is expected by more than one hundred potential beneficiaries. The number would likely be even higher, but the final number of people included in this first phase of the expanded social protection right will depend on the available funds in the city budget.

“We engaged our member organizations, as well as regional organizations from Banja Luka and Bijeljina, back in June to open dialogue on the importance and necessity of establishing a personal assistance system as a key form of support for independent living in the community. We placed special emphasis on learning from cities where this service already exists, in order to jointly review good practices, challenges, and possibilities for implementation in the local context of Doboj. Without the goodwill and support of the city authorities and elected representatives in the City Assembly, we cannot put our Initiative into practice; however, we hope that this time we will not be let down and that our Initiative will be adopted,” said activists from the CSOs that signed the Initiative.

Personal assistance, as an expanded right, already exists in the legislation of the Republika Srpska. However, there is a broader intention in this part of the country—as well as in the Federation of BiH and Brčko District—to regulate this form of social protection as a basic right through new legislation.

In the next steps, civil society organizations working with persons with disabilities plan—guided by regional organizations and united in a single campaign—to launch an Initiative to amend the Law on Social Protection of RS, with the aim of better regulating the field of personal assistance. In particular, the bylaw prescribing criteria for providing personal assistance requires amendments, especially provisions that define requirements for CSOs wishing to offer this service.

Regarding the future implementation of a Decision on the introduction of personal assistance in the City of Doboj, the key partners—besides CSOs and the City Administration—will include the Center for Social Work and the Doboj City Organization of the Red Cross.