On 17 October 2025, the second meeting of the working group was held in Dimitrovgrad within the regional EMPOWERED Western Balkans project, aimed at improving the position of persons with disabilities and strengthening social inclusion at the local level. The meeting, organised by IDC as the project partner for Serbia, brought together representatives of local self-government, the Centre for Social Work, local associations, and other relevant community stakeholders, with a view to examining the functioning of the existing social protection system and the possibilities for its improvement.

During the meeting, a structured dialogue was held on the roles of institutions, organisations and persons within the social protection system, in the context of existing support mechanisms, identifying key challenges in practice and considering measures to enhance cooperation and facilitate access to services, in particular for persons with disabilities. By applying a participatory approach, participants put forward proposals to improve local policies and practices in social protection and to strengthen inclusive community-based support.