Three-Day Conference on Safe Communities Kicks-off

A three-day 6. Regional European Conference on safe communities ‘Attaining goals of sustainable development-toward violence-free community’ opened in Skopje. Health and Labour Ministers Venko FIlipce and Mila Carovska respectively pointed out the efforts invested by authorities for creating safe community and for preventing violence. Filipce noted that community free of violence is a major public-health challenge. “We witness various types of violence like family, gender-based and violence at the workplace. This conference unites experts from the region and Europe and I expect conclusions to come out of this debate,” said Filipce. Minister Carovska noted there are still many steps that need to be taken in the fight against domestic violence and violence on children. Representative of the World Health Organisation Dr Jihan Tavilla stressed that violence is more common than one thinks in various forms.