24/04/2026
The conference titled 30 Years of Fighting for Human Rights – From Institutions to Community will take place on 14 October 2026 at Hotel Terme (Topliška cesta 35, 8250 Brežice). It is being organised as part of the project Centre for Managing DeInstitutionalisation (CUDI), and will simultaneously mark the 30th anniversary of the Social Protection Institute of the Republic of Slovenia.
The event will be dedicated to the importance of persistent efforts to ensure and protect human rights, with the process of deinstitutionalisation playing a key role in this regard. Through the establishment of multidisciplinary teams in the field of deinstitutionalisation, we find ourselves at a turning point in realising the rights of persons with disabilities.
The conference will begin with opening remarks. The audience will be addressed by Vesna Vodišek Razboršek, MSc, representative of the Ministry of Demography, Family and Social Affairs; Dr Siobhán McInerney-Lankford, representative of the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights; and Barbara Kobal Tomc, MSc, Director of the Social Protection Institute of the Republic of Slovenia
In the first part of the conference, the panel Human Rights Under Supervision – Violence, Accountability and Deinstitutionalisation will address the situation of the rights of people with disabilities in Slovenia, the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, and the role of the state, monitoring mechanisms and advocacy in protecting the human rights of people with disabilities. The discussion will also address the importance of European policies and funding in supporting deinstitutionalisation and the transition to living in the community.
The panel will bring together the Human Rights Ombudswoman, Dr Simona Drenik Bavdek; Boštjan Vernik Šetinc, representative of the Advocate of the Principle of Equality; Dr Siobhán McInerney-Lankford, representative of the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights; Ines Bulić Cojocariu, Director of the European Network on Independent Living; and Anže Trček, Head of the Advocacy Centre.
The conference will continue with parallel thematic discussions addressing informal support in the community, housing, violence in institutions, guardianship, and peer support as key issues both in the deinstitutionalisation process and in the realisation and protection of the human rights of people with disabilities. The discussions will provide an opportunity for people with lived experience, multidisciplinary team members—including peer support workers—and other professionals to share their experiences and perspectives.
The topics of the parallel sections are:
- Informal Support in Light of the Right to Inclusive Community-Based Support Services
- The Right to Safety, Physical and Mental Integrity
- The Right to Home and Living in the Community
- The Right to Decide About One’s Own Life
- Mechanisms for Exercising the Right to a Voice
Conference Programme
CONFERENCE TOPICS
Panel: Human Rights Under Scrutiny – Violence, Accountability, and Deinstitutionalisation
The panel will provide a concise overview of the current state of rights for people with disabilities in Slovenia and highlight the role of the state, monitoring mechanisms, and advocacy in ensuring and protecting those rights. Speakers will also discuss the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the importance of the effective use of European funds for deinstitutionalization processes, and the key challenges in ensuring the right of people with disabilities to live in the community.
Translation from Slovenian into English and vice versa is provided.
PARALLEL SESSIONS – Part 1
Each session will consist of a short presentation followed by an interactive workshop focused on developing concrete proposals for improvement. Participants will be able to choose between the following key topics of deinstitutionalisation:
Session 1: Informal Support in Light of the Right to Inclusive Community-Based Support Services
Highlighting the needs and challenges of informal support and the role of families in ensuring independent living in the community.
Translation from Slovenian into English and vice versa is provided.
Session 2: The Right to Safety, Physical and Mental Integrity
Highlighting the harmfulness of institutional culture and the violence experienced by people living in institutions.
Translation from Slovenian into English and vice versa is provided.
Session 3: The Right to Home and Living in the Community
Presentation of the practices of multidisciplinary teams in addressing housing issues when supporting people transitioning from institutions.
Translation from Slovenian into English and vice versa is provided.
Session 4: The Right to Decide About One’s Own Life
Emphasising the importance of introducing supported decision-making and the challenges of providing support to people under guardianship.
Session 5: Mechanisms for Exercising the Right to a Voice
Presentation of the work of peer support workers within multidisciplinary teams.
PARALLEL SESSIONS – Part 2: Action Planning
Participants will develop concrete solutions for more effective realisation and protection of human rights in the areas highlighted by the individual sessions (employment, housing, violence, guardianship, peer support).