The Novi Sad declaration of understanding and the need for joint action for sustainable, smart and inclusive growth of Serbia, which promotes the concept of circular economy and innovative solutions that improve environmental protection, was signed on Wednesday, December 14 at the international conference “EKOSOP”. 

The declaration was signed by the Association “Čepom do osmeha“, “Smart Kolektiv”, JP “Vojvodina šume”, Faculty of Sciences, Association of Students with Handicap, Center for Natural Resources “Natura”, Humanitarian Organization “Prvi Korak”, OPENS and West Balkans Green Navigator. By signing the declaration, the organizations committed themselves to joint efforts to transfer knowledge and work on improving dialogue and issues of environmental protection. 

 “The key problem in the field of environment in the Republic of Serbia in recent years is the insufficient inter-institutional cooperation, primarily between state authorities, the business and the non-governmental sector (civil society organizations). Environmental protection issues should not be a field for division, but a field of joint action in which we all strive for the same goal, which is a cleaner and healthier Serbia for generations to come. We need a new ecological patriotism,” the organizer’s website states. 

Neven Marinović, director of the Smart Kolektiv, was one of the participants in the panel session “Environment unites us, not divides us”, where the signatories of the Declaration presented through dialogue their reasons and importance for joining and signing the declaration. 

The organizer of the conference is the humanitarian-ecological organization “Čepom do osmeha”.