Sustainable Waste Management Initiative for a Healthier Tomorrow - SWIFT

Project Duration: 2008 - 2012

Project Partners: WHO, UNOPS

Donors: Norwegian Government, European Union, Government of Sweeden

The SWIFT Initiative was developed by WHO in 2008 with the launching of the first (SWIFT I) pilot project in Belgrade, Serbia, through funding provided by the Norwegian Government. The Swift Initiative was further expanded with the creation of a second project (SWIFT II), funded by the European Union, and a third (SWIFT III) project supported by the Government of Sweden. The SWIFT Initiative aims to formalize the informal waste sector and provide the most vulnerable population, such as the Roma Population, with assistance in accessing their citizenships rights in the health, education, employment and social protection services.

The SWIFT initiative has three core activities embedded in all three projects:

  1. Health and Environment – Ensuring access to health services and occupational health, supporting environmental protection that is beneficial to health.
  2. Income Generation and Employment – establishing recycling centres and formal, safe, sustainable employment
  3. Social Mobilisation – establishing working entities (cooperatives), providing support and assistance to vulnerable populations and authorities for access to citizenship services (health, social protection, employment, personal documentation and education), supporting non-discrimination (ethnic and gender).

SWIFT I pilot project supported establishment and functioning of a recycling centre in the Belgrade municipality of Zvezdara, and the development of 6 additional recycling centres and satellite collection stations are planned through SWIFT II and III projects.

All three projects within the SWIFT Initiative have been implemented by UNOPS, WHO and IOM, as a joint programme. IOM’s role in the implementation of the SWIFT projects is related to improving access to registration and education for all target groups, in particular marginalized and vulnerable Roma in the municipalities selected to host the SWIFT Centres. Through the SWIFT IOM component was making in SWIFT I: USD 340,000 in SWIFT II EUR 70,000 and SWIFT III USD 200,000.

Project Status: Completed