International Volunteer Day was established by the United Nations’ General Assembly through Resolution of 17 December 1985. The Resolution of 26 November 2002 adopted by the General Assembly of the international organisation calls upon national governments to support volunteering as a strategic instrument of economic and social recovery. It is not only the world organisation that pays special attention to the importance of volunteering, but it is strongly supported also at European level; 2011 was designated as the European Year of Volunteering by the European Union.
Minister of State for Social and Family Affairs Miklós Soltész recalled relevant measures enacted during the last three and a half years. The extension of the benefit for the acquisition of automobiles has allowed 600 people to purchase new automobiles, more than 15 thousand students were taught about different forms of disability, due to the reform of the employment scheme today there are more than 10 thousand newly employed persons with reduced capacity to work, and – as last year – several 10 thousand people had access to products produced by the latter at the “Helping Market” events („Segítő Vásár”) – he said.
Hungary may submit proposals worth some HUF 10 billion within the framework of programmes funded by the EEA and the Norway Fund, which will focus on children and young people at risk and national health care.
The Ministry of Human Resources launched a HUF 100 million tender for the digitalisation of art cinemas in Hungary in 2013, thanks to which a further ten institutions have been able to switch to digital projection this year, Minister of State for Culture Mr János Halász announced in Nyíregyháza, on 4 December 2013.
Minister of Human Resources Zoltán Balog signed agreements with Macedonia on cooperation in education and culture for the coming years today in Skopje. The Minister was part of the delegation of the Hungarian Prime Minister during his one-day visit to Macedonia.
Today, Parliamentary State Secretary of the Ministry of Human Resources Mr. András Doncsev and H.E. Mr. Abderraouf Betbaieb, Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador to Budapest of the Republic of Tunisia, signed a working plan for 2014-16 aimed at the further development of the two countries' relations in education and science, and in the interests of strengthening the relationship between the two countries general.
The Robert Capa Contemporary Photography Centre opened in Budapest on Monday evening with the exhibition Projected contemporary images. At the opening, Minister of Human Resources Mr. Zoltán Balog emphasised that the Government provided HUF 155 million (app. EUR 516 000) in 2013 for the functioning of the institution and will provide HUF 198 million (app. EUR 660 000) in funding in 2014.
"One hundred thousand people involved in the public work programme will be entitled to attend school for four months in winter while receiving the public work allowance of HUF 49,000", Minister of Human Resources Zoltán Balog announced at the symposium of the Jesuit Roma Vocational College in Budapest on Friday.
Joulupukki from Lapland visited the locality of Kaposmérő-Baglaspuszta in one of the country’s poorest regions on Tuesday. On his visit to the locality inhabited 94 per cent by Roma, Santa Claus was accompanied by Zoltán Kovács, Minister of State for Social Inclusion at the Ministry of Human Resources.
A social security agreement was signed by Parliamentary Minister of State of the Hungarian Ministry of Human Resources András Doncsev and by Ambassador of Serbia Rade Drobac, on Friday in Budapest.