Each of us, on average, throws 27.7 kg of edible and 80.4 kg of inedible parts of food a year, showed the analysis of research on direct measurement of food waste in households in Belgrade, as well as the attitudes and habits of citizens on this issue, which was published by the Environment Improvement Center. "Observed annually, the inhabitants of the capital throw away more than 165 thousand tons of edible and inedible parts of food. When it comes to edible parts of food, vegetables (10.2 kg), fruits (8.5 kg), bread (4.7 kg), meat (3.6 kg), and dairy products (0.7 kg) are thrown away the most", said professor  Bojan Batinic, PhD,  from the Center of Excellence for Circular Economy and Climate Change, who analyzed the results of direct measurements. The City of Belgrade has adopted the Action Plan for Municipal Waste Management for the period 2021-2030, in which food waste is recognized as one of the waste streams, which provides a basis for further creation and improvement of measures to address this problem at the local level"- said Mr Radojicic, Mayor of Belgrade, and added that this is a very important topic, which should be discussed further. "We often throw food automatically and we are not aware of how much we waste. That is why at a time when we have so many hungry people on Earth, this is a moral and ethical issue. At the same time, throwing away food means an irrational attitude towards the planet and its resources, towards the future and new generations." "Annually 770,000 tons of food is wasted or lost in Serbia, 90% of the total waste still ends up in the landfills, emitting GHG, polluting water resources, while the poorest households struggle to secure meals. The United Nations has been active on this topic for several years through food banks. Today once again, jointly with the UN environment programme and the city of Belgrade, we want to raise awareness and call for action from all state actors and citizens on this important topic. We need new legislation and regulation, a dedicated focus on food waste within Belgrade new waste management plan, commitment from the hospitality sector, and the promotion of sustainable consumption for all. Building forward better in the post pandemic world!"- said Françoise Jacob, UN Resident Coordinator in Serbia. "The corona virus pandemic has had a positive effect on this bad habit. Thus, every fourth respondent has started throwing less food since the pandemic. In contrast to such a significant percentage, we have 3.1% of respondents who started throwing food noticeably more. However, in general, it can be noticed that a large part of the society has awareness and habits that help reduce food waste, but that percentage is still not at a satisfactory level. There are patterns of how certain demographic groups behave, and that will serve as a basis for further development of information and educational programs aimed at reducing the amount of food wasted." said Vladan Scekic from the Environment Improvement Center. More than half (52.9%) of households throw away edible parts of food less than once a week. On the other hand, we also have 2.5% of respondents in whose households throwing away food is a daily practice. Four circumstances usually influence the food to be thrown away in the end. In almost half of the households, food is thrown away because too much has been cooked and leftovers have accumulated. In slightly fewer cases, food is thrown away because it has spoiled (44.6%), because of the expiration date of food items (40.2%), and because it has been forgotten in the refrigerator / freezer (17.3%). Over 70% of the respondents unequivocally expressed their readiness to separate food waste, if there would be an appropriate systemic solution established. It can be said that there is a general consensus of the respondents that throwing away edible parts of food is a big social problem, so that only 2.3% of the respondents do not agree with that attitude. In addition, more than 90% of respondents agree that food waste is a major environmental problem. Approximately every tenth respondent admitted that he did not care about the amount of edible parts of food he threw away. An even higher percentage of respondents (14.5%) state that they do not show concern about the price of the food they throw away. Finally, 7.6% of respondents believe that nothing can move them in the direction to waste less food. When asked about the motivation for less food waste, there was a significant number of respondents (8.5%) who do not have an opinion about it. It is encouraging that almost two thirds of the respondents claim that if they had information on how to store food the best way, they would probably throw it away less. A slightly larger number of citizens (70.9%) agree that they would probably make an effort to throw less, if they had data on the impact of discarded food on the living environment. Finally, approximately the same percentage of respondents (68.8%) agree that they would probably make an effort to throw less if they had an insight into the price of discarded food. Research findings show that it is necessary for citizens to be instructed as much as possible and as thoroughly as possible in the issue of food waste. There is a lot of room to improve knowledge, as well as to encourage citizens to act in the direction of less food waste. In addition, it is necessary for state authorities to adopt regulations that will reduce food waste, and set up infrastructure for the separation of food waste, in order to reduce the negative impact on the environment. These surveys were conducted in accordance with the methodology of the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) for measuring the global food waste index and will be the baseline for all future research in this area. A survey on citizens' attitudes and habits was conducted in the first half of June on a representative sample of 1,003 respondents, while a survey on direct measurement of discarded food was conducted on a sample of 100 households in Belgrade, during September 2021. The research was conducted with the support of the United Nations Environment Program.
  Analyzes are available at the link: www.cuzs.org.rs/publikacije

Belgrade, 26 October 2021 – On the occasion of the 76th anniversary of the United Nations, the Government of the Republic of Serbia and the United Nations Team in Serbia jointly marked this day at the special event dedicated to celebration of rich cultural and natural diversity in Serbia. The event highlighted the urgency to act together for the people and the planet, reflecting upon the solutions needed to nurture diversity, inclusiveness and solidarity, while overcoming the triple planetary crises – climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution, as identified in the recently released Our Common Agenda report by the UN Secretary General. “We see our principal duty to ensure that the development agenda, the transformative agenda, is as inclusive and fair as possible, and that truly, no one is left behind in the massive efforts that will take place in the country to transform the society, the economy and the environment we live in. Inclusion, tolerance, embracing diversity and plurality within our societies remain at the core of the United Nations action. These values are the fundamental pillars to strengthen peace, trust and social cohesion. As the UN, we will continue to put the rights of the people at the core of our actions, and we invite for greater and meaningful national and local consultations with citizens to shape the country’s future”, says Francoise Jacob, UN Resident Coordinator in Serbia. In 2020, the 20 UN agencies, funds and programmes, in partnership with the government  and the civil society, delivered Euro 70 million worth of goods and services for the people of Serbia, including USD 23 million allocated for the COVID-19 response. Looking ahead, the UN in Serbia and the Government of Serbia will continue their cooperation under the 2021 – 2025 UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework. The framework focus on strategic priorities around social, environmental, and economic sustainability, the human rights, gender and good governance agenda. It is designed to contribute to the national development priorities and to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, along the core principle of Leaving no one Behind. The UN will continue to expand its partnership with the civil society, development partners, the private sector, and local institutions.  "The issue of peace and stability cannot be viewed independently of the topic of sustainable development. Serbia remains committed to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda, as well as the Paris Climate Agreement. We are intensifying national efforts in the implementation of all three dimensions of sustainable development - economic, social, and environmental," says Nikola Selaković, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Serbia. “In our joint efforts, Serbia will continue to have a steadfast partner in the United Nations, including its political, peacebuilding and peace operations which I am here to represent.  Partners for ensuring a continuous re-commitment to the values for which the United Nations stands foremost,” says Mari Yamashita, Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of UN Office in Belgrade. The Government of Serbia and United Nations are committed to fast track progress in the country’s pathway to an inclusive, resilient, healthy and skilled society where all people meaningfully contribute to, and benefit equally from sustainable cultural, economic, and social development and environmental rights, by 2025 and beyond.    

Belgrade, 17 September 2021 – On the occasion of the Belgrade Pride Parade 2021, international organizations and diplomatic missions* in Serbia join hands with the LGBTQI+ community in Serbia and beyond under the banner “Love is Law” (Ljubav je zakon). The organizations together express our support for the human rights, freedoms and equality of LGBTQI+ people as an essential part of our societies. This year has seen major institutional efforts to advance the rights of LGBTQI+ people in Serbia, as the first Law on Same-Sex Unions has been drafted and discussed with wide participation of civil society, the LGBTQI+ community and senior political leaders.  This is a significant step towards a transformative legislation that promotes and protects fundamental human rights of many people in the country, in addition to the realization of Serbia’s international commitments in the area of human rights. The final step in this process would be the prompt adoption of this law which would truly confirm the commitment of the Government and the society to human rights in all areas of life and to combating social stigma and discrimination faced by certain groups We take this opportunity to welcome these efforts and reaffirm our commitment to equal rights and dignity for all. We stand side-by-side with the people of Serbia and its institutions in building and maintaining a strong and vibrant society, that accepts and protects diversity in all forms.  It is only through common efforts and solidarity that human rights will prevail.   United Nations – Serbia Council of Europe Office in Belgrade British Embassy in Belgrade Embassy of Belgium in Belgrade Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands Australian Embassy in Belgrade U.S. Embassy Belgrade Embassy of Denmark in Serbia Embassy of Italy Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany Royal Norwegian Embassy in Belgrade Embassy of Canada to Serbia, North Macedonia and Montenegro.

Belgrade, 7 September 2021 - On the International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies, the United Nations in Serbia is launching a coherent plan for tackling air pollution’s causes and effects, while stressing that air quality in the region remains to be a cause for alarm.   Ahead of the next heating season and expected increase in urban air pollution attributed to household heating, recent evidence shows that air pollution is responsible for up to one in five premature deaths in Western Balkan cities, with household heating being one of the two main sources of particulate matter emissions. On average, city dwellers in the Western Balkans lose up to 13–16 months of life to air pollution, while nearly 5,000 premature deaths are directly attributable to air pollution region each year. In Serbia, nearly 3,600 premature deaths every year can be attributed to exposure to fine particulate matter measuring ≤ 2.5 μm (PM2.5), according to the WHO study on the situation in 11 towns in Serbia. As UNICEF’s study on the impact of climate on children highlights, in Serbia, respiratory illnesses account for the most commonly reported morbidities for children and youth, accounting for 17% and 37% of all morbidities for children aged from 0-6 and 7-19, respectively, and are particularly pronounced in cities with high levels of air pollution, like Niš and Bor. Recent research  by UNDP and Institute of Nuclear Sciences Vinca has meanwhile found positive correlation between concentrations of air pollutants (PM2.5, PM10, CO, NO2) and COVID-19 incidence in two cities with the highest number of COVID-19 cases: Belgrade and Niš. The observations for the lockdown period between 15 March and 6 of May 2020 have shown the strongest positive correlation for PM10 and PM2.5. In response to the air pollution stemming from household devices for solid fuel burning across Serbia, UN agencies, funds and programmes have come together with a number of partners and stakeholders to develop and launch a joint programme to address key challenges related to pollution of ambient air. The programme will complement ongoing efforts by the national and local governments. Activities include assessing the extent of energy poverty and the link between air pollution and health (UNEP); developing innovative technical solutions and business models that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and other forms of environmental pollution at the local level, as well as a web-based geo-platform for identification of stubble burning[1] (UNDP); and introducing air pollution monitoring and impact assessment in schools in 15 municipalities (UNICEF).  “Tackling Air pollution is a complex issue that requires multiple level action (national, local, individual) across several socio-economic sectors. It provides a great opportunity to introduce social, governance and technological innovations that will spur investments that benefit all, and result in better quality of life. The UN support takes place at the intersection of health, social, gender, climate, energy and environmental policies. In particular, we work with the authorities, the financing institutions and the communities  to develop solutions for more vulnerable and marginalised groups, for youth, with the ultimate objective to build positive changes around the Green Transformation – a major ambition of Agenda 2030," says Françoise Jacob, UN Resident Coordinator in Serbia. "Today we call upon everyone, from governments and corporations to civil society and individuals, to take action to reduce air pollution and bring about a transformative change to people’s lives,” said Bruno Pozzi, Director of UNEP’s Europe Office. “In addition to improving our health, actions to improve air quality can help in the fight against climate change, because the sources of emissions are often the same. They furthermore improve gender equality, because air pollution disproportionately affects women. Together with country partners and members of the Issue-based Coalition on Environment and Health, we look forward to making a difference to the people of Serbia.” WHY DOES IT MATTER? Approximately 1 million households in Serbia use wood or coal fired small combustion devices and ovens as the main source of heating. These devices, even when new, are inefficient and consume disproportionally large amounts of fuel. The indoor and outdoor air pollution from these stoves is a combined result of the type of fuel used, skill of the user and the efficiency of the device. The 2019 Survey on Income and Living Conditions published by the National Statistical Office has revealed that 9,9% of households in Serbia cannot keep their homes adequately warm, while more than a quarter (26%) are not capable of covering their bills for communal services on a regular basis. A recent analysis on gender aspects of energy poverty has shown that women in Serbia are at a greater risk of being exposed to energy poverty and indoor air pollution, as they have a lower income and spend twice as much time on housework as men.  Data on SDG indicator 7.1.2 collected through UNICEF’s Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey indicate that only half (52%) of all households rely on clean fuels and technology for cooking, space heating and lighting. The lowest use of clean fuels and technology is recorded in households belonging to the poorest quintile (6%), compared to those in the richest quintile (97%). NOTES TO EDITORS About air pollution and the International Day of Clean Air for blue skies Air pollution causes approximately 7 million premature deaths annually, making it the single greatest environmental risk to human health and one of the main avoidable causes of death and disease globally. A UNEP report found that one in five premature deaths in the Western Balkans was due to pollution, but air pollution knows no national borders.  The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, also recognizes that air pollution abatement is important to the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals. The International Day of Clean Air for blue skies was designated on 7 September by the United Nations General Assembly in 2019. This follows the international community’s increasing interest in clean air and emphasizes the need to make further efforts to improve air quality to protect human health. Nine out of ten people across the world are currently breathing polluted air, so the importance of the day has never been greater. The Day aims to build a global community of action that encourages countries to work together to tackle air pollution to ensure clean air for all. To this end, it gives people a platform that can enable cooperation to mitigate air pollution at the individual, national, regional, as well as international levels.   [1] As a result of a Clean Air Innovation Challenge launched in September 2020 by UNDP in cooperation with WHO and UNICEF – awarded to Biosense Institute in May 2021