Belgrade, May 26, 2023 - The Belgrade Center for Human Rights, with the support of the United Nations Human Rights Team (OHCHR), today presented the report "Human Rights of Youth in the Republic of Serbia in 2022." The report presented shows that numerous challenges in 2022 had a significantly adverse impact on the realization of the human rights of youth in Serbia, particularly in terms of the right to adequate housing and the right to decent income. Internal and global social, political, and economic circumstances have led to a drastic increase in rent prices and inflation, resulting in a deterioration of the living standards of youth in Serbia. The report on the human rights of youth extensively addresses the realization of the right to health, with a focus on mental health. "Young people in Serbia have the right to live in a safe, peaceful, inclusive society that nurtures a culture of dialogue and tolerance. This year, as we celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, we will continue to address the challenges that young people face in achieving a prosperous and fulfilling life in Serbia. Young people can significantly contribute to the sustainable development of their communities and become powerful agents of change," said Francoise Jacob, the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Serbia. Minister for Human and Minority Rights and Social Dialogue, Tomislav Žigmanov, emphasized that youth are the future of any society, and therefore, it is crucial for all of us to take care and do everything in our power to create conditions for their personalities and potentials to develop freely in the fullness of a humane vision of the world. "We must think about their health, education, economic rights, as well as cultural development and respect for differences. In doing so, we must involve young people not only in the processes of policy-making and measures that directly concern them but in all issues and areas, because the goals we set today will be fulfilled by them tomorrow, and on their basis, new goals and visions will be created," Minister Žigmanov emphasized. The report's editor and coordinator of the Youth Program at the Belgrade Center for Human Rights, Nevena Trofymenko, pointed out that young people in Serbia are burdened by housing costs, spending over 40% of their household budget on rent or mortgage payments. She also highlighted that precarity in the rental sector, as well as in the labor market, represents a particular burden for young people. "A significant share of young people in all three age groups - 41.1% in the 15-19 age group, 31.6% in the 20-24 age group, and 24.0% in the 25-29 age group - receives up to 110% of the minimum wage. The unaffordability of obtaining housing is a significant problem because more than 80% of people in Serbia cannot afford to buy or rent a property on the market. This results in young people in Serbia achieving independence at a late age and staying in their parents' home for a long time. The average age for young people to achieve independence in Serbia is 31.5 years, with women at 28.4 and men at 33.7, while the EU average is 26.2 years," she explained. The report also addresses the realization of the right to health for young people, highlighting their experiences in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic, which revealed their lack of trust in the messages coming from healthcare institutions. It also emphasizes the need for discussions on mental health to be led by relevant experts, based on scientific evidence, and the necessity for decision-makers to listen and hear the needs and concerns of young people. The report on the human rights of youth also highlights particularly vulnerable and marginalized groups within the youth population, including rural youth, young Roma, and young LGBTI individuals. This is the fourth annual report on the human rights of youth, which represents the result of continuous monitoring of the realization of the human rights of youth in the Republic of Serbia by the team of the Belgrade Center for Human Rights, which began in 2019. Since then, the team of authors has been monitoring and analyzing the protection and realization of the human rights of youth in our country. The full report "Human Rights of Youth in the Republic of Serbia in 2022" with all findings is available HERE. The research and publication of the Report on the Human Rights of Youth in the Republic of Serbia in 2022 were carried out with the support of the United Nations Human Rights Team in Serbia.  

Belgrade, 25 May 2023 - Programme “PRO - Local Governance for People and Nature” started implementing activities that will result in enhancing local governance, social inclusion, and environmental protection, hence improving the quality of life for citizens in 99 towns and municipalities in Šumadija, Western, Eastern and Southern Serbia. The programme is jointly implemented by United Nations agencies in Serbia - UNOPS, UNICEF, UNFPA and UNEP, in cooperation with the Serbian Government, and is financially supported by the Government of Switzerland. At the PRO Programme launch event, the Minister of Labour, Employment, Veteran and Social Affairs Nikola Selaković emphasised that the project is geared to specifically assist social inclusion of those in need, ensuring that our society is inclusive and equally open for all. "One of the priorities of the Ministry is to develop social protection services in the local communities, empower vulnerable individuals and families, but also arrange their social inclusion in those communities. PRO Programme focuses on supporting local-governments in the social inclusion process and I am confident it will contribute to enhancing the quality of life of Serbian citizens", Minister Selaković said. With financial support from the Swiss Government in total value of 9 million Euros and co-funding from UN agencies weighing in with an additional 1 million Euros, PRO Programme will implement its activities of capacity building, technical assistance and grant provision for local self-governments and civil society organisation projects, until the end of 2026. “This innovative programme was created together with the Serbian government, local partners and four UN agencies, to address citizens’ needs at local level in three priority areas. I would like to thank all partners for their active participation in preparing this ambitious and highly relevant intervention that represents the flagship activity of the Swiss cooperation programme for Serbia", Head of Cooperation of the Embassy of Switzerland Richard Kohli said. UN Resident Coordinator in Serbia Francoise Jacob stated that the aim of this programme is to offer solutions for marginalised groups to enhance their access to services. She added that most of Agenda 2030 deals with combating the triple planetary crisis - specifically pollution, climate change, and loss of biodiversity. "This programme is a direct response to the needs of those coming from the most vulnerable and marginalised communities. With our combined efforts and unwavering support from the governments of Serbia and Switzerland, we can directly impact and improve the daily lives of the Serbian population through enhanced local governance, inclusion, and social services. The programme also deals with environmental protection, thereby enhancing the quality of life and well-being of the Serbian population", Jacob concluded. A total of 99 towns and municipalities in Šumadija, Western, Eastern and Southern Serbia will be eligible for support from the PRO Programme. According to Assistant Minister of Public Administration and Local Self-Government Mila Stanković, concrete results are planned through local self-government units’ capacity building, improvements in electronic services and open data, strengthening local civil society organisations and higher youth participation in the Green Agenda. “Administrative and municipal services, and services in the fields of education and social protection are services of highest priority in terms of their assessment from the standpoint of citizen satisfaction at local level. A survey on levels of the citizens’ satisfaction with services at the local level will be conducted as part of the PRO Programme. We are conducting this survey so we can use its results to support local self-governments to strengthen and reinforce areas that citizens identified as those in need of improvement," Stanković announced. State Secretary at the Ministry of Environmental Protection Sandra Dokić also addressed the participants at the PRO Programme launch ceremony. She highlighted how local level capacity building and inclusion of vulnerable groups are crucial to reduce air pollution and improve management of waste and waste waters. "The PRO Programme can help us include informal waste pickers in legal frameworks precisely through social enterprises that we see as showing extremely high potential for the future. The Ministry looks at informal waste pickers from two aspects - on the one hand, they actually contribute to improving environmental protection, and on the other hand it is extremely important that they have adequate protection as vulnerable groups and exercise all other rights," Dokić said. Part of the Swiss donor funding has been earmarked for implementation of activities complementary to a major solid waste management project implemented by the Ministry of Environmental Protection and financially supported by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the French Development Agency (AFD). “Supporting vulnerable groups, especially informal waste pickers, was recognized as an opportunity to achieve synergies and establish a partnership between the EBRD and AFD with the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, as well as to cooperate with UN agencies through the PRO Programme. This cooperation is of great importance to us”, Associate Director at the EBRD in Serbia Jelena Čeperković said. The event was attended by representatives of the Ministry of Family Welfare and Demography, Ministry of Tourism and Youth, National Academy of Public Administration, Republic Institute for Social Protection, Environmental Protection Agency, Commissioner for the Protection of Equality, Standing Conference of Towns and Municipalities, Embassy of Sweden, UNDP, UN Women, Helvetas, GIZ, NIRAS, as well as a number of media outlets.

Twenty refugees and asylum-seekers from all over the world volunteered to distribute water to the runners in 36th Belgrade Marathon on 23 April. All of them were all special in their own way. But one of them was more special than others. Meet Diar – he believes he may be eighteen years old, but he is not sure since his date of birth is unknown. During the Marathon, he used crutches to keep him standing in the heat while handing out water bottles. Diar [“eyesight” in Kurdish] arrived in Serbia from Iraq in early November. Not long after the arrival, he suffered major injuries when he was hit by a train, one night while talking to his mother on the phone. He shrugs his shoulders when he recants the story of his ordeal and simply says “I did not see the train coming”. Then he adds: “But I am ok now. I spent almost four months in the hospital, lost a leg, lost my spleen, broke some ribs, then suffered from appendicitis.” Finally, after many months, Diar found some peace, home, care and support in a Shelter for Children and Youth without Parental Care run by Jesuit Refugee Service on the outskirts of Belgrade. In the meantime, Diar has decided to remain in Serbia and has officially applied for asylum. His biggest challenge, apart from his disability, is his current loneliness and isolation that stems from the fact that he speaks only Kurdish. For communication and getting to know about his new environment Diar relies on a sole compatriot in Belgrade who has meanwhile received international protection and a local nickname – “Boki”. Boki visits Diar once a week and spends a couple of hours with him chatting away in Kurdish. It becomes apparent through the conversation that Diar has never attended formal schooling and is semi-literate even in his mother tongue. When asked if he would not mind a local nickname too – maybe “Vid” which is the Serbian translation of his Kurdish name, Diar seems to like the idea.   Everything we know about Diar is thanks to his interpreter Boki whose real name is Karoh Pishtewan. Karoh was 16 years old when he arrived in Serbia in 2017, also from Iraq. His application for asylum in Serbia was accepted one day short of his 18th birthday. He currently works in a cafe in Belgrade, which he credits as key in his learning the local language and successful integration in the society. He quickly advanced in his career and now speaks fluent Serbian. Diar looks forward to weekly visits by Karoh, for he can finally communicate in his mother tongue without major difficulties. Karoh often takes Diar out to play billiards and has introduced him to his friends and colleagues. Half-jokingly, Karoh says to Diar that his language skills would advance significantly if he were to meet a Serbian girl, which makes Diar blush instantly. Karoh’s intent to help his compatriot is very pronounced for he experienced similar difficulties only a few years back. Diar looks up to his friend and wishes to follow in his footsteps, in order to fulfil his goals and dreams as part of the Serbian society. Serbian might just become the first language that Diar acquires the ability to read in, for he was proud to inform that he had just started learning it with the help of a teacher from the shelter, and “she tells him that he is doing well”. His sole friend and role model Karoh/Boki insists that Diar must not give up learning Serbian, for this will “open new doors for him”, he can start school. He might even join Karoh in working in a cool social café in downtown Belgrade once he is able to communicate with the locals a bit more and use the public transport. Diar is eager to get out of the shelter more and to socialise, to work, to help, as he did in the Belgrade Marathon. His biggest hope is that the prosthetic leg which he will receive through the State health insurance scheme is coming sooner rather than later, since he will then be able to navigate the slopes and the hills of Belgrade’s old town, and hopefully play soccer again when he makes new friends. In a nutshell, Diar wants to belong.. Written by Vera Dragović-O’Donnell, Lidija Lazarević      

Within the “European Union Support for Social Housing and Active Inclusion” funded by the EU and implemented by UNOPS in Serbia, 12 families have moved into a newly built building for social housing in the Čačak. Within the grant "Leaving no one behind" awarded to the City of Čačak, fully furnished and equipped apartments were provided to families from the most vulnerable social groups. The keys to the new apartments were handed over by the envoy of the President of Serbia Suzana Paunović, the mayor of Čačak Milun Todorović, the Ambassador of the European Union in Serbia Emanuele Giaufret, the Minister for European Integration Tanja Miščević, the Minister of Labour, Employment, Veteran and Social Affairs Nikola Selaković, the Minister of Human and Minority Rights and Social Dialogue Tomislav Žigmanov and the Assistant Minister of Construction, Transport and Infrastructure Dušan Radonjić. Mayor Todorović opened the event by saying that it is a great success that after two years of hard and persistent work and great support from the EU, we are here to hand over the keys to 12 families through the "Leaving No One Behind" project. "The value of the project is EUR 1,410,000, of which EUR 1,209,000 was donated by the EU, and the City of Čačak participated with EUR 201,000. We worked together with the EU to provide furniture for apartments and houses and for beneficiaries to finally be safe and secure for a minimal monthly rent. I wish them to enjoy their homes and to know that their city and their country are here to support them. I want us to continue this kind of cooperation with the EU and to be aware at this moment how important it is that Serbia should stay on the European path,'' concluded Todorović. "Diversity is a fact, while social inclusion is a matter of choice. Today we see the result of our joint choice that we leave no one behind", said Ambassador Giaufret, and emphasized that the move of 12 families into their new apartments is a clear and tangible result of the joint effort of the EU, the City of Čačak and the Government of Serbia to support equality, solidarity, tolerance, and inclusion. "I believe that housing is only the first step in ensuring a better life. That is why this project envisages that particularly vulnerable groups acquire knowledge and skills that will enable them to have a quality life and inclusion in society." Minister for European Integration Tanja Mišćević pointed out that moving into apartments marks the beginning of a new, happier life for families. "Our engagement to build a better society does not end there, and European integration enables us to grow the infrastructure that is necessary for a better life and a better standard." Minister Selaković pointed out that it is a "great project" that includes not only a roof over one’s head but also inclusion in society. "That is why it is important to continue with inclusion, to strengthen the standard, for people to find a job, to be trained, to acquire the knowledge necessary for the labour market and to find a job".  "At most of the gatherings I have attended, best practice examples, prevention measures to address all forms of discrimination, various affirmative measures, the application of international human rights standards, as well as all applications related to the prevention of recognition and removal of all possible stereotypes, have been shown. But I can point out that this kind of gathering is one of my favourites. Because when you approach someone in this way, you really give them a chance for a new life", said Minister Žigmanov. Assistant Minister Dušan Radonjić thanked the European Union for its help and pointed out that he is proud that his Ministry is a partner in this project because there are 12 apartments in Čačak, in which women victims of domestic violence, young people without parents, people with disabilities and members of the Roma national minority will move - a proof that in EU-Serbia relations, solidarity does not remain just a political or philosophical concept, but materialises in reality.  The UNOPS Serbia Multi-Country Office Director, Michela Telatin, pointed out that sustainable housing solutions are the result of sincere cooperation and engagement of all actors. ''I’m very happy to witness today moving in of these 12 families into a newly constructed social housing building. A home is a place where we feel safe, protected from the potential outside perils, where we rest but also work hard to plan and achieve a more prosperous future. That is why today we are happy to be a part of a huge step in making better lives of our beneficiaries and to continuously support the Serbian national and local institutions and the European Union in delivering a more promising and hopeful future for those in need”, UNOPS RSMCO Director said.  One of the project beneficiaries, Žarko Džambasević thanked everyone on behalf of 12 families.   “Today, I am here with my wife and our son, so moving into our new home is one step which will ensure our better life, maybe even to have another child soon. We hope that with this support, all of us will have a better future,” Džambasević said.  The project "Leaving no one behind" is implemented as part of the "European Union Support for Social Housing and Active Inclusion" Programme, for which the EU allocated 27 million euros, and which, in addition to Čačak, is implemented in 21 other cities and municipalities.