United Nations in Serbia

The Sustainable Development Goals are a global call to action to end poverty, protect the earth’s environment and climate, and ensure that people everywhere can enjoy peace and prosperity. These are the goals the UN is working on in Serbia:

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13 March 2023

How Women Can Benefit from Digital Skills: A Story from Valjevo

The club has been welcoming guests for 25 years, the last two under the guiding hand of Nataša Mojsilović. The vivacious and easygoing housewife took over the management from her husband when their children grew up and moved on with their lives, she explained. In addition to the riding school for beginners and recreational riding at the city’s green periphery, Nataša has upgraded the club by adding new facilities – a restaurant and a holiday apartment. “I took over the business to professionalize it and introduce some innovations. My husband was highly supportive and said – I leave everything up to you! Now we host weddings, birthday celebrations, team building events, exhibitions”, says Nataša. Nataša soon realized that the hospitality business was making more profit than the riding school, and even covered the costs of horse care for the entire season. Since her ambition was to keep developing this business, she also took a data analysis course. “I had heard about statistical data analysis before, but it never crossed my mind how I could benefit from it”, she said. When she started looking at her business from a new perspective, Nataša became curious about whether the club restaurant should have ready-made meals every day. “It has turned out to be far more cost-effective and reasonable to prepare food on a needs basis, when our guests call to make reservations, at least until our business grows in size. The weather has a major impact on the number of visitors – when the weather is bad there are fewer of them.” After completing the training, Nataša started to use a computer more often, mainly to find useful information on the Internet about the business she was running, e.g. how to make the guests feel welcome, or how best to serve food. So she decided to also create presentations about her club on social networks and to advertise her holiday apartment online. “Previously, we didn’t advertise at all. We relied solely on the word of mouth. However, the younger generations rely on the Internet and social networks. Now that our base of followers on the social networks has grown stronger, we have more guests from Belgrade and Novi Sad, as well.” In light of this, her plans for the near future include the adaptation of another house so that she can offer accommodation to even more guests. Nataša Mojsilović was one of the participants of the ten-week training course on “Data Based Decision Making”, held by Tatjana Kecojević, PhD, a data scientist and a woman whose mission is to empower other women by helping them become digitally literate. “Data are all around us and we use and analyze them on a daily basis. When we are reading product recommendations and comments, we are actually conducting data analysis”, explains Tatjana. “Using interactive lectures and practical exercises, my goal was to show the trainees how to employ data analysis to better understand their businesses and make decisions that will help them survive in the market. For instance, which products to offer, how to advertise their product or service, or what is missing on the market and would be wise to provide. You don’t need to be an Internet expert for this – curiosity and willingness to learn is all it takes for a successful data analysis.” The trainees learned what data are, how to collect, organize and present them to others using charts or in a website format, by employing Excel as the primary tool. These exact topics perfectly matched the area of interest of Bojana Simić. She joined the training with some prior knowledge in this field, as a person who believes in life-long learning and personal development. “The knowledge we received in this course covered some serious analytics, at the level of a university exam. However, Tatjana made sure that we comprehended each step before moving on to the next one. We used practical examples to exercise the knowledge we acquired.” According to Bojana, the most obvious effect of the course was the change in her way of thinking. “It was very useful being able to understand how to distinguish significant things from insignificant ones and how to go about solving a problem. I have learned how to determine which data I need and how to collect them in order to reach the desired outcome.” This specific new skill made Bojana feel more self-confident when she applied for her current job as a regional sales manager for Western Serbia, in a multinational company operating in more than 40 countries. “Saying you are good at Excel is one thing, but a completed course in business data analysis is on a whole different level. I don’t know many people who have managed to change their careers fundamentally at this age. Now I am able to do my daily work more quickly, more easily and more efficiently. I have realized that now I can complete tasks that used to take a lot of my time in just a few clicks", says Bojana Simić. Studies on the status of women in the Serbian labour market indicate that women’s chances of getting a job decrease after the age of 45, as opposed to men, whose “mature” age is characterized by higher employment rates. Moreover, research shows that women aged 45 or older are the least active and least employed group, compared to younger women and men. Nataša and Bojana’s experiences show that women in Serbia can have a different fate. Their examples are proof that newly acquired digital skills can help women become more confident at their work and develop their businesses or careers with greater success. The “Data Based Decision Making” training course was held between November 2021 and February 2022, as part of the “Staze Srbije” (Serbia Trails) project implemented by the United Nations Development Programme. The project’s aim was to enhance Serbia’s tourist offer and special focus was placed on women entrepreneurs, who were given the opportunity to learn various skills, including data analysis.

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24 February 2023

Syria-Türkiye earthquakes: Food, shelter and medicines among latest aid deliveries

Aid continues to roll into northwest Syria, with 53 trucks crossing from southern Türkiye on Thursday, the UN reported in its latest update on response to the devastating earthquakes that struck the two countries on 6 February. The trucks carried items from the World Food Programme (WFPOpens in new window), the International Organization for Migration (IOMOpens in new window) and the UN refugee agency, UNHCROpens in new window, including food commodities, shelter, hygiene, and other supplies. Most of the trucks, 47, went through the Bab al-Hawa crossing and the remainder entered through Bab al-Salam, UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric toldOpens in new window journalists in New York. In total, 335 trucks or lorries have made the journey from Türkiye into northwest Syria since 9 February, he added. Medical supplies delivered Also on Thursday, the World Health Organization (WHOOpens in new window) shipped another 34.5 metric tonnes of surgical supplies and essential medicines through the two border crossings. WHO said a third charter flight landed in the Syrian capital, Damascus, on Monday carrying 33 tonnes of medical supplies and equipment to treat injuries, in addition to medicine for chronic diseases, cholera treatments and patient monitors. Another charter flight is expected to arrive on Friday with medical supplies from its hub in Dubai, which will be delivered into northwest Syria from Türkiye. A nearly $400 million humanitarian appeal for Syria is currently around 27 per cent funded. Visiting affected people Meanwhile, in Türkiye, UN Resident Coordinator Alvaro Rodriguez travelled to areas affected by the earthquake, meeting with authorities and first responders. Mr. Rodriguez visited a tent city in Kahramanmaras, where 5,000 people have been taking refuge. “He said he was struck by the scale of the devastation, but praised the response by the Government, the international community, and Turkish citizens,” said Mr. Dujarric. The top aid official was also in Turkoglu, where he spoke with Syrian families displaced by the earthquake. UN disaster assessment teams remain active in southern Türkiye to support the coordination of urban search-and-rescue operations and assist in the needs assessments. A liaison team in Ankara is also working with Turkish authorities, who are leading the response, said Mr. Dujarric. The UN launched a $1 million flash appeal to assist more than five million people in Türkiye for three months. As of Thursday, it was less than five per cent funded. Source: Syria-Türkiye earthquakes: Food, shelter and medicines among latest aid deliveries

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08 February 2023

New Serbian play portrays the lives of young women in a patriarchal society

Through a co-creative process, 10 young women from across Serbia – of different ages, interests and backgrounds – delved into their memories to depict what it’s like to grow up as a girl in Serbia through “Girls”, a production of the socially engaged theatre Reflektor that was coordinated by youth organization E8, with the support of UN Women, under a European-Union funded project. As light engulfs the stage, 10 young women emerge with towel-wrapped hair, donning fuzzy heart-decked bathrobes and colorful knee-high socks, prepared to use theatre to share their experiences and observations about growing up in a patriarchal society. Humorous but heart-breaking; deeply intimate but also political – the play uncovers the various barriers, traditions and gender roles girls face in Serbia, as its 10 protagonists explore the thin line between the personal and the political. “Girls” was created through a months-long, artistic, educational and research process as a result of which these co-authors and performers tell their personal stories, in their own name. “This play was created using a method that we at Reflektor Theatre call ‘theatre as youth work’. We worked with young girls that were not professional actors. We went through an educational process related to the topics of gender equality and violence prevention. At the same time, we rehearsed and wrote the text jointly, which resulted in a dramaturgical shaping of their personal stories, experiences and observations,” explains the director and dramaturge of the play, Milena Bogavac. All the stories are authentic, true and special. They show us what it’s like being a girl of a different nationality; what is expected of a middle-born child; what happens when your father is at war; what it’s like when your mother is a feminist; as well as menstrual poverty and many other situations that provide unusual insight and tap into deeply personal childhood memories. They are ‘her’-stories to which many girls can relate, in Serbian society and worldwide. “The girls, it turned out, connected with each other through conversation... and a large part of our joint work involved long, moderated conversations about our upbringing, ambitions, fears, hopes, views on violence, feminism and the like,” explains Bogavac. “After we chose the co-authors, at a multi-day audition that included training aimed at empowering girls and young women, we met and talked for two months. We shared stories, experiences and tried to act them out through various improvisation exercises. From these games, our play was born.” One of the protagonists, 21-year-old Milena Perić, says this process enabled her to go back to childhood, revisit and uncover experiences buried beneath piles of memories. “I got to know myself better. I questioned my upbringing and came to conclusions that helped me to be a better version of myself today,” she explains. “I also got to know other girls, not just as they are now, but I got a glimpse of how they grew up, which made me feel like we grew up together – like we've known each other our whole lives.” Her colleague, 20-year-old Lena Vujović emphasizes self-recognition as the main result of this experience: “It was not only about penetrating into your depths and something that used to torment you, but it was about sharing with others without fear of judgment. I think we lack such safe places. It was not easy to discover new things about ourselves and others every day for two months. That was the biggest challenge but also the most significant experience we got from this play. When you bare yourself in front of someone you don’t know in such a short time, it’s quite a challenge but it’s also magical and rewarding. I would like to tell all girls and boys not to look at all the obstacles that come their way as a reason to give up, but as a signpost for future steps.” The production of “Girls” is a central activity in the “Supergirls” project that began in February 2022 and lasted for 12 months, which aimed to deconstruct gender stereotypes and constructs that girls and young women face while growing up, to empower young women through education and cultural production, as well as to inform the general public about the challenges women and girls face in a patriarchal society. “Girls watch it because it sends them a message that they are not alone. But boys also watch it to better understand girls. In just two months, we performed ‘Girls’ 10 times, in front of full halls, and that is really encouraging,” says Bogavac. The main idea of the play is to empower girls and young women to be allies and support each other, but also to send them the message that girls can do anything, that all girls in the world are worthy, brave, smart and all deserve to grow up in a safe and secure environment. The play continues to convey the message that “feminism is not an ugly word” and is not a “fight against men”, but a fight against violence and for equal rights for men and women.

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26 January 2023

Vulnerable Households in Serbia Face Unique Challenges due to Ukrainian Crisis

New research has revealed that vulnerable and marginalized population groups in the Republic of Serbia are facing distinct challenges resulting from both the COVID-19 pandemic and the Ukrainian crisis. Poverty projections for the most vulnerable population categories in Serbia - families with children and older persons – were presented today by UNFPA, UNICEF, UNHCR and the UN Resident Coordinator’s Office as part of the Joint United Nation’s Programme “Extending Social Protection to Families in Serbia with Enhanced Shock-Responsiveness” which is mainly funded by the UN Joint SDG Fund. Bearing the brunt of the crises are families with young children, particularly those with more than four household members, older persons living alone or in older households, refugees, asylum seekers, persons at risk of statelessness and internally displaced persons, those living in rural or remote areas, or with a minimum income. “This joint project, implemented in close cooperation with the Serbian Government, is a call to strengthen social protection services and systems, especially at a time when we are facing rising costs. It is essential that social protection systems are correctly targeted, so that those who are more vulnerable can receive the necessary support to have a safe and productive life. Our shared goal is to reduce inequalities,” said Francoise Jacob, UN Resident Coordinator in Serbia. Research shows that poverty does not affect all households in the same way. In fact, households with children are among the most vulnerable in Serbia. “Child poverty figures for 2022 are expected to show an increase from 10.6% to 13.8%, representing an additional 27,987 children living below the absolute poverty line. The most vulnerable are children living in large families, those in rural households and in Roma settlements. To effectively protect children from poverty, comprehensive social policy measures and budgets are needed. The response should move away from blanket coverage to a poverty-targeted and child-focused approach. Both an increase in coverage and the adequacy of financial assistance programmes, including child allowance, are needed in order to meet the current and future needs of children,” said Deyana Kostadinova, UNICEF Representative in Serbia. A separate research, covering poverty projections for the older persons, shows that particularly those living in rural and remote areas are stretched in meeting their needs for food, hygiene, or medicines. “Our latest results indicate that the rate of absolute poverty in 2022 has increased to 12.3% for the entire population, and a similar trend was recorded for the population over 65 and equals 10.3%, which is an increase compared to the data from 2020 when it was 6.8%. As part of the project, UNFPA distributed one-time financial assistance to around 70, mostly single-member elderly households, and from discussions with the beneficiaries, we received comments that this type of assistance should be organized more often,” said Borka Jeremic, Head of the UNFPA Office in Serbia. Social protection is a key policy tool for building resilience, combating poverty and improving economic and social outcomes among migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers. It can protect people from life-cycle contingencies and external shocks that might otherwise cause them to fall into poverty. “With the efforts to improve the situation of all the vulnerable groups in the Serbian society, we must jointly ensure that the forcibly displaced, internally displaced and stateless persons not be left behind. The improved access of these groups to personal documents, healthcare, social protection and assistance is of paramount importance. The UN Refugee Agency, along with the other UN agencies, stands ready to support the Government in these efforts,” said Edlira Baka Peco, UNHCR Community-based Protection Officer. Through this UN Joint Programme, support has been provided to the Government of Serbia to strengthen the national social protection and shock-responsive policy framework and increase adequate budget resources for the protection of the most vulnerable population groups. “Poverty has lifelong consequences, which are often passed from generation to generation; however, it is neither inevitable nor immune to concerted efforts. Through consistent attention and coordinated action, it can be reduced and even eradicated. The United Nations agencies involved in the implementation of the project stand ready to further support the Government of the Republic of Serbia to empower vulnerable populations living in poverty,” said Dr Slavica Djukic Dejanovic, Special Advisor for the Implementation of the Agenda 2030, the Government of the Republic of Serbia. About the project: UN Joint Programme Extending Social Protection to families in Serbia with enhanced shock-responsiveness focuses on strengthening shock-responsive social protection system to mitigate the socio-economic impacts of the consecutive crisis that hit the country. Its aim is to (i) strengthen the data response on the impact of the crisis on the most vulnerable groups to feed into the introduction of legislative changes for adaptive social protection system (ii) apply the shock-responsive social protection principles to provide support for the 170 most vulnerable families The project is implemented jointly by UNICEF (lead agency) and UNFPA, with the participation of UNHCR and in close partnership with the Special Advisor to the Prime Minister on Agenda 2030, Ministry of Labour, Employment, Veteran and Social Affairs, other line-Ministries, Local Self Governments, Statistical Office, Red Cross and World Bank. The total project value is $289.200, funded mainly by the UN Joint SDG Fund. Call to action available at the following link.

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Press Release

06 March 2023

The Secretary-General - OpEd for International Women's Day - 8 March 2023

Today’s cascading crises, from the war in Ukraine to the climate emergency, affect women and girls first and worst. And as part of the global pushback against democracy, women’s rights over their bodies and autonomy over their lives are being questioned and denied. Two statistics make our failure very clear: Every ten minutes, one woman or girl is murdered by a family member or intimate partner. And one woman dies every two minutes during pregnancy or childbirth. Most of those deaths are entirely preventable. On International Women’s Day, we must commit to doing better. We need to reverse these horrific trends and stand up for the lives and rights of women and girls, everywhere. This is one of my core priorities and a central plank of the work of the United Nations around the world. From South Sudan to Myanmar, we are supporting women and girls in crisis and making sure their voices are heard in peace processes. The Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed, recently visited Afghanistan with a message for the authorities: women and girls have fundamental human rights, and we will never give up fighting for them. This year, International Women’s Day focuses on closing gender gaps in science, technology, and innovation. Globally, men are 21 percent more likely to be online than women — and over 50 percent more likely in low-income countries. But even the richest countries lose out because of gender-based stereotypes and historic bias. In the tech industry, men outnumber women two to one. In Artificial Intelligence, it’s five to one. Big data is the new gold, and the foundation of today’s political and business decisions. But it often ignores gender differences – or turns a blind eye to women altogether. We should all be alarmed by products and services that bake in gender inequality right from the start, and digitize patriarchy and misogyny. The Silicon Valleys of this world must not become Death Valleys for women’s rights. Medical decisions based on data from men’s bodies can not only harm women; it can be deadly. Discrimination against women in science and technology is the result of centuries of patriarchy, discrimination and damaging stereotypes. Women account for just three percent of Nobel Prize winners in scientific categories since 1901. And women online – including scientists and journalists – are often targeted for sexist hate speech and abuse designed to silence and shame them. But they will not be silenced. Women and girls everywhere are demanding their rights, and their words reverberate around the world. We need action on several fronts to make sure women and girls can make their full contribution to the world’s knowledge through science and technology. We must break down barriers — from discriminatory data to stereotypes that push girls away from studying scientific subjects at an early age. Decisionmakers of all kinds must broaden women’s participation and leadership in science and technology, through quotas if necessary. They should be creative, widening the recruitment pipeline and hiring for skills. And they must be persistent. Gender equality will not happen by itself; it has to be prioritized and pursued. This approach is getting results at the United Nations, where we have our own strategy for gender parity among our personnel. We also need action to create a safe digital environment for women and to hold accountable both the perpetrators of online abuse, and the digital platforms that enable them. The United Nations is working with governments, civil society, the private sector and others on a Code of Conduct aimed at reducing harm and increasing accountability on digital platforms, while defending freedom of expression. Women’s rights are not a luxury that can wait until we solve the climate crisis, end poverty and create a better world. Investing in women and girls is the surest way to uplift all people, communities and countries, and to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Together, let’s work for a more inclusive, just, and prosperous world for women and girls, men and boys, everywhere.

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Press Release

14 March 2023

From the narrative of threats to the narrative of opportunities - Op-Ed by Francoise Jacob, UN Resident Coordinator in Serbia

In 2022, Serbia showed a high degree of resilience to multiple stresses. While inflationary trends increased, the country remained self-sufficient with local food production. Rising energy costs were mitigated by the local coal production (still a whopping 70% of the energy mix), as well as supportive measures by the government. These impacted favorably households’ and businesses’ bills for power, heating, production, and transport. Legislative changes and innovations continued, although at a slower pace than in 2021. Ahead of COP27, Serbia endorsed its updated National Determined Contribution, laying the ground for more dedicated actions to fight climate change. With the development and publication of the Leave-No-One-Behind tool1 that will be mainstreamed through all legislation, Serbia made a strong commitment to one of the key principles of Agenda 2030, as an attempt to fight inequalities more systematically. The most vulnerable and invisible segments of the population are still facing hardship in many areas of life, be it housing conditions, access to decent work or specialized social protection services. GDP grew at 2.3%2, and the fiscal situation of the country remains stable overall. Foreign investments increased, in both traditional industries (agrobusiness) and high technological ones (biotech in particular)3. The construction sector expanded with both large public infrastructure projects and real estate development in main cities. At the regional level, initiatives to facilitate mobility, trade and investment have moved forward but have been shadowed by divisive narratives across the region. The protracted election proceedings, which started late January 2022 with candidates’ campaigns and ended by October with the appointment of a new cabinet, was an impediment to the reform process in several sectors. Coupled with the energy crisis, this slowed down legislative and implementation actions towards several sensitive or complex files, including on the green transformation and other environmental related challenges such as air pollution. At the same time, citizens’ main concerns shifted away from environmental and public health matters, focusing mostly on rising costs of living generated by global trends as well as by the influx of foreigners in Belgrade and Novi Sad primarily. Serbia consistently condemned Russia actions at the UN general assembly and in the UN human rights council but stayed short of full alignment with the EU foreign policy, most specifically as regards to the economic sanctions. This political position was shaped by dissenting and polarised opinions in country about the war in Ukraine, pragmatic security and energy concerns, a tradition of non-alignment, and the absence of a tangible timeframe for EU accession. Tensions between Belgrade and Pristina rose throughout the second half of the year, culminating in late December, and posing new challenges to the EU-facilitated dialogue. Confrontations on the ground, withdrawals of Serbs from public institutions, and other symptoms of instability diverted some political energy and attention action away from other priorities, including sustainable development. Looking forward, Serbia remains at the center of diplomatic efforts to secure improved regional stability and cooperation. Mixed migration movements increased in 2022. The number of estimated migrants and refugees who entered Serbia doubled from 2021, reaching over 110,000 (not including Russians and Ukrainians) – most of them transiting towards the European Union. Hosting conditions are adequate in country and opportunities exist for resettlement; slow asylum procedures, and high-risk crossing paths continue to pose a threat for individuals and families, with a persistent risk of illegal trafficking of the most vulnerable ones. Serbia has significantly augmented and aligned its legislation related to human rights, discrimination, gender equality and gender-based violence with EU and UN standards; yet incidents challenging fundamental rights and freedoms and inciting hate have taken pace throughout the year with EU and UN standards little condemnation. In this complex environment, the United Nations in Serbia accelerated its own pace of action on the three strategic priorities agreed with the government of Serbia: the green transformation, building on the human capital, and strengthening the Rule of Law and Human rights agenda. Together with our national counterparts, we will continue to advance the full realisation of Agenda 2030 with a people-centered approach to development, and to promote values of solidarity, unity, and equity. More than ever, a renewed commitment to multilateralism is essential to tackle global and regional threats, restore peace, adjust and guide the course of our common destiny, with hope and perseverance.

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Press Release

08 February 2023

Cervical Cancer. Cancer that can be prevented.

According to data from the Cancer Registry of the Institute for Public Health of Serbia "Dr. Milan Jovanović Batut," in 2020, 1,087 newly diagnosed women were registered in Serbia, and 453 women died of this malignant disease. Based on the latest estimates of the European Information System for the year 2020, Serbia ranks fifth in Europe after Montenegro, Romania, Estonia, and Lithuania, with an incidence rate of 26.3 per 100,000 women. Cervical cancer death rates are also high at 9.1 per 100,000 women. Traditionally, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), in cooperation with the Institute for Public Health of Serbia, the Ministry of Health, and the Committee for International Cooperation of Medical Students - Serbia, organized educational and health-promotion activities in four dormitories in Belgrade that lasted throughout the week. These activities aimed to raise awareness of the importance of regular preventive examinations and the understanding that primary and secondary prevention measures can almost entirely prevent this disease: timely immunization against the Human Papillomavirus and regular controls and preventive examinations. The beginning of European Cervical Cancer Prevention Week kicked off with a press conference on Monday, January 23, while public actions in student dormitories continued until Friday, January 27. Dr. Verica Jovanovic, director of the Institute for Public Health of Serbia "Dr. Milan Jovanović Batut," prof. Dr. Ferenc Vicko, State Secretary in the Ministry of Health, Prof. Sanja Radojevic Skodric, director of the Republic Fund for Health Insurance, Prof. Dr. Ana Banko from the Institute of Microbiology and Immunology of the Faculty of Medicine in Belgrade, Dr. Jelena Mitrovic in front of HC Simo Milošević and Ms. Borka Jeremić, head of the UNFPA office in Serbia spoke at the press conference. This year's celebration of the European Cervical Cancer Prevention Week is particularly significant because, since the middle of last year, the vaccine against HPV infection has been available for all girls and boys aged 9-19 from health insurance funds. The Population Fund of the United Nations in Serbia will continue to work on the dialogue between different actors in order to understand the message that with HPV vaccination, regular preventive examinations, and the promotion of health literacy and life skills, this disease can be prevented.

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Press Release

08 February 2023

The best innovations in the field of circular economy in Serbia rewarded

On this occasion, the Minister of Environmental Protection, Irena Vujović, said: “The linear economic model based on the principle “take-make-use-dispose” is unsustainable, as the natural resources are limited, thus making the transition to circular economy a necessity,” and added: “The Government of Serbia has adopted the Circular Economy Development Programme for 2022-2024, which recognizes circular economy as a tool for Serbia’s green transition.” “The high turnout to the public calls for innovations in this field shows that a wide circle of actors in Serbia recognises the importance of saving natural resources and energy, reusing and recycling materials and products and decreasing the amount of waste. The solutions that we awarded today will have a positive impact on the environment, while also bringing economic profit through new jobs and higher competitiveness of Serbian companies, for the benefit of all citizens in Serbia”, said Yakup Beris, UNDP Serbia Resident Representative. Nine innovations received financial support totalling at 746,000 USD to be implemented during the next year. They include ideas for saving electrical energy by using new technologies, producing energy from bio-waste, using organic waste for producing compost, fertilisers and new materials, using hazardous waste for the production of a high-quality fertiliser, as well recycling of textile, paper, cardboard and cigarette packs in making new products. The funds recipients are: Nektar d.o.o, DETO d.o.o. Pančevo, Elixir Zorka - mineralna đubriva d.o.o. Šabac, Bitgear Wireless Design Services d.o.o, Mivaka d.o.o Belgrade, Association for Persons with Developmental Problems “Naša kuća”, Public Utility Company (PUC) Osečina, PUC Novi Pazar and PUC Novi Sad. The twelve best innovations that involve cooperation between science and business in the field of circular economy received the “circular vouchers” worth 10,000 USD each, as an incentive for further development, leading to practical implementation. These innovations envisage the use of bio-waste in energy production, composting and manufacturing of new products (cosmetics, paint, varnish, ecological adhesives), as well as wastewater treatment in wood processing industry to make innovative bio-products. Some of the solutions propose using new technologies (artificial intelligence, software and applications) to decrease the emission of pollutants from thermal power plants, optimisation of electricity consumption, as well as transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources. The voucher winning ideas also include production of biodegradable bags from natural materials and breeding of insects whose larvae can decompose plastic. All these innovations were proposed by renowned scientific and research institutions in Serbia. You can find more about the awarded solutions here. At the event, 10 large companies working in Serbia presented their plans for saving energy and resources with the purpose of sustainable operation in 2023. These plans were made in response to the initiative “Accept Circular Challenge” by the Ministry of Environmental Protection, UNDP and Chamber of Commerce of Serbia. These companies include: Elixir Zorka, Nektar Grupa, Belgrade Airport, Coca-Cola HBC, Ball Packaging, DunavNet, MG Mivela, Bex Espress, Yettel and Eko Bio Invest. Small producers of “circular products”, who make soaps, candles, tote bags, vanity cases and pencils, were also presented. The event was organised within the project "Reducing the carbon footprint of local communities by applying the principles of the circular economy in the Republic of Serbia - Circular Communities", implemented by the Ministry of Environmental Protection and UNDP, with the financial support of the GEF.

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Press Release

02 February 2023

The Sixth National Conference on Early Development and Parenting

Belgrade, 13 December, 2022 - Investing in family support during early childhood is necessary for a fair, accessible and high-quality support system that enables the optimal development and inclusion of each child, and we have a road ahead of us to create the conditions for quality services for the early development of children provided by visiting nurses, pediatricians and development counseling centers, in cooperation with preschool and social institutions in the community, to reach every parent in Serbia. That is the conclusion of the sixth National Conference on early development and parenting entitled "We are rooting for parents" , organized by UNICEF Serbia through a cooperation program with the Government of the Republic of Serbia. In the previous period, the Government of the Republic of Serbia and UNICEF introduced and tested innovative parenting support practices in the first, and most important years of a child's life, through the models of Playful parenting for all families and Family-Oriented Early Intervention (PORI) for families of children with developmental disabilities. "By joining forces, we achieved significant progress in improving the quality of services for the youngest children and their families. Through cooperation with relevant ministries, we supported 50 percent of districts in Serbia to provide innovative, intersectoral and family-oriented early intervention services for children with disabilities and developmental disabilities. Moreover, in one fifth of the municipalities in Serbia, we have strengthened primary health care services, as well as preschools, and social services, so that every new mother and father is reached with play and learning support. This shows that Serbia is as an example of good practice regionally and globally! However, the time has come to move away from piloting new services in selected localities toward improved standards of all services that can reach young children and their parents in every town and village across Serbia. This requires significant commitments to embed good practices into systems – from amendments in legislation to equitable allocation of financial resources and investing in professionals," said Deyana Kostadinova, UNICEF Representative in Serbia. Through UNICEF's regional program "Mitigating the impact of COVID-19 on children and families in the Western Balkans and Turkey", the European Union has invested 660,000 US dollars to mitigate the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic on the lives of children and families in Serbia. "The pandemic tested all of our children and their parents, as learning and playing opportunities were confined to the home. However, to vulnerable children and families, the challenge of the pandemic was far bigger, where accessing support systems became more difficult. The EU joined forces with UNICEF in order to assure the continual provision of core services to vulnerable children and their families in the recovery response to COVID-19, including public health, education, early childhood development, and child protection systems. The EU has contributed €6 million to inprove the resilience of institutions which support children and caregivers in the region and supports children widely through many edcuation programmes.," said Emanuele Giaufret , Ambassador and Head of the Delegation of the European Union to the Republic of Serbia. Research shows that in Serbia 17 percent of children under the age of five are exposed to risks to their optimal development, and that they have difficulties or disabilities in development, and therefore need additional support. That is why, in the previous year, the Family-Oriented Early Intervention (PORI) model was expanded from five test locations to 13 new ones, 40 new institutions were included in the program and more than 500 professionals were trained, 120 of whom worked directly with families. Since January of this year, more than 2,400 children have been included, 200 of them with intensive support. "The Ministry of Family Care and Demography, in partnership with UNICEF, is committed to strengthening support for parents in the period of early childhood, through improving the availability and quality of services for parents," said Minister Kisić. As she added, organized and systemic parenting support contributes to good mental health and well-being of both children and their parents, prevention of violence and neglect in childhood, optimal realization of each child's potential and reduction of risky behaviors throughout life. According to her, the Ministry will, in the coming period, emphasize policies and measures that contribute to and promote gender equality in parenting and empowering fathers, and through the organization of parenting schools for dads. In partnership with the Government of the Republic of Serbia, UNICEF continues to strengthen the capacities of health care, education and social care systems to support the early development of children and provide quality services to parents that help them in this important role. The "Playful Parenting" program has been operating in 34 cities and municipalities since 2022 and brings together over 100 institutions and 1,000 practitioners in the field of children's health and early development. The innovative polyvalent patronage services have so far reached more than 20,000 parents, of which 30 percent are fathers. Also, training packages were developed and accredited, which trained more than 400 visiting nurses. The State Secretary of the Ministry of Health, Assistant Professor Aleksandar Stefoski , PhD, pointed out that the Ministry of Health and UNICEF cooperate on several projects, including the strengthening of pediatric and outpatient services. "The first three years are the most important in the development of every child, so support for parents during this period is extremely important. Primary health care will be in focus in the coming period. Thus, development counseling centers will be available to every child and every parent. It is a good way to notice a delay in children's development in time," said Stefoski . In addition to the parents' decision that the child with developmental difficulties live a dignified and quality life, it is very important for the families of these children to receive adequate support from the environment and the system as soon as possible. "The words that came from a doctor showed me all that my child can do. She told me that I should let him live like anyone else - with human feelings and a brain, regardless of the developmental problem. The word 'developmental' means that there is a possibility for progress. With those words, the doctor spread her wings for us to develop together as a family. That's why support is crucial - it provides a good starting position for further early development, early interventions, but also an easier life path for the whole family," said Nikolina Radosavljević, mother of a child with developmental disabilities. In order to overcome the challenges brought by the COVID-19 pandemic, the improvement of services was also aimed at the introduction of an innovative way of working - video counseling for families. In order to provide early interventions, basic digital equipment was provided for all institutions in the new 13 municipalities, and mobile phones and the Internet were provided for patrol services in 37 health centers. Materials were also created for professionals and parents about video counseling that helped them stay connected even during the intense period of the pandemic and isolation. A significant contribution to the development of improved systemic parenting support services was provided by the European Union through the UNICEF regional program "Mitigating the impact of COVID-19 on children and families in the Western Balkans and Turkey", the LEGO Foundation through the project "Encouraging parenting through play", and the economic sector in Serbia. The conclusions and recommendations of the Sixth National Conference on Early Development and Parenting will be included in the Cooperation Plan of UNICEF and the Ministry of Health and other ministries that care for children and families for the period from 2023 to 2025.

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