Investments in children key to Montenegro’s future growth and EU reforms

PODGORICA, Montenegro, 14 May 2026 – As Montenegro advances towards European Union membership, stronger investments in children will be critical to reducing poverty, better protecting vulnerable girls and boys from violence and preparing young people for the future labor market, Prime Minister Milojko Spajić and UNICEF Regional Director for Europe and Central Asia Regina De Dominicis said after a meeting in Podgorica.

Spajić and De Dominicis discussed the importance of funding Montenegro’s Action Plan for the European Child Guarantee, a European Union initiative aimed at reducing child poverty and at improving access to quality services for children who need it most. They also discussed strengthening coordination of reforms in education, health, child and social protection.

“Investments in children today will directly influence the country’s future economic growth, social stability and human capital,” Prime Minister Milojko Spajić said. “The European Child Guarantee is an opportunity to accelerate child poverty reduction, strengthen support for the most vulnerable girls and boys, and place children at the centre of Montenegro’s long-term social and economic development.”

De Dominicis welcomed Montenegro’s progress in reducing child poverty, including through the universal child allowance, noting that across OECD countries, the childhood disadvantage can lead to annual GDP losses of up to 3.4 per cent.

“As Montenegro advances towards EU membership, UNICEF remains committed to work closely with the Government and the EU to operationalize the European Child Guarantee, a powerful tool to ensure that every child at risk of poverty or social exclusion has access to services which are key to their wellbeing and development,” said Regina De Dominicis, UNICEF Regional Director for Europe and Central Asia.

They also discussed protecting children from violence, at home, in schools and online; strengthening mental health support; and helping young people build digital and entrepreneurial skills needed in a changing economy.

Spajić and De Dominicis stressed the importance of continued cooperation between institutions, international financial institutions and the private sector to help ensure that reforms linked to Montenegro’s EU path lead to tangible improvements in children’s lives.