UNICEF Launches New Five-Year Cooperation Programme to Strengthen Support and Advance Children’s Rights in Serbia

Belgrade, 26 February 2026 – UNICEF in Serbia launched its new Country Programme of Cooperation for 2026 to 2030, supporting the further strengthening of national systems so that existing services reach all children and respond effectively to their specific needs, including those who require additional support to access them.

The programme builds on important progress achieved over the past five years. Early childhood intervention services for children with developmental difficulties and disabilities expanded to 80 per cent of districts across Serbia, integrating parenting support and early stimulation into primary health care. Preschool enrolment increased from 50 per cent in 2015/2016 to 63 per cent in 2024/2025, and all preschool teachers were trained under the modern national curriculum. Thirteen resource centres were established to support inclusive education. Mental health reform advanced, with six ministries agreeing on coordinated action and local support mechanisms established in 10 per cent of municipalities to help children access the support they need, backed by trained frontline professionals. Child-focused budgeting for early childhood development and parenting support was integrated into planning processes in 30 per cent of local self-governments.

“Over the past five years, together with partners we have not only delivered programmes, we have strengthened systems,” said Deyana Kostadinova, UNICEF Representative in Serbia. “In the coming period, UNICEF will progressively move away from piloting projects and fully concentrate on supporting national reforms with policy advice and ensuring that proven solutions are embedded in national laws, budgets and public systems.”

Despite progress, disparities remain. Only 10.5 per cent of children from the poorest households and just 7 per cent of Roma children attend preschool. Nearly one in five children is at risk of poverty. Sixty-six per cent of children living in residential institutions are children with disabilities. Immunisation coverage, although improving, remains below the 95 per cent target in most districts. Too many young people continue to struggle with the transition from education to employment.

“These gaps are not inevitable,” Kostadinova said. “They remind us that systems must be strong and flexible enough to reach children who face the greatest challenges, including those living in poverty or rural communities, children with disabilities, children exposed to violence, Roma children, and those at higher health and developmental risk. When services are designed to reach the most vulnerable, they work better for every child.”

By 2030, the true test will be whether public systems consistently reach the children who need them most.

Measles vaccination coverage will need to rise from 84.3 per cent to the target of 95 per cent in order to achieve herd immunity and ensure that all children are better protected from preventable diseases.

Early childhood development services need to be further expanded and strengthened. During the previous programme cycle, 66,000 children benefited from these services, and by 2030 coverage is planned to reach 80 per cent of children under six years of age, or 238,000 children nationwide.

Preschool enrolment for children aged 3 to 5.5 years will need to increase from 74 per cent to 83 per cent, with specific efforts directed towards children from vulnerable families

Within the justice system, greater use of diversion and non-custodial measures, increasing from 7.4 per cent to 15 per cent, would reflect stronger child-sensitive procedures and alternatives that prioritise rehabilitation and reintegration.

For young people, reducing the proportion who are neither in employment, education nor training, from 15.2 per cent to 9.1 per cent among those aged 15 to 29, would signal more effective pathways from education into skills development and work.

“These targets will not be achieved automatically,” Kostadinova said. “They require sustained political commitment, adequate public financing and coordinated action across sectors. Real progress for children depends on how effectively institutions deliver in practice.”

The 2026 to 2030 Country Programme was developed in close consultation with national and local partners and aligns with Serbia’s reform priorities and international child rights commitments. UNICEF will focus on strategic policy advice, strengthening governance and accountability, leveraging public and private financing and supporting institutional reforms that ensure long-term impact for children.