Kopaonik Business Forum 2025

Mr. Vlahovic, Ms. Grujic, Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is not easy to speak today about the situation of children as global challenges mount. But I’m optimistic because I’m among friends, thank you Alexander to you and to the Association of the Economists of Serbia for prioritizing children and youth in the Forum’s agenda.

Today, we are witnessing a new era of crises affecting children worldwide. UNICEF’s recently published a report, “Global Outlook 2025 – Prospects for Children”. It identifies four key areas that require close attention - geopolitics, economics, climate change, and technology. Allow me to elaborate on each of them.

Geopolitics: Conflicts are increasingly threating children’s lives, rights, and well-being. Projections indicate that in 2025, 213 million children in 146 countries and territories will need humanitarian assistance. This means that sustained global actions through the multilateral system are essential to protect civilians, especially children.

Economy: Economic prospects in emerging markets are discouraging, with growth well below the 7% target set in the Sustainable Development Goals. A mix of pandemic aftershocks, climate disruptions, and resource constraints has reduced expected growth prospects in emerging markets from historical averages of 5.6% to just 4% for 2026–2029.

Children are particularly vulnerable to the disruptions caused by escalating geopolitical tensions and the resulting fragmentation of supply chains and global trade. This shift towards de-globalization is expected to deepen in 2025.

Technology: Digital public infrastructure (DPI) is the basis for the large-scale delivery of digital public services. This could benefit children and families by ensuring equitable access to essential services such as education, health care and social protection. This could drive inclusive digital transformation, effective governance, innovation, and promote trust and human rights. Looking ahead to 2025 and beyond, it holds immense potential to be child-centred and to ensure equitable opportunities for all children.

Climate Change: Children are disproportionately impacted by climate change due to their unique physiological and developmental characteristics. The effects on their development, health, education and well-being can be lifelong and irreversible. Their future depends on our commitment to sustainable national planning and financing, and business regulations, which should be child centered.

These global trends undoubtedly affect children in Serbia, but the country also faces its own challenges.

Even though Serbia has made significant progress in advancing children's rights, particularly in early childhood development, inclusive education, and mental well-being, gaps persist. This is especially true for children from low-income families, children with disabilities, those living in rural areas and in informal settlements - especially Roma children.

Some alarming statistics highlight these disparities.

Serbia’s population stands at 6.65 million, with only 17% of children. A combination of low fertility rates and high out-migration has made Serbia one of the fastest depopulating countries in the world. The outflow of skilled labour is threatening Serbia’s overall economic growth, and is particularly weakening key sectors like healthcare and social services.

Nearly one in five children (19.5%) lives at risk of poverty. 

At the same time every year, 60,000 young children need targeted support to overcome developmental difficulties.

While 92% of Roma children enroll in primary school, only 64% complete it. More than half (50-60%) of the most vulnerable children do not achieve basic literacy. An estimated 12% of each generation needs additional learning support.

Almost half of children (45%) aged 1-14 experience violent discipline at home with long lasting consequences.

Every second girl living in an informal settlement is married before 18, which increases health risks and reduce her chances of escaping poverty.

5,260 children in Serbia live without parental care (89.2% in foster families, 10.8% in institutional care). Two of three children (66.4%) in residential institutions have developmental disabilities, and one third (30%) of them are not enrolled in school.

These children are Serbian citizens, part of Serbia’s human capital. This is where we must focus our efforts—not tomorrow, not someday, but right now!

A healthy, educated, and empowered child today becomes tomorrow’s skilled worker, compassionate leader, and innovative thinker. Human capital is not built overnight. It is nurtured through every policy that protects children’s rights.

This doesn’t mean only providing services but also safeguarding all children’s rights, including their voices to be heard, their freedoms of expression and association, their right to education. These rights, enshrined in the Convention on the Rights of the Child, are interconnected and interrelated. They are the foundation of a just and prosperous society.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

In this challenging landscape and uncertain times, UNICEF has a unique opportunity to reinforce resilience, and continued progress for children. With our track record of delivering innovative and sustainable solutions with a diverse range of partners – public and private – we have successfully navigated crises before, over the last 79 years. This moment is no different. We are confident in our ability to continue delivering for children even in turbulent times, thanks to the diversity of our funding and partnerships.

Your support is more crucial than ever. By joining forces with UNICEF, you are not just donating. You are investing in immediate life-changing support for children and in building resilient systems and communities that can withstand future challenges.

Together, we are a force for good!

Hvala.