Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2024, published 113rd ILC session (2025)

Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999 (No. 182) - Serbia (Ratification: 2003)

Article 6 of the Convention. Programmes of action to eliminate the worst forms of child labour.National Strategy for Preventing and Protecting Children from Violence. The Committee notes the Government’s indication that, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the first report on the implementation of the National Strategy for Preventing and Protecting Children from Violence 2020–23 No. 80 and its Action Plan has not yet been prepared. The Government also states that the National Platform for the Prevention of Violence in Schools was created, with the aim of coordinating and strengthening the cross-sectoral cooperation of 30 competent institutions in the prevention and suppression of violence against children. The National Platform contains trainings for employees, parents and students specifically related to the prevention of human trafficking and digital violence.The Committee hopes that the report on the implementation of the National Strategy for Preventing and Protecting Children from Violence 2020–23 and its Action Plan will contain information, not only the implementation measures taken, but also on the results achieved, in particularwith regard to the impact on the elimination of the worst forms of child labour. It requests the Government to provide: (i) a copyof the implementation report once available; and (ii) information on the results achieved through the National Platform for the Prevention of Violence in Schools, to prevent and eliminate child trafficking.

Article 7(2). Effective and time-bound measures. Clauses (a) and (d). Preventing the engagement of children in the worst forms of child labour and identifying and reaching out to children at special risk. Unaccompanied foreign children. The Committee notes the Government’s indication that as a result of its efforts, 95 to 98 per cent of school-age children from migrant families and unaccompanied minors were placed in reception and asylum centres and received formal education. The Government indicates that: (1) in 2022, the Centres for Social Work of the country registered 1,381 migrant children and unaccompanied minors in need of social protection. These children were placed in family accommodation, shelters for unaccompanied minors, in other types of shelters or were placed under temporary guardianship, and 80 children received a one-time financial assistance; (2) three organizational units for temporary residence for unaccompanied minors were created in Belgrade and Niš; and (3) there exist guardianship bodies within the Centres for Social Work, which have the obligation, upon receiving notification of an existing unaccompanied minor, to provide them with help and support, including by providing them with safe accommodation, health care services, food and clothing, and legal representation.

The Committee takes due note of the Government’s information, however, it notes from the concluding observations of the United Nations Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR) the concerns about the insufficient protection and support provided for unaccompanied and separated children (E/C.12/SRB/CO/3, 6 April 2022, paragraph 32). The Committee requests the Government to pursue its efforts to prevent and protect unaccompanied foreign children from the worst forms of child labour. In this regard, it requests the Government to continue to provide information on: (i) the measures taken to this end, and to share the results achieved; and (ii) the number of unaccompanied foreign children identified and the types of assistance and services provided by social service institutions.