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UNICEF Diplomacy&Commerce
2017
for every child,
hope
© UNICEF Serbia/Shubuckl © UNICEF/UN03025/Gilbertson VII Photo © UNICEF
EMERGENCIES
2
UNICEF IN SERBIA 1947-2017
© UNICEF Serbia/Shubuckl © UNICEF Serbia/Vas
© UNICEF Serbia/Shubuckl © UNICEF Serbia/Pirozzi © UNICEF/UNI114992/Holt
EDUCATION
CHILD PROTECTION
HEALTH AND NUTRITION
3
© UNICEF Serbia/Shubuckl © UNICEF Serbia/Shubuckl © UNICEF Serbia/Vas
CONTENT
Diplomacy&Commerce
2017
06
UNICEF, FOR EVERY CHILD
14
STRENGTHENING THE
18
PROJECTS AND
22
CONTRIBUTING TO THE
Michel Saint-Lot CHILD PROTECTION DONATIONS FOR CULTURE OF GIVING IN
UNICEF Representative in SYSTEM HAPPIER CHILDHOOD SERBIA
Serbia H.E. Sem Fabrizi Ilija Šetka Ingeborg Øfsthus
Ambassador and Head of CEO, Imlek CEO, Telenor Serbia
Delegation of the European
10 Union to the Republic of Serbia
24
INCLUSIVE SOCIETY WITH
EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES
15 19
SUPPORTING AND TOGETHER WE CAN MAKE
FOR EVERYONE CHANGES FOR EVERY
SUCCESSFULCOOPERATION EDUCATING CHILDREN
Ivica Dačić CHILD!
Minister of Foreign Affairs of the IN ADDRESSING KEY Predrag Ćulibrk
POLICY CHALLENGES CEO, Telekom Serbia AD Aleksandar Djordjević
Republic of Serbia UNICEF National Ambassador
Masayoshi Yamato
for Serbia
11
First Secretary of the Embassy of
Japan to the Republic of Serbia
20 25
16
CHILDREN AND YOUNG IMPROVING THE LIFE-
PEOPLE ARE THE MOST CHANCES FOR CHILDREN
IMPORTANT RESOURCE GIVING HOPE TO EVERY
EVERYWHERE
Vladimir Ćurgus CHILDREN'S RIGHTS AS CHILD
THE HIGHEST PRIORITY Alberto Lidji
Ambassador of the Republic Ana Ivanović
Global CEO, Novak Djokovic
of Serbia to the Republic of H.E. Jan Lundin UNICEF National Ambassador
Foundation
Bulgaria Ambassador of Sweden to for Serbia
Serbia and Montenegro
13
CLOSE COOPERATION 17 21
BETTER EARLY CHILDHOOD
26
TRUE CHAMPION FOR
BASED ON SHARED INVESTING IN DEVELOPMENT CHILDREN AROUND THE
GOALS COMMUNITIES IN WHICH WORLD
Jovana Mehandžić
Ursula Läubli WE OPERATE Djurdjić
Novak Djoković
Director of the Swiss Branko Milutinović Sustainability Manager, IKEA
UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador
Cooperation Office to Serbia CEO, Nordeus South East Europe
Special thanks to UNICEF
ŽIKICA MILOŠEVIĆ Editor in Chief ILIJA PETROVIĆ INDIGOCHILD Designer
”Color Media Communications” LTD, 21132 Petrovaradin, Štrosmajerova 3 RUŽA RISTANOVIĆ Magazine director SNEŽANA BJELOTOMIĆ, MRP EDITORIAL
TIN 107871532 • Matriculation number 20887303 · Phone: +381 21 4897 100 • ROBERT ČOBAN Director Translation and lecture
Fax: +381 21 4897 126
Office: Vase Čarapića 3/IV/38, Belgrade • 011 4044 960 TANJA BANKOVIĆ Editorial manager UNICEF Photo
4
DEAR READERS
©UNICEF Serbia/Shubuckl
Michel Saint-Lot Žikica Milošević
UNICEF Representative in Serbia Editor in Chief
T W
his year, the United Nations Children’s ith the great pleasure Diploma-
Fund (UNICEF) marks 70 years of work in cy&Commerce magazine pre-
the former Yugoslavia and the Republic sents a special publication InFo-
of Serbia. Not only is it an important mile- cus UNICEF. We are proud to be a
stone commemorating our work for children over partner and we are proud to have an opportu-
the last 70 years, it is also a reminder of the strong nity to summarise in 40 pages, through the in-
cooperation between UNICEF and Serbia. terviews, stories, history and overview of what
The pages of this special issue of the InFocus has been done by UNICEF in the last 70 years in
magazine highlight UNICEF's positive impact on Serbia. Children are among the most vulnera-
generations of children and their families in Ser- ble, naive and precious creatures in this world,
bia. Strong partnerships with the Government, civ- and they are our future, something we live for
il society, the private and public sectors, and the and the ones we leave our world to. There-
citizens of Serbia have made our work for children fore we are very proud to issue the special ap-
possible. pendix to our magazine, dedicated to UNICEF,
Ultimately, this celebration belongs to those for which marks its 70th anniversary. UNICEF ded-
whom UNICEF was created in the first place: chil- icated its work to the children all over the globe
dren. As UNICEF gives hope to children, children and it is one of the most important organisa-
are the hope for a better future - for all of us. tions in the world. We firmly believe that every
Our vision for the future is a world in which our child deserves hope for a better world, a safe
work would no longer be necessary, a world in home, clan water, proper childhood, schools, a
which every child is healthy, safe, educated, cared fair chance for the future and, of course, every
for and protected, and all children can make the child deserves laughter, and we are proud to be
most of their potential. a part of the UNICEF team.
It is the surest path to a better future for us all!
5
UNICEF,
FOR EVERY CHILD
Michel Saint-Lot
UNICEF Representative in Serbia
Over the years, UNICEF has
taken on a much broader and
evolving role in international
development, working to
provide integrated services to
children and to advocate for
the full spectrum of their rights
of children, so they can have the same op-
portunities as other children and reach
their full potential,” says Michel Saint-Lot,
UNICEF Representative in Serbia.
To what extent do the challenges
©UNICEF Serbia/Vas
faced by children around the world to-
day differ from those that led to the
founding of UNICEF in 1946?
— UNICEF was founded to meet the des-
perate needs of children whose lives had
“U
NICEF works in 190 coun- been torn apart by World War II. Seventy
tries and territories, and SEVENTY YEARS ON, UNICEF years on, UNICEF is still bringing hope to
some of the world’s tough- IS STILL BRINGING HOPE children whose lives are shaken by con-
est places, to reach the chil- TO CHILDREN WHOSE flict and crisis, but its role in internation-
dren who are most at risk and most in LIVES ARE SHAKEN BY al development has evolved to become
need. To save their lives. To defend their much broader. We advocate for children's
CONFLICT AND CRISIS, BUT
rights. To keep them safe from harm. To rights and, wherever needed, work to
give them a childhood in which they’re
ITS ROLE IN INTERNATIONAL provide integrated services to children
protected, healthy and educated. To give DEVELOPMENT HAS living in extreme poverty, affected by the
them a fair chance to fulfil their potential EVOLVED TO BECOME MUCH growing effects of climate change, or dis-
— so that someday, they can help build a BROADER criminated against and excluded.
better world.
“We cooperate with government organ- UNICEF has also been present in
isations, as well as with civil society organ- “UNICEF in Serbia, as elsewhere in the Serbia since its creation. How would
isations, independent human rights insti- world, focuses on supporting the govern- you assess cooperation between
tutions, the private sector and the media. ment's efforts to create a better and safer UNICEF and our country in this his-
At the same time, our task is also to be the environment for every child in the country. torical context?
voice of children – to point out the gaps, We focus in particular on the realisation of — We have always been a part of the his-
breaches and violations of child rights. the rights of the most vulnerable groups tory of this country. Interestingly, in Au-
6
gust 1947, the former Yugoslavia was that UNICEF does not work in isolation, in Serbia, in the aftermath of World War
the first country in the world to receive rather as a member of the United Na- II, during the Balkan crisis, and more re-
UNICEF’s emergency shipments for chil- tions Country Team in Serbia. Its coun- cently during the 2014 floods.
dren. Since then, and until the present try programme of cooperation contrib- As for the current refugee and mi-
day, UNICEF has helped in different ways. utes to the agreed objectives set forth in grant crisis, hundreds of thousands of
Up to the year 2000, we were focused on the Government of Serbia and the United children have made their way to Eu-
humanitarian aid for children. Since then, Nations Joint Development Partnership rope. Every one of these children is in
UNICEF has been providing systemic sup- Framework 2016-2020. need of protection and is entitled to the
port to the government, working as part- rights guaranteed under the Convention
ners towards the same goals; working to How does UNICEF’s work in Serbia on the Rights of the Child. Children who
reach every child. We provide examples fit into the country’s European inte- are stranded or on the move need pro-
of how some things can change; we de- gration process and its path towards tection, and families need to be kept to-
velop solutions and advocate for their im- achieving the UN’s Sustainable Devel- gether to protect and safeguard children.
plementation. It is then up to the authori- opment Goals? UNICEF is working with the Govern-
ties to introduce them into the system. — The UNICEF and the United Nations ment of Serbia and other partners to en-
programmes of cooperation with the sure that all refugee and migrant children
What do you consider as UNICEF’s Government are fully aligned with the have access to learning, health, nutrition
greatest achievements in supporting European Union accession priorities and and protection services.
the realisation of children's rights in with the agenda of the Sustainable De- How much and in what way are the
the 70 years of its existence? velopment Goals and related targets. private and public sectors, and the citi-
— The number of children dying before It is in this context that UNICEF and the zens of Serbia generally, willing to help
they reach their fifth birthday has more European Union are partnering to support UNICEF achieve goals with their own
than halved in the past 25 years alone. the work of national authorities in promot- donations and personal engagement?
Millions of children have been lifted out ing children's rights, as part of the continu- — We are very proud of the way UNICEF
of poverty. Millions more have gained ing reform process to harmonise nation- in Serbia cooperates with the private
the opportunity to get an education al laws and policies with European Union and public sectors, and with the citizens
and develop their potential. We contin- standards and to localise the 2030 Agenda. of Serbia. Twenty per cent of our budget
ue to work for every child - whoever he comes from donations given by compa-
or she is, and wherever they live. These nies and citizens of Serbia. We aim to
are, in my opinion, the types of achieve-
CHILDREN AND emulate Croatia, where UNICEF's pro-
ments that UNICEF and its partners for YOUNG PEOPLE ARE grammes are nearly all funded from lo-
over seven decades can be proud of, INTEGRAL TO ACHIEVING cal donations from citizens and compa-
and I would like to highlight that such THE SUSTAINABLE nies from the private and public sectors.
achievements would not have been pos- DEVELOPMENT GOALS SET Given the prevailing culture in Serbia of
sible without the generous contributions OUT IN THE 2030 AGENDA, reaching out to those less fortunate, I
of our donors - bilateral, private sector, am confident that we can achieve this in
WHICH FOCUS ON REACHING
foundations, and individuals. the near future!
ALL CHILDREN
What are the most important objec- How important are UNICEF National
tives that UNICEF is striving to attain Ambassadors to the work being done
today, in cooperation with the Gov- Children and young people are inte- in Serbia?
ernment of the Republic of Serbia? gral to achieving the Sustainable Devel- — UNICEF established the institution of
— UNICEF entered a new five-year pro- opment Goals set out in the 2030 Agen- the Goodwill Ambassador in 1953. Am-
gramme of cooperation with the Gov- da, which focus on reaching ALL children. bassadors use their talents and fame to
ernment of the Republic of Serbia in 2016. Ultimately, progress in the condition of fundraise and advocate for children and
That programme sets out specific are- children is essential if we are to prevent support UNICEF’s mission of ensuring
as of work: access to quality and inclu- state fragility and ensure long-term sus- every child’s right to health, education,
sive health services and education, child tainable development, social cohesion, equality and protection. Ana Ivanović and
protection against violence, abuse and stability and human security. Aleksandar Saša Đorđević, our Nation-
neglect, justice for children, monitor- al Ambassadors, are excellent advocates
ing of child rights and public advocacy, Since its founding, UNICEF has been for the rights of children, and they self-
communication and social mobilisation providing assistance to children and lessly support UNICEF’s work in the coun-
for child rights. We are placing particu- families in emergency situations. How try. Novak Đoković has become a global
lar emphasis on early childhood develop- is UNICEF helping refugee and mi- Ambassador for UNICEF and now pro-
ment, the social inclusion of the most vul- grant children today? motes the rights of children around the
nerable and marginalised children, and — UNICEF’s history is indeed linked to the world, with particular emphasis on Early
the prevention of violence against and unfortunate fate of children affected by Childhood Development, whilst also con-
amongst children. It is important to note emergencies all over the world, and also tinuing to support UNICEF in Serbia.
7
UNICEF HISTORY
©UNICEF Serbia
to children who had endured the horrors of
UNICEF WORLDWIDE war and deprivation. Hope for a more nor-
UNICEF's objective is mal childhood. Hope for a better future.
clear: to ensure that UNICEF was established in 1946 to meet the .
children reach their desperate needs of children whose lives had UNICEF IN THE FORMER YUGO-
been torn apart by World War II. We have a SLAVIA AND SERBIA
full potential. Not just
long tradition in Serbia, dating back to 1947
one child, but every when the first humanitarian aid packages In August 1947, UNICEF delivered its first
child. Not just today, were sent to the former Yugoslavia. emergency shipment – the largest delivery
but every day UNICEF brought these children life-saving of milk in post-war Europe, clothing, shoes,
humanitarian support and long-term assis- soap and other emergency supplies to Yu-
tance. And in doing so, it also brought hope goslavia.
8
In 1948, Yugoslavia was the first
European country and the second
country in the world to establish a
National Committee for UNICEF. In
1965, its name was changed to the
Yugoslav Commission for Coopera-
tion with UNICEF.
In 1991, UNICEF established its of-
fice in Belgrade in response to the
escalating crisis in the region with
the aim of providing assistance to
children affected by the armed con-
flicts.
The role and mandate of UNICEF
has changed over time.
In 1995, UNICEF promoted “First
Call for Children” and provided
40,000 refugee children and moth-
ers with emergency health kits, hy-
giene items, blankets, weaning food,
children's clothing, diapers, and oth-
er needed supplies. UNICEF also of-
fered assistance in renewing and
maintaining national capacities for
providing basic services so neces-
sary for the survival and develop-
ment of children.
In response to the crisis in Kosovo
(under the UN Security Council Res-
olution 1244) in 1999, UNICEF extend-
ed its humanitarian mission in order
to provide assistance to the wave of
Internally Displaced Persons.
© UNICEF/UNI53850/Delhalle
From the year 2000 onwards,
UNICEF has focused its work on
supporting social sector reform in
accordance with the Convention on
the Rights of Child. It has become
an important partner of the Gov-
ernment of the Republic of Serbia
in supporting the process of har-
monisation of the national legisla-
tion with European and internation-
al standards, and in ensuring that
the most marginalised and excluded
children have their chance to be in-
cluded in society, to grow up healthy
and in a family environment, to
complete their education, and reach
their full potential. This has never
been more relevant, nor more ur-
gent. This has never been more rele-
vant, nor more urgent.
UNICEF continues to stand as a
symbol of help and hope for all chil-
dren. Wherever they are. Whoever
they are. Whenever they need us.
And now, more than ever.
9
INCLUSIVE SOCIETY WITH
EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES
FOR EVERYONE
Ivica Dačić
Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Serbia
In 1990, Yugoslavia signed and ratified and 169 sub-goals, and their adaptation
the Convention on Rights of the Child. to the situation in our country.
This was the time when our country was
ravaged by conflicts which resulted in How much does Serbia, through the
wave of refugees, including children, and engagement of the government and
UNICEF provided all the necessary help government agencies, contribute to
to the refugees. achieving UNICEF’s goals?
After 2000, UNICEF supported the — The government adopted many strate-
Serbian government in the process of gies and initiatives with the goal of improv-
harmonizing the country’s national laws, ing the position of children in our society,
as well as in the activities on implement- especially those from the most vulnera-
ing the Millennium Goals and the Sustain- ble groups. Serbia is also fully dedicated to
able Development Goals. When we look protecting children’s rights, as well as pro-
back at this 70-year-long-partnership, we tecting them from any sort of violence and
can see that UNICEF played an impor- discrimination. Furthermore, our country
tant role in the most sensitive of times for is especially committed to investing in chil-
our country, and Serbia really does re- dren’s education, namely in creating op-
Peace is the main prerequisite
spect and appreciate that. portunities so that every child in our coun-
for development of an try is provided with the same conditions in
individual and a society on a What are the priorities in the cooper- order to realize their full potential.
whole, and we have nobody ation between the UN and the Gov-
to leave our country to but our ernment of Serbia for the period 2016-
SERBIA IS FULLY COMMITTED
2020, as well as regarding UN Agenda
children 2030? TO IMPLEMENTING THE 2030
— In May this year, the Serbian govern- AGENDA, AND ALSO HAD AN
T
he framework of the development ment concluded a five-year Development ACTIVE ROLE IN DEFINING
partnership with UNICEF is a road Partnership Framework Agreement that THE AGENDA'S GOALS
map for further advancement of covers the period from 2016 to 2020. This
good governance and the rule of agreement is completely compliant with
the law, economic development, growth the national development priorities, the In which areas is UNICEF’s support
and employment, environmental protec- procedures regarding accomplishing the most needed when it comes to chil-
tion, and integrating culture in the overall Sustainable Development Goals, and the dren's rights in Serbia?
process of sustainable development. pre-accession negotiations with the EU. — Serbia is focused on maintaining its fis-
In 2015, the government adopted cal stability and working on an even more
Yugoslavia was one of the first coun- the Decree on Establishment of the In- dynamic economic growth, in addition to
tries to sign a Basic Cooperation Agree- ter-agency Working Group for Imple- implementing comprehensive structural
ment with UNICEF. How do you rate mentation of the UN Sustainable Devel- reforms which have yielded excellent re-
this cooperation over the past 70 years? opment Agenda which comprises of the sults so far. We are aware of the fact that
— Yugoslavia was one of the first coun- representatives of all relevant line minis- such growth and development have to be
tries to sign the Agreement with UNICEF tries, offices and agencies for monitoring sustainable and that, first, we need to re-
back in 1947. In 1948, the then Yugoslavia and coordination of the Agenda's imple- alize the goals stated in our five-year de-
was the first country in Europe and sec- mentation. After the recent elections in velopment partnership framework, which
ond in the world to establish cooperation Serbia we have started working seriously are in accordance with the sustainable de-
with UNICEF on a national level. on the process of prioritizing the 17 goals velopment goals.
10CHILDREN AND YOUNG
PEOPLE ARE THE MOST
IMPORTANT RESOURCE
Vladimir Ćurgus
Ambassador of the Republic of Serbia to the Republic of Bulgaria
cine, clothing, footwear, and psychological
Traditionally, UNICEF has been help for the children and families that had
enjoying huge support from to face the terror of war. At the same time,
UNICEF also worked on its development
Serbia for its international
programmes. Our healthcare, education
activities , and our country has and judicial experts were given an opportu-
been trying to participate in nity to attend professional seminars, bring
them to the best of its abilities back home the latest know-how, and adapt
it to the existing one together with UNICEF.
A
s the Secretary General of the How does our country take part in
Association of Republic and Pro- UNICEF’s international actions or
vincial Communities for Social policies?
and Child Protection of Yugosla- — Serbia has undertaken to fulfill all the
via, and later, in the 1990s, as an advisor obligations stemming from the Conven-
to the President of the SFRY for Humani- tion on the Rights of the Child which the
tarian Affairs and Assistant Commission- CHILDREN ARE OUR FUTURE ex-Yugoslavia had signed and ratified.
er for Refugees in Serbia, I was in charge AND THE FOUNDATION OF Our country has been investing a lot of ef-
of cooperating with UNICEF. In April 1992, SERBIA'S DEVELOPMENT. fort into implementing the Convention's
I was also appointed the Chairman of the stipulations, and I can say that we are on
HENCE, WE NEED TO ENGAGE
Yugoslav Commission for Cooperation the right path. In accordance with that,
with UNICEF.
FULLY IN PROVIDING FOR the government has also adopted vari-
THEM ous strategies and initiatives for advanc-
How significant was the cooperation ing the position of children in Serbia while
with UNICEF for the then Yugoslavia, the non-governmental sector has provid-
which began quite soon after the es- ing equipment for teacher's colleges, and ed important help with these efforts.
tablishment of this UN agency? furniture and kitchen equipment for chil-
— The former Yugoslavia was one of the dren in schools and nurseries. How important is the respect and re-
first countries to receive UNICEF's assis- alisation of child rights for Serbia in
tance after the World War II. In 1947, the How significant was the cooperation terms of its position on the interna-
humanitarian aid packages provided by with this UN agency and the support tional scene?
UNICEF were a real salvation for the popu- UNICEF provided during this period? — Having every child in Serbia exercise
lation of our country devastated by the war. — In 1990, Serbia signed and ratified the their rights is of great importance also be-
UNICEF provides assistance in building Convention of the Rights of the Child. One cause of the fact that the number of chil-
up dilapidated societies and finding solu- of the first activities was to organize the dren in Serbia has been continuosly de-
tions towards improving children health Week of Silence for children from the en- clining. In the last 25 years, Serbia has
while also having a direct impact on re- tire Yugoslavia, and back then, I had the made advancements in judicial and public
ducing child mortality. Regional health- opportunity to hand over humanitarian sector reforms, and has been working on
care centers have been established, train- aid together with the then Executive Di- complying with international standards in
ing and equipment for medical schools rector of UNICEF, James Grant. education, social services, healthcare, jus-
have been provided, and nursing servic- UNICEF provided urgent assistance tice and preventing discrimination so that
es have been organized. UNICEF has also to the refugees from the war-torn parts every single child has the same opportuni-
helped our education system a lot, provid- of the country, comprised of food, medi- ties for development and progress.
11©UNICEF Serbia/Milenkovic
PARTNERSHIPS
FOR CHILDREN
Funded entirely by voluntary - along with individual donors UNICEF, seek a fair chance in
contributions, UNICEF has a and prominent advocates - Na- life for every child.
strong history of collabora- tional Ambassadors. The generosity and commit-
tive efforts with governments, The results achieved over ment of all our partners have
foundations, corporate part- the last 70 years in Serbia were played an indispensable part in
ners, business associations, the made possible by a diverse reaching Serbia’s most vulnera-
private sector, and the media range of partners who, like ble and disadvantaged children.
12CLOSE COOPERATION
BASED ON SHARED GOALS
Ursula Läubli
Director of the Swiss Cooperation Office to Serbia
creased more than half in pilot schools with
an improved quality of teaching. I was im-
pressed when I listened to involved teach-
ers and how they care about their pupils.
They changed their behaviour and know
how to handle critical issues. This innova-
tive and cost-effective model for combat-
ting dropouts for an inclusive education is
ready to be replicated all over Serbia.
Switzerland invests a lot of atten-
tion in inclusion in its cooperation with
Serbia. Why do you consider this so
important?
for older vulnerable children to remain in — The delayed economic recovery after
the education system. the 2008 financial crisis and the devastat-
Our support is in line with the ing floods in 2014 did not allow for a sub-
priorities of the EU accession Next year, this programme will come stantial improvement of living conditions.
agenda and required social to an end. How satisfied are you with Unemployed persons, those with a low ed-
reforms the results achieved thus far? ucation attainment and those living out-
— We are very satisfied with the results. side rural areas are most at risk. It needs
One of the main achievements has been to be assured that no one is left behind in
T
he Swiss support to UNICEF as the establishment of a Group for Social in- Serbia’s transition. In our new Cooperation
one of the implementers amounts clusion within the MoESTD. This depart- strategy with Serbia 2018-2021 we will put
to 3.9 mln Euro. We have a very ment proved to be essential in bringing in an even stronger emphasis on inclusive
good and close cooperation with concrete lessons learnt that foster inclusive processes and growth, they are vital for
UNICEF and its dedicated team which is education in the policy process for the new social peace and poverty reduction.
based on shared goals.
What are the upcoming priorities in
Switzerland is dedicated to the edu- UNICEF IS SWITZERLAND'S your cooperation with UNICEF?
cation of children, especially children MOST IMPORTANT PARTNER — UNICEF is Switzerland's most impor-
from vulnerable groups. How do you WORLDWIDE WHEN IT tant partner worldwide when it comes to
cooperate with UNICEF in this area? COMES TO THE PROTECTION the protection of children. Switzerland an-
— Switzerland entered into a close coop- nually contributes with 19 Mio. Euro to the
OF CHILDREN
eration with UNICEF in Serbia in 2009 in overall budget of UNICEF which is com-
in the frame of the “Joint Programme for plemented with 17 mln Euro for specific
Roma and Marginalised Groups inclusion”. projects. Despite this project is coming to
This programme is a joint initiative of the primary and secondary legislation. This an end, we remain a committed partner
Government of Serbia, represented by the practical approach led to ownership by all for UNICEF. Quality education is a top pri-
Ministry of Education, Science and Tech- stakeholders and now constitutes the basis ority in Serbia and I am glad that the pro-
nological Development MoESTD, UNICEF, for successfully phasing out our support. gramme contributed to raising awareness
the Red Cross Serbia and the Swiss Coop- Furthermore, the development of com- for this topic. Lastly, I sincerely hope that
eration Office in Serbia. The programme munity approaches to support the inclu- further support in this area, like the en-
aims to improve social inclusion of vulner- sion of children has led to improved enrol- visaged World Bank loan for the develop-
able groups through the provision of early ment rates in primary schools and higher ment of preschool education, will take into
childhood education and care and support completion rates. The dropout rate de- account the existing experiences.
13STRENGTHENING THE
CHILD PROTECTION SYSTEM
H.E. Sem Fabrizi
Ambassador and Head of Delegation of the European Union to the Republic of Serbia
— EU and UNICEF are long term part- defined in the UN 2030 Agenda, which
ners worldwide to ensure that all chil- also indirectly or directly relate to chil-
dren enjoy their right to education, nutri- dren?
tion, safe water, sanitation and health. It — Children and youth are key compo-
is also essential that children are protect- nents of the 2030 Agenda to achieve Sus-
ed from discrimination, exploitation, vio- tainable Development Goals. UNICEF
lence and abuse. and the EU support the work of national
Together with UNICED, the EU is en- authorities in promoting children's rights
gaged to support Serbia's efforts in pro- as part of their reform process to align
moting and protecting the rights of chil- national laws and policies to EU stand-
dren and ensuring they can enjoy equal ards and the 2030 Agenda.
opportunities to develop their full po-
tential. Our programmes are aimed at Since 2011, UNICEF and the EU have
supporting excluded and vulnerable been working together with countries
children from the beginning of their life, that are in the process of joining the
and throughout their childhood and ad- EU to protect children from violence.
olescence. How satisfied are you with the results
achieved in Serbia so far?
Which principles do you promote
through this cooperation, and how do
they fit into Serbia’s European inte-
CHILD PROTECTION HAS
Ensuring more effective gration process? AN IMPORTANT PLACE IN
coordination of the child — The EU commitment to safeguarding CHAPTER 23 NEGOTIATIONS,
protection system should be and advancing child rights is articulated AS WELL AS CHAPTER 19
prioritised and further efforts through a number of strategic documents CONCERNING SOCIAL POLICY
and Council’s Conclusions. In April this AND SOCIAL INCLUSION
made to ensure uniform year the EU adopted a set of conclusions
implementation of policy on a comprehensive promotion and pro-
tection of the rights of the child, which also
become an integral part of EU's external — Should violence occur an adequate
human rights policy. The conclusions focus response needs to be implemented
E
U and UNICEF rely on the UN Con- on promoting gender equality, ensuring through a cross-sectoral cooperation in a
vention on the Rights of the Child the empowerment of girls, mainstream- timely and efficient manner. In Serbia we
(CRC) as the main guiding frame- ing the rights of the child in all sectors are helping to strengthen the capacity of
work at advancing child rights. EU and in all programming, and encourag- centres for social work, health care insti-
and UNICEF work on strengthening the ing partner Countries to adopt a national tutions and schools to improve their work
cooperation among various sectors deal- strategy on the rights of the child. on preventing and reporting cases of vi-
ing with children – in healthcare, educa- Child protection has an important olence, and their ability to adequately re-
tion and social protection, but also in the place in Chapter 23 negotiations, which spond to it.
areas of justice and law enforcement to includes fundamental rights, as well as However, a new national strategy for
prevent violence against children. Chapter 19 concerning social policy and the prevention of and protection of chil-
social inclusion. dren from violence still need to be devel-
How do UNICEF and the European oped. The capacities of the Council for
Union partner in supporting the work How do these principles and objec- Child Rights should be further strength-
of state authorities in Serbia in realis- tives fit into the context of achieving ened and new National Plan of Action for
ing children's rights? Sustainable Development Goals as Children should be adopted.
14SUCCESSFUL COOPERATION
IN ADDRESSING KEY POLICY
CHALLENGES
Masayoshi Yamato
First Secretary of the Embassy of Japan to the Republic of Serbia
and prepare and provide age-appropri-
Main areas of Japan’s ate food to their children.
assistance are development of
What are the key goals of this part-
private sector, environmental nership today?
protection, as well as health — Japan is aware that in order to realize
care and education sustainable development in the world, it
is essential to realize children’s rights, to
U
NICEF is an important partner satisfy basic human needs and to support
of Japan and it is necessary to them to fully use their abilities. Therefore,
continue successful cooperation Japan is willing to continue collaboration
in addressing key policy chal- with UNICEF, which has a good knowl-
lenges. Since 1999 Japan has been pro- edge and rich history of working in the
viding economic and technical assistance fields, to support the improvement of ba-
to Serbia in order to secure a stable so- JAPAN IS AWARE THAT sic children’s rights in the world.
ciety and sustainable development, and
IN ORDER TO REALIZE
to promote Serbia’s efforts in its acces- In addition to what you have already
sion to the EU by using Japan’s advanced
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT mentioned, how does the Government
technology and experience. IN THE WORLD, IT IS of Japan further support the Republic
ESSENTIAL TO REALIZE of Serbia?
The Government of Japan and CHILDREN’S RIGHTS, TO — In order to realise economic develop-
UNICEF in Serbia have a long-stand- SATISFY BASIC HUMAN NEEDS ment in Serbia, it is an imperative that
ing partnership. Why is this coopera- AND TO SUPPORT THEM the private sector is soundly developed
tion important? through investments from foreign coun-
— The global challenges of recent years tries, including Japan. Japan assists Ser-
that transcend national borders and that bia through Japanese technical assistance,
cannot be dealt with by a single country ernment of Japan and UNICEF in Ser- utilizing Japanese expertise and know-
alone, such as poverty, climate change, bia would you single out? how, in the area of SME, production man-
disaster risk reduction, and health, require — Related to migrant crisis, the Govern- agement for raising productivity and pro-
the unified effort of the international com- ment of Serbia, local authorities and the moting tourism.
munity as a whole. In this regard, collab- citizens of Serbia have acted in a respon- Japan is willing to assist Serbia with its
orating with international organizations sible manner and provided assistance to measures in the field of environmental
that have expertise, broad networks, and the refugees in transit. The Government protection, such as reducing air pollution
universality is critically important. of Japan has recognized this humane be- and energy conservation, by using the fi-
Therefore, the Government of Ja- havior and has provided support to Serbia, nancial assistance scheme, such as ODA
pan has a long-standing partnership with through international organizations such loans and grant aid, as well as technical
UNICEF. In regard to global challenges as UNICEF, UNHCR, UNDP, IOM and IFRC. cooperation.
through its support for children, UNICEF is Grant assistance of USD 750,000 was From the viewpoint of human security,
also an important partner of Japan and it utilized through UNICEF in order to pro- Japan continues to assist Serbia in its ef-
is necessary to continue successful cooper- vide winterization items; to secure safe forts to reduce wide disparities between
ation in addressing key policy challenges. places for refugee and migrant children developed and underdeveloped areas
to rest, play and receive psychosocial of the country, in particular in the field of
What particular joint activities or ar- support by qualified professionals; as well health care and education, and to directly
eas of cooperation between the Gov- as for women to breastfeed in privacy support the socially vulnerable people.
15CHILDREN'S RIGHTS AS
THE HIGHEST PRIORITY
H.E. Jan Lundin
Ambassador of Sweden to Serbia and Montenegro
dren, as well as relevant UN agencies,
NGOs and private sector stakeholders.
The fact that Sweden is
one of the biggest net In which areas does SIDA provide sup-
contributors to UNICEF port to UNICEF in Serbia?
globally, confirms that this — SIDA provides support to a broad pro-
country is giving the highest gramme dealing with violence against
women and girls in Serbia. The pro-
priority to children’s rights gramme is implemented by several UN
agencies led by UNDP. One of the com-
ponents of this programme is focused on
prevention and with school children as the
target group. This component is now be-
ing successfully implemented by UNICEF.
How satisfied are you with the coop-
eration with UNICEF, and other part-
S
IDA provides support to a broad ners in Serbia?
programme of dealing with vio- — All projects and programmes we had
lence against women and girls in implemented with UNICEF within Swe-
Serbia. Strengthened democracy den’s development cooperation for Serbia
and respect for human rights are some of were assessed as successful. Our most re-
the strategic priorities in our Strategy for WE ARE LOOKING cent projects, where UNICEF was involved
reform cooperation in this region. All pro- FORWARD TO CONTINUOUS as partner, were implemented as joint UN
jects and programs we implemented with COOPERATION IN THE AREAS initiatives – several UN agencies bringing
UNICEF within Sweden’s development their experience and expertise and work-
WE COOPERATE NOW AND
cooperation for Serbia were assessed as ing together on one complex and broad
successful.
HOPE FOR GREAT RESULTS programme. Experiences from this model
OF THE ONGOING PROGRAM are positive and in our view, it can be ap-
Is child protection high on SIDA’s plied in situations where joint response to
agenda and what are your key global a certain problem is needed.
priorities? utors to UNICEF globally, confirms that
— Protection and promotion of human Sweden is giving highest its priority to chil- How will you continue to support the
rights for all, women and men, boys and dren’s rights. work UNICEF is doing in Serbia?
girls is the highest priority of Sweden’s Furthermore, the Government of — Sweden’s reform strategy for Western
development cooperation globally but Sweden will co-host “The End Violence Balkans and Serbia is valid until Decem-
also in the Western Balkans and Serbia. Against Children Solutions Summit”, ber 2020. Within the remaining period
Strengthened democracy and respect which is to be held in Stockholm on 14-15 there will be no big changes in the way
for human rights are some of the strate- February 2018, together with the Global we work in Serbia and this refers to both
gic priorities in our Strategy for reform co- Partnership to End Violence Against Chil- selection of partners and programmes to
operation in this region. Our programme dren and WePROTECT Global Alliance, be supported. We are looking forward to
deals with the human rights issues of all with the support and collaboration of the continuous cooperation in the areas we
age and gender groups. The fact that this UN Special Representative of the Secre- are collaborating now and hope for great
country is one of the biggest net contrib- tary General on Violence against Chil- results of the ongoing programme.
16INVESTING IN COMMUNITIES
IN WHICH WE OPERATE
Branko Milutinović
CEO, Nordeus
Why is it important for companies to companies in the country — we have have
be engaged in local communities in been fully focusing on championing Serbi-
which they operate? an society’s push to become digitally rele-
— Short answer would be, if people and vant within the next ten years. This is done
companies who are capable of helping by investing in education, technological in-
with their know-how and resources don’t novation and the startup ecosystem.
do it, who will? For us, this choice is pret-
ty clear. Why did you decide to cooperate with
As people, we’re not alone. We have UNICEF on accomplishing your goals,
families, friends and children. Reaching a and in what kind of UNICEF cam-
sense of fulfillment is not possible when paigns do you usually participate?
people around us don’t have equal op- — We’ve been working very hard, not
portunities to reach their potential and only to make a global success of Serbia,
happiness. but to nurture our brand in a way that
As businesses, companies cannot pro- young people can see us as positive role
gress without healthy, well-educated models. We’re extremely careful how we
communities that are comprised of in- choose the people we work with, as well
dividuals who are able to reach their full as our partners. Hence, we only partner
potential. Companies like Nordeus, which up with organizations that share similar
was founded and built on people’s crea- values as we do and have integrity, pur-
tivity and expertise, are acting on this be- pose and grit.
You can buy equppment, lief better than others. People are at the
you can invest money in the core of our success.
WE SUPPORT PROJECTS
business, but if you do not How does that look in practice for THAT DEMONSTRATE A WIDE
have empowered people who Nordeus? OUTREACH, THAT HAVE
are members of sustainable — Nordeus is driven by a purpose that LONG-TERM GOALS AND A
communities, the business can has always been beyond profit and busi- COHESIVE STRATEGY
ness success. Our passion and dedica-
not make any progress
tion lies in making champions out of
our employees, and out of our players
and the same goes for the people in our UNICEF is the world's leading organ-
community. That’s why we support and isation for children and it has a proven
initiate endeavours that bring a positive track record of bringing positive change
social change in Serbia, especially when to the children of Serbia. It works to en-
it comes to children and youth. Since sure that children survive at birth and are
N
ordeus supports initiatives Nordeus became profitable, we’ve been able to thrive into adulthood. They cover
that promote a positive so- focusing on causes that give children a all the areas that are essential for a child’s
cial change in Serbia. We have good start in life and promote equal op- well being including health, education
long supported the „Battle for portunities. For example, we contribute and protection. And that is exactly what
the Babies & for Maternity Wards“ cam- to the empowerment of youth by provid- we in Nordeus believe — every child, irre-
paigns, which ensure basic prenatal care ing them with access to modern learning spective of gender, ability and ethnicity,
for newborn babies throughout Serbia. and employment. should have equal rights to a healthy and
We are also part of UNICEF’s network for Co-founding the Digital Serbia Initia- educated life that will help them achieve
early childhood development. tive — together with leading technological their full potential.
17PROJECTS AND DONATIONS
FOR HAPPIER CHILDHOOD
Ilija Šetka
CEO, Imlek
tres of milk a day. UNICEF also held train- our youngest. During many crisises that
ing for the production staff and for the affected our country in the 1990s, we do-
employees who cooperated with dairy nated to the displaced persons and the
farmers and milk collection facilities. In general population affected by the war.
that period, when the population was still
recovering from the effects of war and In which way can companies contrib-
children were mostly hungry, UNICEF ute to children safety and their happy
managed to secure something that had childhood through their operations?
always been one of the basic and neces- — Last year, our company launched a so-
sary foods – milk. cially responsible project called My Krav-
Imlek continued cooperating with ica – Grow Up Happy with the goal of en-
UNICEF. In 2007, Imlek got involved in the abling happier childhood. This campaign
Schools Without Violence programme entails building modern children play-
which goal was to combat peer violence grounds across the country so that their
in schools across the country. In 2014, we childhood could be happier and health-
gave urgent assistance to the people who ier, and that they can spend more time
were affected by the catastrophic floods. outdoors while being physically active.
As the market leader, we We have expanded the project to include
Apropos 60th anniversary of UNICEF, other countries too, and this year we
feel obligated to help with
a poster was created depicting a boy have built the first My Kravica – Grow Up
developing healthy and happy who was drinking Imlek's milk. In Happy playground in Banja Luka too.
future generations which way did Imlek join in the cel-
ebration of the 70th anniversary of Which of your company's philanthrop-
UNICEF? ic activities for children would you like
T
he cooperation with UNICEF to single out?
started back in the 1950s and — Imlek's mission is to help all children, but
it is continuing to this day. Iml- OUR COMPANY HAS primarily those who are the most vulnera-
ek is a member of the Friends of SUPPORTED NUMEROUS ble, just like UNICEF does. To corroborate
UNICEF Club which raises funds for the PROJECTS AND this, I would like to mention that we have
implementation of UNICEF projects. We PROGRAMMES FOR been donating to institutions that have
are aware of our responsibility towards CHILDREN IMPLEMENTED been taking care of abandonded and sick
helping our citizens, especially children, in children for years, and that we have been
BY UNICEF WHICH WERE
the most difficult situations. donating school books and Christmas pre-
OF HIGH VALUE FOR OUR sents to the children at the children home
The cooperation between UNICEF SOCIETY in Zvečanska Street.
and Imlek dates back to 1957 when Every year, on the World School Milk
UNICEF donated to Imlek a milk pas- Day, we give a huge donation in products
teurization and bottling line. How has — The poster of the boy drinking our for the youngest, i.e. we donate choco-
this cooperation evolved over time? milk has circled the globe and it is a per- late milk to pupils across our country. I
— In the 1950s, UNICEF recognized that fect example of the cooperation between would also like to single out the project
the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugosla- UNICEF and its partners toward one com- called The Milk Road Caravan which, last
via had good prerequisites for developing mon goal which is helping children. year, toured many towns in Serbia. There
dairy industry, and, in order to find a sus- It is our honour to be recognized by are many other activities that our com-
tainable solution for securing milk-based UNICEF as one of the most socially re- pany engages in to help the youngsters
food for children, it donated to Imlek the sponsible companies and to have been as evidenced by many social responsibil-
special milk pasteurization and bottling able to cooperate on numerous pro- ity awards and acknowledgements that
line which had the capacity of 30,000 li- grammes which end goal was helping we have received.
18SUPPORTING AND
EDUCATING CHILDREN
Predrag Ćulibrk
CEO, Telekom Serbia AD
them since 2006.
We have been implementing
In which way does Telekom Serbia
projects with the goal of contribute to UNICEF's campaigns?
improving working conditions — We had participated in the project
in schools in terms of teaching called Schools Without Violence which
and acquiring knowledge, and was implemented in elementary schools in
Pirot, Prokuplje and Bujanovac. We have
we are actively participating in
also supported the creation of a web-
child protection projects site for this programme and „The Parents
Manual“. Under the early children devel-
opment programme, we donated didac-
O
ur company and UNICEF have tic materials to community health cen-
been nurturing partnership rela- tres in Subotica, Sremska Mitrovica and
tions because we share the same Kruševac. We also launched a charity SMS
values, and we have a strong number 9656 so that people can donate
bond in supporting children and young money to support and help UNICEF's pro-
WE HAVE BEEN GIVEN
people. We started this cooperation back jects in our country. Our staff have been
in 2006, and it is continuing to this day.
THE VIRTUS AWARD FOR traditionally participating in UNICEF's
THE LONG−LASTING Basketball Fair Play Tournament.
In which way does Telekom Serbia en- PARTNERSHIP WITH THE
gage in protecting children's rights in NATIONAL CHILD HELP LINE In which way does Telekom Serbia
the course of its operations? contribute to online safety of children?
— As a company that cares about com- — The lives of young people today cannot
munity and its employees, Telekom Ser- operating with the organizations that be imagined without the Internet, hence
bia does not hire people under the age of promote developing youth entrepreneur- we pay a great deal of attention to safe
18 thus respecting the children's right to be ship, with the student organizations, and use of the Internet and mobile devices, es-
protected from child labour. Since young with the Young Talents Foundation. For pecially with younger population.
people and education are at the core of years, we have been supporting the Na- Under the umbrella of our mts TV ser-
our CSR activities, we have been imple- tional Child Line, which aims at protecting vice, we are now offering an opportuni-
menting projects with the goal of improv- children from potential risks. ty for parents to exercise parental control
ing working conditions in schools in terms in terms of limiting the availability of cer-
of teaching and acquiring knowledge. What does your cooperation with the tain content, or setting the age or money
In the last three years, we bought UNICEF mean in the said context? limit for purchasing content. We also offer
computers for 70 schools in Serbia, and — Although Telekom Serbia has been im- a package that contains MyKi – a smart
gave IT classrooms to 20 schools to mark plementing numerous socially responsible watch for children and an application
the 20th anniversary of our company. campaigns by itself, sometimes you need thanks to which parents can monitor the
Since 2011, we have been successfully or- to find a reliable and reputable partner whereabouts of their child and communi-
ganizing the mts app competition where whose expertise contributes to achieving cate with them.
high school students can create applica- better and faster results. If we are talking For high schools, we have devel-
tions for mobile devices, all with the goal about children, protecting their rights and oped two free WiFi services for con-
of developing their entrepreneurial spir- creating opportunities so that they can tent filtering. I would also like to single
it We also support sending young talents improve their skills and living and stud- out the campaign „You Choose How You
to international competitions, and organ- ying conditions, then the UNICEF, as a Communicate“ which is aimed at raising
izing various science festivals, conferenc- partner, is an amalgamation of all these awareness with users about safe use of
es and math camps. We have been co- aspects. We have been cooperating with mobile phones.
19IMPROVING THE LIFE-CHANCES
FOR CHILDREN EVERYWHERE
Alberto Lidji
Global CEO, Novak Djokovic Foundation
Our goal is to expand our
efforts to support early
childhood development and
jointly with UNICEF make a
difference for children in Serbia
N
DF and UNICEF are closely col-
laborating on strengthening the
capacities and access to pre-
school education for the chil-
dren in Serbia. UNICEF has been an im-
portant partner to NDF.
low enrolment rates in pre-school educa- cation in Europe. Participation of children
What led you to decide to establish tion and together with UNICEF and other from ethnic minorities, children living in
close cooperation with UNICEF? non-profit organizations, we work to help poverty or children with special needs and
— The Novak Djokovic Foundation (NDF) the education system in Serbia and give disabilities is even lower. All children have
was founded in 2007 with the mission to children a better chance for the future. the right to a good start in life. We know
give children from disadvantaged com- The Foundation had the pleasure of that children's earliest experiences have a
munities an equal chance to grow up, also supporting UNICEF and the Minis- tremendous impact later in life. Access to
learn and develop into productive citizens try of Social Service in modelling an in- education programmes is needed to lay a
through early education. novative family outreach service that solid foundation for a child’s early devel-
At the beginning of his engagement reaches the most disadvantaged families opment and for their strong performance
with UNICEF, Novak visited a newly with young children living in urban areas in school and later in life.
opened nursery in Smederevo, where he across Serbia. The service is now in the
learned more about the benefits of an in- process of becoming part of the regular What are the Foundation’s priorities in
clusive early childhood education pro- child protection system in Serbia. the coming period, especially regard-
gramme, which influenced the work of ing its cooperation with UNICEF?
the Novak Djokovic Foundation. — Our upcoming priorities are focused
The Foundation has supported nu- NDF BELIEVES THAT EVERY on the improvement of the conditions
merous constructions of nurseries and in which children in Serbia live, devel-
CHILD SHOULD HAVE EQUAL
preschools in low-income communities in op, learn and grow. We also aim to col-
Serbia and has worked with UNICEF and ACCESS TO A QUALITY laborate with UNICEF globally in spread-
other partners in the field to improve ear- PRESCHOOL EDUCATION ing the message to policymakers and the
ly childhood education curriculum and general public that early years matter.
community outreach. UNICEF has been It is through collaboration that tru-
an important partner to NDF. ly meaningful change can be achieved.
Why is it important for the Foundation We are delighted to count UNICEF as a
Which programmes do you jointly im- to implement programmes that sup- key partner and to be working closely
plement? port early childhood development? with others, such as the World Bank, Har-
— NDF and UNICEF closely collaborate — NDF believes that every child should vard University’s Center on the Develop-
on strengthening the capacities and ac- have equal access to a quality preschool ing Child and other foundations, corpora-
cess to pre-school education for the chil- education. Serbia has one of the lowest tions and individuals to improve the
dren in Serbia. Unfortunately, Serbia has rates of participation in pre-school edu- life-chances for children everywhere.
20BETTER EARLY CHILDHOOD
DEVELOPMENT
Jovana Mehandžić Djurdjić
Sustainability Manager, IKEA South East Europe
many people as possible will be able to ment of the patronage, paediatric and
afford them. Our vision also goes beyond family counselling services dealing with
home furnishing. We want to create a early childhood development in two health
better everyday life for all people impact- center units in Grocka and Voždovac mu-
ed by our business – our co-workers, cus- nicipalities, close to our store in Belgrade.
tomers, suppliers and the communities
they live and work in. Thus, respect for Ikea supports children through its well
human and labour rights is also incorpo- know global soft toys Good Cause
rated into our internal Code of Conduct Campaign. Will you kick-off this cam-
IWAY Standard according to which we paign in your new store in Serbia, to-
are annually auditing our suppliers. gether with UNICEF?
With more than 170,000 co-workers — Adding yet another layer to the part-
worldwide and the supply chain that in- nership with UNICEF, IKEA uses its glob-
cludes more than 2 million people, IKEA al reach to educate consumers about
carries a big responsibility, but we also children’s issues through advocacy cam-
see this as an opportunity to direct our paigns in our stores. Since 2003, the Good
energy on improvements in society in Cause Campaign has generated more
IKEA in Serbia will strongly many aspects – from acting more respon- than $35 million in support of UNICEF
support as many children sibly towards the environment through a education programmes, thereby help-
as possible in realizing their more sustainable resource consumption, ing to provide a better future for children
rights guaranteed by the UN enabling people to live more sustainably around the world.
at their homes to providing opportuni- So far, we’ve seen lots of inspiring ide-
Declaration on the Rights of ties to children to realize their basic chil- as for engaging our co-workers and cus-
the Child dren’s rights. tomers and so many creative ways of
communicating the campaign and the
IKEA has a long tradition of collabora- cause. To build on what we accomplished
tion with UNICEF in Serbia, as of 2010, last year, this year we will engage cus-
T
oday, IKEA Foundation is global- when Kraljevo was hit by the earth- tomers and co-workers even more for
ly working with UNICEF, whereas quake. How is your collaboratin with this year’s Let’s Play for Change cam-
across the many markets in the UNICEF involving until today? paign – we will engage people around the
world, our stores are also a chan- issue of children’s rights and particularly
nel through which we reach our many a child’s right to play.
customers to join our forces and create THIS YEAR, WE ARE
a better life for children in areas of ear- PARTNERING WITH UNICEF What will be the priorities of the IKEA
ly childhood development, education, TO PROVIDE BETTER EARLY Foundation in Serbia in the upcoming
health, child protection and adolescents. CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT period, especially in its cooperation
with UNICEF?
SERVICES IN BELGRADE
IKEA strives to create shared value — Our future focus will continue to be
among your stakeholders. How is IKEA on children and their right to play. We
working to realise children’s rights and will also ask our customers to make our
to create a better life for children? — This year we are partnering with UNICEF cause their cause by joining our “play
— IKEA vision is to create a better every- to provide better early childhood devel- movement” to support the solutions for
day life for the many people. IKEA busi- opment services in Belgrade. We provide children’s right to play. And we are look-
ness idea is to offer a wide range of our home furnishing expertise and children ing forward to November this year when
well-designed, functional home furnish- range together with the monetary dona- we will launch the Let’s Play Campaign
ing products at prices so low that as tion to UNICEF as a support to improve- worldwide, and in Serbia too!
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