Serbia

In Serbia, children are not seen as right holders and as a group with special needs. All articles of the Convention regarding participation are implemented insufficiently. Furthermore, the discrimination against Roma is prevalent, and public funding is insufficient in all relevant sectors.

The Committee recommends that the State party establish a system to track all cases involving child marriage among ethnic groups, particularly Roma girls; provide child victims with shelter, as well as appropriate rehabilitation and counselling services, and develop awareness-raising campaigns highlighting the harmful consequences of child marriage.
In regards of reproductive health, the Committee recommends to ensure unimpeded access to sexual and reproductive health services, and to address the incidence of drug use by children and adolescents.

The Committee is concerned about the inhuman or degrading treatment experienced by children living in institutional care homes and about reports indicating that children with disabilities, particularly those with intellectual impairments, are more likely to be victims of physical and sexual violence. Children with disabilities also continue to be significantly overrepresented in residential care. The Committee recommends to reform the system of social assistance for children with disabilities and their families in order to improve its coherence and coordination and avoid unnecessary institutionalization. It further recommends to give priority to measures to facilitate the full inclusion of children with disabilities.

Serbia’s infant mortality rate remains above the European Union average. The Committee is also concerned about the high rate of infant and under-5 mortality among Roma children due to limited access to neonatal services. Regional disparities and equity gaps, combined with financial constraints and inadequate health insurance coverage continue to hinder access to basic health-care services.
The Committee recommends to ensure the availability of and equitable access to quality primary and specialized health care for all children in the country and expand support in Roma communities for newly appointed health mediators.

A shortage of qualified child psychiatrists and community-based mental health services is determined.

The Committee recommends that the State party collect disaggregated data identifying the types of risk faced by children related to the occurrence of a variety of disasters.

The Committee urges Serbia to ensure the provision of qualified and free legal aid to children in conflict with the law and to establish specialized juvenile court facilities and procedures with adequate human, technical and financial resources.

The Committee remains concerned that in its budgeting process the State party does not stipulate budget allocations for children in the relevant sectors.
Inadequate housing continues to be a problem, particularly for Roma families who are often subjected to forced evictions, which leaves children without access to basic services, including clean and safe drinking water and sanitation, therefore rendering them vulnerable to serious health problems. Therefore, the Committee recommends to strengthen the support provided to children living below the poverty line, and ensure that social protection measures cover the real costs of decent living for the children, including expenses relevant to their rights to health, a nutritious diet, education, adequate housing and water and sanitation.