Tim za socijalno uključivanje i smanjenje siromaštva

Written by:  Lidija Kuzmanov, Employment and Economic Development Coordinator, Social Inclusion and Poverty Reduction Unit of the Government of the Republic of Serbia

In line with the principle of inclusive development, one of the cornerstones of the Programme of the new Government, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister of Construction, Transport and Infrastructure – the Social Inclusion and Poverty Reduction Unit has launched the preparation of the Third National Report on Social Inclusion and Poverty Reduction in the Republic of Serbia (hereinafter the Report). The Report will cover the period from 2014 to 2017, and it will provide insight into the trends and current situation, as well as basic guidelines for addressing the issues of social exclusion and poverty in the country. The preparation of the Report is an opportunity to initiate the dialogue on the future course of social reforms, while at the same time defining practical steps for the implementation of these reforms, and achieving objectives.

As one of the important tasks in the process of EU accession, the Republic of Serbia defined active participation in the European process of social inclusion and poverty reduction. In this respect, the Report serves as the primary source of data for the creation of social inclusion and poverty reduction policies in the process of accession negotiations with the European Union and the participation of the Republic of Serbia in the so-called European Semester through Economic Management and Open Method of Coordination.

The preparation of the Report also aims to contribute to the harmonization of the strategic, legislative and programmatic framework for social inclusion and poverty reduction in the Republic of Serbia with those of the EU Member States. The Report is also important from the standpoint of monitoring the progress in the process of social inclusion in the Republic of Serbia and represents the process of regular reporting by the Government of the Republic of Serbia towards the public and the European Commission.

More specifically, the Report represents:

• The preparation for and the contribution to negotiation positions (Chapters: 2, 11, 18, 19, 23, 24, 26) by identifying key measures and policies which the Republic of Serbia will implement in order to come closer to the objectives related to social development at the EU level;
• The preparation for the reporting on the implementation and the audit of the Employment and Social Reform Programme (ESRP), which was adopted by the Government of the Republic of Serbia on 31 May 2016. ESRP introduces the process of the Open Method of Coordination and at the same time allows the identification of reform priorities; the implementation and regular monitoring of these principles are of great importance for the European integration process.
• The source for reporting on the implementation and further prioritisation of the structural reforms in the Economic Reform Programme, which is, upon the invitation of the European Commission, prepared every year by the Government of the Republic of Serbia;
• A unique source and compilation of administrative and statistical data that reflects the achieved level of social development, whose overview contributes to the better formulation, efficiency, and effectiveness of public policies in the domain of social inclusion and poverty reduction.
• An overview of the efforts of the Government of the Republic of Serbia and an incentive for the preparation of the laws and strategies necessary in the daily battle against poverty and social exclusion, as the main obstacles to inclusive growth and development.

The preparation of the Report will be open and participatory. The participation of local self-governments, civil society organisations, trade unions and employee associations, international partners, and other actors involved in various aspects of social inclusion and poverty reduction in the Republic of Serbia will be ensured. The citizen perspective, their experiences, and vision of reforms, as well as suggestions they wish to share with the decision makers, represent an important source of information in the process of preparation of the Report. At the end of this process, at the beginning of 2018, the Government of the Republic of Serbia will adopt the Third National Report on Social Inclusion and Poverty Reduction, and then ensure and monitor further implementation of the Report recommendations.