The International Conference

The economic reform program, social investment and poverty of children

Belgrade, 12 October 2017

The organizers of the conference: The Network of Organizations for Children of

Serbia - MODS, Social Inclusion and Poverty Reduction Unit of the Government of
Serbia, Eurochild, Unicef.
Conference topics: social investment, international / European practice of investing
in measures for social inclusion of children, Economic reform program and ESRP as
a framework for social investment in poverty reduction and social inclusion of
children; proposal of measures that can contribute to poverty reduction and social
exclusion of children in Serbia - to increase the coverage of children in preschool
education, economic drop-out price, family associate.
The problems of poverty and social exclusion of children require a decisive response
and greater involvement of governments, particularly bearing in mind the
consequences of the global economic crisis in the recent years. At the global level,
the fight against poverty is at the top of the UN Sustainable Development Goals
(SDGs). Under the influence of the global economic crisis, the European Union has
become especially engaged in recent years in the fields of employment and social
protection. The basic document on which it based this policy is the strategy Europe
2020 which the European Commission adopted as the framework for policies of
"smart, sustainable and inclusive growth". The approach of social investment takes
an important place in the policies of the European Union.

Investments in children and the fight against child poverty represent a special unit
within the context of social investments. A part of the package of social investment is
the recommendation of the European Commission entitled "Investing in children:
breaking the cycle of disadvantage" (2013), which aims at highlighting the
importance of early intervention and preventive action. Children who grow up in
poverty are exposed to a greater risk of social exclusion and the emergence of
health problems in the future. In order to end the spiral of disadvantages in the early
period and prevent subsequent reccurence of disadvantages later in life, the
European Commission urged countries to invest in children in order to create equal
opportunities for all children to develop to their full potential.
The Government of the Republic of Serbia as a candidate country for EU
membership, adopted a program of economic reforms (Economic Reform Program -
ERP) in order to establish a platform for a more efficient fiscal planning and
coordination of economic policies. One of the key areas that will be subject to
structural reforms recognized by ERP is the social inclusion, poverty reduction and
the promotion of equal opportunities.
There will be an opportunity at the conference to present international and European
practice and examples that contribute to poverty reduction and social exclusion of
children, highlight the importance of access to social investment in children and
budgeting which will be aimed at children and the benefits that arise from it for
children themselves, their parents and society in general. We expect to reach an
agreement and support for the reform processes in Serbia that are taking place
within the process of European integration and which will lead to increased
investment in measures for social inclusion and reduction of child poverty, as well as
more effective support to the family.

Draft agenda
Conference opening: the Minister of Finance, Unicef Director, Sipru, Eurochild,
MODS
Speakers and topics:
The Ministry of Finance / ERP
SIPRU
Unicef

model examples of budgeting for children / Latin America

national research /
o preschool,
o drop-out,
o famili associate

Eurochild

Maria Herczog - on childonomics

Hanna Heinonen or a colleague from the Finnish Union for Child Welfare - on
a footprint for children (good practice example in childonomics research)
Jorge Cardona - UNCRC Committee and responsible for General Comment
19 on public spending
A representative from OEJAJ (Wallonian young people's observatory) on child
budgeting guidelines that were developed for them by Eurochild