Youth suffers greater than average unemployment rates around the world, and with inevitable effect of the global economic crisis, employment opportunities for youth are very much in diminishing supply in Serbia too 1 For many of the young people in work, informal, insecure and low-wage employment is the norm, not the exception; In Serbia, like in many other European countries, youth represent 20% of total population. It is a significant number but unfortunately one in decline due to ongoing ageing and migration trends. There is, therefore, an urgent need to strengthen investment in youth – WITH youth – and ensure their continuous development.

Thanks to a collective effort engaging a number of UN agencies as well numerous Government ministries in designing a Joint Programme funded by the Spanish MDG Achievement Fund and the Government of Serbia, the United Nations in Serbia is now implementing a Joint UN Programme to "Support National Efforts for the Promotion of Youth Employment and Management of Migration". Four specialised UN agencies (ILO – International Labour Organization, UNICEF – the UN's Children's' Fund, UNDP – United Nations Development Programme and IOM – International Organization for Migration) will jointly support national, local institutions and civil society in implementing policy and operational measures that will increase youth employment in Serbia and reduce the negative impact of irregular migration;

With a budget of USD 8 million, this Programme will support disadvantaged youth in the districts of South Backa (Vojvodina), Belgrade and Pcinja (South Serbia); The Programme will benefit, in particular, unemployed youth, young Roma, young people returning from abroad and young people with disabilities;

An integral part of this Programme is the establishment of the Youth Employment Fund, which will support 3000 young unemployed people looking for jobs or to start their own small businesses with a dedicated budget of USD 3.8 million.