World Population Day was marked in Serbia on July 9, 2025, at the Princess Ljubica’s Residence in Belgrade. The event under the slogan “Family You Aspire To: Challenges of Planning and Building Families in a Modern World” was organized by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in Serbia in cooperation with the Ministry for Family Welfare and Demography and with the support of the UN Resident Coordinator in Serbia.
The opening speech, whose focus was on the key findings of the latest World Population Report, was delivered by Borka Jeremić, Head of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) office in Serbia.
Matilda Mordt, UN Resident Coordinator in Serbia, highlighted the importance of joint efforts to improve quality of life, reduce inequalities and create enabling environments for future parents and families, in alignment with national development priorities and the Sustainable Development Goals.
According to the Minister for Family Welfare and Demography, Jelena Žarić Kovačević, the drafting of a new strategic document for family and demography will soon begin, which will focus on the quality of human development and fundamental values: the right to choose, freedom of decision-making, equality, peace, a healthy environment, better living conditions, a more supportive community and more humane care.
After the opening speeches of the organizers, the central part of the event was held – an interactive panel in which two of the four panelists were members of the Association of Demographers of Serbia (DDS) – Mirjana Rašević, corresponding member of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts and president of the Academy’s Board for the Study of Population, and Vladimir Nikitović, president of DDS and Head of the Center for Demographic Research of the Institute of Social Sciences in Belgrade.
In addition to them, the panelists were Flor de Lis Vásquez Muñoz, Deputy Head of Mission, Embassy of Mexico in Serbia, who shared Mexico’s experiences in developing family support policies and promoting gender equality, and Nenad Đurđević, Advisor to the President of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce.
The participants of the panel, moderated by Ms. Borka Jeremić, discussed current efforts, but also what could be improved in different sectors, in order to address the challenges outlined in the global State of World Population Report, with a focus on policies that empower individuals to make informed and voluntary decisions about family formation. Mirjana Rašević pointed out the latest research insights on trends affecting decisions about parenthood and family formation, while Nenad Đurđević discussed the role of the private sector in supporting the work-family balance. Based on the first research on the differences between women and men in the patterns of completed fertility in Serbia, which he conducted with his colleague Dragan Stanojević from the University of Belgrade – Faculty of Philosophy with the support of UNFPA, Vladimir Nikitović addressed how men perceive parenting, partnerships, and decisions on family formation, as well as behavioral patterns, obstacles, and opportunities for their greater involvement in family life. The importance of creating policies that promote gender equality, flexible working arrangements, increased involvement of men in caregiving and unpaid work, and shared responsibilities within families was highlighted throughout the panel.
The event was concluded with a collaborative art activity, where participants painted a canvas symbolizing a collective vision of a world in which every family is shaped by individual choice.
Source of photos in this news: UNFPA Serbia
