Serbia
 |
Embassy |
|---|---|
 |
Mission / Delegation / Permanent Representation |
 |
Consulate general |
 |
Honorary representation |
 |
Cooperation office |
 |
Contribution Office |
 |
Embassy with Cooperation Office |
 |
Embassy with Regional consular center |
 |
Swiss Business Hub |
 |
Swissnex |
 |
City |
 |
Capital |
 |
Disputed border |
 |
River |
 |
Lake |
The collapse of Yugoslavia in the 1990s severely affected Serbia’s economy and infrastructure. The country has made considerable progress since then, however. In 2014, negotiations on membership with the EU began, many promising reforms for public administration and the economy were decided, and unemployment began to fall. Nevertheless, major challenges remain to ensure prosperity for all. Many people are living in poverty, and unemployment is high, especially in rural areas. The economy is growing only slowly and the EU accession negotiations are also only advancing at a slow pace.
Swiss Bilateral ODA |
2022 |
2023 |
2024 * |
|---|---|---|---|
Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) |
|
|
|
Bilateral development cooperation |
10.78 |
12.53 |
12.50 |
Humanitarian aid |
- |
- |
- |
State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) |
|
|
|
Economic Cooperation and Development |
11.77 |
11.57 |
8.86 |
Peace and Human Rights Division (PHRD) |
|
|
|
Conflict transformation and human rights |
0.10 |
0.05 |
0.17 |
Total SDC/SECO/PHRD |
22.65 |
24.15 |
21.53 |
Other Federal Offices |
|
|
|
Other FDFA Divisions (ASAF, AIO, aso) |
- |
- |
.. |
Network of FDFA representations abroad |
1.53 |
- |
.. |
State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) |
0.90 |
0.31 |
.. |
State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI) |
0.05 |
0.03 |
.. |
MeteoSwiss |
- |
- |
- |
Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport (DDPS) |
- |
- |
- |
Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) |
- |
- |
.. |
Federal Statistical Office (FSO) |
- |
- |
- |
Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) |
- |
- |
- |
State Secretariat for International Finance (SIF) |
- |
- |
- |
Total other Federal Offices |
2.48 |
0.34 |
- |
Cantons and municipalities |
- |
.. |
.. |
Total |
25.13 |
24.49 |
21.53 |
Data status at 02.04.2024
* planned; total based on available data
.. = figures not available | – = nil or amount < 5'000 CHF
Democratic governance
Switzerland is supporting Serbia in the process of decentralisation. It is helping to make local administrations and governments transparent and efficient to enable them to provide high-quality services in line with the needs of the population as a whole and those of the private sector. Citizens, municipalities and civil society organisations are being helped to ensure that the interests and needs of all are taken into account at both local and national levels and that government is made accountable.
Economic development and employment
Switzerland is working in Serbia to promote sustainable economic growth. To achieve this, the framework conditions for Serbian companies are being improved to give them easier access to foreign markets and financing opportunities. In addition, Switzerland is promoting increased innovation and entrepreneurship to increase their competitiveness. It is facilitating the development of an efficient and effective finance administration that is both transparent and accountable. In order to reduce the high level of unemployment, market-oriented vocational training is being expanded, especially for young people and disadvantaged groups
Sustainable energy management and urban development
Improved energy efficiency and greater use of renewable energy sources not only contribute to lower CO2 emissions but also help meet the conditions for EU membership. Switzerland is supporting Serbia with innovative projects to further promote renewable energies, such as biomass and geothermal sources, thus reducing CO2 emissions. More efficient energy use is being achieved through rehabilitating district heating systems and renovating public buildings. Long-term energy planning and improvements to the administration of urban infrastructure is also expected to enable cities and municipalities to be better prepared for possible threats.
Migration
The aim of the migration partnership concluded between Switzerland and Serbia in 2009 is to address together the challenges of migration and exploit the economic and social potential to their mutual advantage. Various measures to achieve this are being supported, such as the reintegration of returnees and the prevention of irregular migration
Approaches and partners
Switzerland is coordinating its transition cooperation closely with local authorities, other donor countries and international organisations such as the EU, UN and the international financial institutions. All programmes of the SDC and State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) integrate the principles of good governance and gender equality.
Important partners for Switzerland in Serbia:
- Ministries, city and municipal authorities, national-level local authority associations
- Swiss and local NGOs.
- Bilateral and multilateral partners: the EU, Germany, the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Trade Organisation (WTO), the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), UNDP, UNICEF, the UN Office for Project Services (UNOPS), KfW Group (Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau).
Links
Documents
Current projects
Selection
SER Culture for Democracy
01.03.2025
- 31.12.2028
Independent culture & arts are strong drivers for improved social cohesion, tolerance and democratic practice at the local level. Building on this potential CfD will support quality cultural and artistic initiatives, mainly outside of urban centers. Strengthening the resilience and strategic focus of independent cultural actors will open up more spaces for critical thinking and reflection and ultimately contribute to stronger foundations for social cohesion, tolerance and democracy in Serbia.
From Education to Employment (E2E)
01.05.2024
- 30.04.2028
To raise labour market participation and address the growing workforce shortage affecting the Serbian economy, in partnership with the Serbian Ministry of Labour, Swiss approaches and instruments for labour-market insertion will be adopted and scaled by key labour-market actors from the central and local Government, civil society and the private sector. Serbian companies will be capacitated to train their workforce independently and sustainably, and to fill vacancies through improved job matching services.
For an Active Civil Society Together (ACT)
01.11.2023
- 31.10.2027
ACT-2 improves citizens’ participation in decision making at the local and national level through and with the support of civil society organizations (CSOs). Selected mission-driven CSOs are supported to strengthen constituency, diversify funding and effectively engage in advocacy. They jointly advocate with complementary CSOs and informal groups to increase impact and legitimacy. CSOs initiate dialogue and collaboration with local authorities, private sector and media to achieve development results.
Contribution to implementation of SCTM Strategic Plan
01.01.2023
- 31.12.2026
This contribution will support the Standing Conference of Towns and Municipalities (SCTM) to implement its cross-sectoral strategic plan, promoting decentralization, good governance and local governance reforms and assisting the implementation of the Serbian Government’s Local Government Reform Programme. SCTM will improve capacities of local governments (LG) to act efficiently, accountably, in the best interest of citizens, and defend LG interests at the central level.
Local Governance for People and Nature
15.12.2022
- 31.12.2026
The contribution to this joint UN programme will improve key services and policies in 99 eligible local governments. By supporting them to enhance good governance in managing their affairs with a special emphasis on social inclusion and environmental protection, the program will result in more equitable, open and efficient local administrations, improved local service provision and citizens’ quality of life. By pooling the efforts of different UN agencies, Switzerland contributes to the implementation of the UN system reform.
SDGs for All – Fostering the participatory implementation of the 2030 Agenda in Serbia
01.10.2022
- 30.09.2025
The project fosters participatory implementation of the 2030 Agenda in Serbia, aiming at citizen-oriented and inclusive policies that contribute to sustainable development. Civil society, business and academia are enabled to shape development priorities through multi-stakeholder platforms and to monitor government’s work relevant to the 2030 Agenda. The Government is supported to better coordinate, mainstream and finance Agenda 2030 implementation and to improve the quality and availability of SDG indicators.
SME Hub - Connecting Private Service Providers, Public Agencies and SMEs
01.07.2022
- 30.09.2036
In order to grow and create more and better jobs and higher incomes for their workforce, Serbian manufacturing companies urgently need to raise productivity. The most productive ones are those that manage to access the supply chains of large, export-oriented corporations. By partnering with the private sector, Switzerland aims to bundle and connect the so-far fragmented services and subsidies of relevant private and public actors into an accessible offer tailor-made to the needs of SMEs- the SME Hub.
Civil society resilience strengthening
18.02.2022
- 17.02.2027
This project, in delegated cooperation with USAID, supports democratic development in Serbia by fostering an enabling environment for civil society and strengthening its resilience. It improves capacities of civil society to perform its monitoring and advocacy roles, to facilitate citizen’s engagement and to engage in constructive dialogue with the government. Ultimately, this leads towards a more resilient, inclusive and pluralistic society.
Green Agenda in Serbia: Get Started, Take Action and Scale Up
01.01.2022
- 30.06.2026
With this project SDC contributes to efficient, inclusive and sustainable implementation of the Green Agenda for the Western Balkans, envisaged by the EU Green Deal. It will improve policy and base-conditions for its more efficient rolling-out and support pilot projects for future scaling-up. This contribution to UNDP will tackle these challenges with the aim to increase national and subnational government capacities, provide financial support for local public and private actions, and help Serbia reach its climate targets.
Municipal Development in Eastern Serbia
01.05.2021
- 31.07.2025
Private Sector Development in South-West Serbia
01.06.2017
- 31.12.2026
The Private Sector Development (PSD) South-West Serbia Programme supports the development of more inclusive, equitable and non-discriminatory market systems, through interventions in the sectors of traditional products (raspberry and honey) and tourism. This will provide rural population and specifically young people and women, access to employment and income opportunities, as well as improved access to finance, social benefits and know-how.
Schweizerisches Rotes Kreuz (SRK) / Swiss Red Cross (SRC) (Kredit Ost)
01.01.2017
- 31.12.2018
The SRC’s overall goal is to contribute to healthy and safe living for vulnerable groups and communities. Since access to quality health care services remains a key factor for good health, the SRC promotes both supply and demand side of local health systems. As healthy living also depends on the environment, SRC focuses on health determinants such as water, sanitation, nutrition and health literacy. Adressing risks and disasters, SRC programmes encompass disaster risk reduction measures and foster community resilience.
