Country profile SRB
Context
Context
| Year | Age group | Proportion | Gender | Indicator | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 5-17 | 11.1 | Male | Proportion of children engaged in economic activity, by sex and age (%) | Source |
| 2019 | 5-17 | 6.8 | Female | Proportion of children engaged in economic activity, by sex and age (%) | Source |
| 2019 | 5-17 | 9.1 | Male & Female | Proportion of children engaged in economic activity, by sex and age (%) | Source |
| 2019 | 5-17 | 11.2 | Male | Proportion of children engaged in economic activity and household chores, by sex and age (%) | Source |
| 2019 | 5-17 | 7.5 | Female | Proportion of children engaged in economic activity and household chores, by sex and age (%) | Source |
| 2019 | 5-17 | 9.5 | Male & Female | Proportion of children engaged in economic activity and household chores, by sex and age (%) | Source |
National Legal Framework
National Legal Framework
| Provision | Legislation date | Convention | Legislation info | sources | Value | sort_order | Provision description | Legislation description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| List of hazardous activities prohibited for children | 2018 | C138 & C182 | Rulebook on Determining Dangerous Work for Children | [{"link_name":"Rulebook on Determining Dangerous Work for Children","source_link":"http://demo.paragraf.rs/WebParagrafDemo/?did=386023"}] | Yes | 7 | C138 and C182 require the national determination of a list of hazardous work prohibited for children under 18 years of age. The competent authorities should consult with workers' and employers' organizations to determine what types of employment or work are considered to be hazardous. Such a list shall be periodically examined and revised as necessary. | Serbia has adopted the “Rulebook on Determining Dangerous Work for Children” (Official Gazette of RS No. 25/2018 and 88/2020), which defines in detail the types of hazardous work children under 18 are prohibited from undertaking. |
| Minimum age for hazardous work | 2005 | C138 & C182 | Labour Law - Article 25 | [{"link_name":"Labour Law","source_link":"https://www.paragraf.rs/propisi/employment-act-republic-serbiahtml"}] | 18 | 6 | C138 and C182 set 18 as the minimum age for hazardous work, which is defined as work that, due to its nature or the circumstances in which it is carried out, is likely to jeopardize children’s health, safety or morals. C138 and C182 allow countries to permit hazardous work exceptionally as from 16, provided that the health, safety and morals of the young persons concerned are fully protected and that they have received adequate specific instruction or training. | Article 25 of the Labour Law allows employment of children under 18 only if it does not endanger their health, morality, or education. Hazardous work is generally prohibited for those under 18. |
| Is the use, procuring or offering of children for illicit activities, in particular for the production and trafficking of drugs, prohibited? | 2005 | C182 | Penal Code of the Republic of Serbia - Articles 246 and 388 | [{"link_name":"Penal Code of the Republic of Serbia","source_link":"https://www.paragraf.rs/propisi/krivicni-zakonik-2019.html"}] | Yes | 11 | C182 prohibits the use, procuring or offering of children for illicit activities in particular for the production and trafficking of drugs. | Articles 246 and 388 of the Penal Code criminalize illicit production and trafficking of drugs and explicitly prohibit involving children in such activities. |
| Is the use, procuring or offering of a child for the purpose of prostitution and for production of pornography prohibited? | 2005 | C182 | Penal Code of the Republic of Serbia - Articles 183, 184, 185 and 388 | [{"link_name":"Penal Code of the Republic of Serbia","source_link":"https://www.paragraf.rs/propisi/krivicni-zakonik-2019.html"}] | Yes | 10 | C182 prohibits the use of a child under the age of 18 for prostitution, regardless of the child's consent. The use, procuring or offering of any person under the age of 18 for commercial sexual exploitation constitutes a worst form of child labour, even if prostitution is a legalised. In regard to the prohibition of child pornography, States need to make sure that national legislation addresses the involvement of a child in the production of pornographic materials, including non-recorded performances. | Article 183 prohibits the use of a child for pornography. Article 184 prohibits showing or presenting pornographic material to a child. Article 185 prohibits child pornography. Article 388 prohibits trafficking in children for sexual exploitation. |
| Is forced or compulsory recruitment of children under 18 for use in armed conflict prohibited? | 2009 | C182 | Law on Military, Labor, and Material Obligation | [{"link_name":"Law on Military, Labor, and Material Obligation","source_link":"https://www.mod.gov.rs/multimedia/dodaci/law_on_conscription_compulsory_labour_and_requisit_1726821868.pdf"}] | Yes | 9 | C182 defines forced or compulsory recruitment of children under 18 for use in armed conflict as a worst form of child labour. Nevertheless, C182 only prohibits the forced or compulsory recruitment of children under 18, and does not cover the voluntary recruitment of children under 18. | The Law on Military, Labor, and Material Obligation explicitly sets the minimum age for voluntary state military recruitment at 18 years, and there is no provision for compulsory recruitment of children under 18. This effectively prohibits any form of forced or compulsory recruitment of minors. |
| Is the sale and trafficking of children for sexual and labour exploitation prohibited? | 2005 | C182 | Penal Code of the Republic of Serbia - Article 388 | [{"link_name":"Penal Code of the Republic of Serbia","source_link":"https://www.paragraf.rs/propisi/krivicni-zakonik-2019.html"}] | Yes | 8 | C182 defines all forms of slavery or practices similar to slavery, such as the sale and trafficking of children, debt bondage and serfdom and forced or compulsory labour as worst forms of child labour. | Article 388 of the Penal Code criminalizes trafficking in human beings, including for purposes of sexual and labour exploitation. It explicitly includes trafficking of a minor regardless of consent. |
| Minimum age for admission to apprenticeship | 2005 | C138 | Labour Law - Article 25 | [{"link_name":"Labour Law","source_link":"https://www.paragraf.rs/propisi/employment-act-republic-serbiahtml"}] | No | 5 | C138 does not apply to work done in school for general, vocational or technical education or in training institutions or work done by children at least 14 years of age in undertakings, where such work is carried out in accordance with conditions prescribed by the competent authority. Such work must be an integral part of: (i) a course of education or training for which a school or training institution is primarily responsible; (ii) a programme of training mainly or entirely in an undertaking, which programme has been approved by the competent authority; or (iii) a programme of guidance or orientation designed to facilitate the choice of an occupation or of a line of training. | Article 25 allows the employment of persons under 18 years old with parental consent and medical clearance, provided the work does not endanger their health, morality, or education. While the law does not explicitly use the term “apprenticeship,” it enables minors’ participation in work under safeguarded conditions aligned with vocational or practical training. |
| Is the minimum age for admission to work not less than the age for completion of compulsory schooling? | 2005 | C138 | Labour Law | [{"link_name":"Labour Law","source_link":"https://www.paragraf.rs/propisi/employment-act-republic-serbiahtml"}] | Yes | 4 | C138 requires that the minimum age for admission to work shall not be less than the age of completion of compulsory schooling and, in any case, shall not be less than 15 years. | The minimum age for employment in Serbia is 15 years, and compulsory education is completed at the same age, ensuring alignment with C138 requirements. |
| Light work - Determination of types and conditions of activities | N/A | C138 | N/A | [{"link_name":"N/A","source_link":"N/A"}] | N/A | 3 | If the country chooses to allow light work, States must determine what activities are considered light work, and the hours and the circumstances under which they may be carried out. | Serbia has not issued a list or regulation specifying the types or conditions of light work permitted for children. |
| Minimum age for light work | 2005 | C138 | Labour Law | [{"link_name":"Labour Law","source_link":"https://www.paragraf.rs/propisi/employment-act-republic-serbiahtml"}] | N/A | 2 | C138 defines light work as work that does not interfere with children’s schooling, or their ability to benefit from it, and that is not hazardous. C138 allows countries to permit light work for children younger than the general minimum age. For countries that set the minimum age at 15, this means children aged 13-14, and for those that set it at 14, children aged 12-13 may engage in light work. | The Labour Law permits employment from the age of 15 if compulsory education is completed, but only for non-hazardous work. The Decree of 2017 lists hazardous activities prohibited for children under 18. Though the term "light work" is not explicitly used, the legislation allows non-hazardous work for minors as per ILO standards. |
| Minimum age for admission to work | 2005 | C138 | Labour Law - Article 24 | [{"link_name":"Labour Law","source_link":"https://www.paragraf.rs/propisi/employment-act-republic-serbiahtml"}] | 15 | 1 | C138 establishes 15 as the minimum age for work in general. Developing countries have the option of setting a minimum age of 14 as a transitional measure as they strengthen their education systems and economies. | Article 24 of the Labour Law sets the minimum age for employment at 15, provided that the minor has completed compulsory education and has been assessed as capable of performing the job in question. |
International Legal Framework
International Legal Framework
| Ratification status | Convention | Convention description | Date of ratification | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| in-force | C182 | Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999 (No. 182) | 10-JUL-2003 | Source |
| in-force | C138 | Minimum Age Convention, 1973 (No. 138) | 24-NOV-2000 | Source |
Policies and Plans
Policies and Plans
| Description | sources | Period | Policy name | Implementing agency |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| At the time of our research, Serbia had not implemented any policies or plans to address child labour. | [{"link_name":"N/A","source_link":"N/A"}] | N/A | N/A | N/A |