Our Results

For a democratic and European Serbia, civic participation, respect for human rights, solidarity, sustainable development...

The Center for Democracy Foundation is recognized by the public for promoting the values of the EU and Serbia's European integration, advocating for public dialogue, strong institutions and the promotion and protection of economic, social and especially labor rights. It is a reliable interlocutor in discussions, a partner to non-governmental associations, independent institutions and international organizations. Through cooperation with state authorities, we influence public policies and monitor their implementation.

We contributed to the improvement of the quality of public dialogue on political, economic, and social issues, advocating for European values and promoting European integration in Serbia and the Western Balkans. We aimed to enhance public policies for sustainable development while respecting human rights, solidarity, and the "leave no one behind" principle. 

We collaborated with youths, women's organisations, members of various vulnerable groups, trade unions, representatives of state institutions, the academic community, independent institutions, international organisations, the business sector, media, and friends from civil society. We established new partnerships in Serbia, the region, and Europe, initiating new and significant topics with nearly 1,000 participants in our programmes and public events.

We celebrated the 30th anniversary of the Center for Democracy Foundation. We continue to advocate for a democratic and European Serbia, empowering citizens to participate in community development decisions. We uphold the principles of solidarity and sustainable development while advancing economic and social rights. 

 

Achievements of CDF 2024:

 

  • We empowered youth for activism and participation in monitoring reforms and youth policies by financing (RYDE fund) 14 regional projects implemented by 9 local organizations, and 5 informal youth groups in the communities of the Western Balkans
     
  • We contributed to public engagement and the improvement of public dialogue on social, economic, and political issues by organizing 15 public debates, round tables, and conferences with more than 750 participants
     
  • We strengthened the capacities of trade unions and civil society organizations in protecting human rights, as well as local self-government units to improve their management capacities through 5 workshops and training sessions with 118 participants
     
  • We encouraged youth engagement in structured dialogue and the formulation of recommendations for improving public policies relevant to youth through 4 policy labs at the national and regional levels with 25 participants
     
  • We participated in the preparation, creation, and analysis of public policy documents in the context of Serbia's EU accession negotiations, by contributing to 5 working bodies on their creation and monitoring, and advocated for the adoption of the Social Protection Strategy
     
  • We supported the community by meeting with vulnerable groups and individuals, as well as contributed to the improvement of the position of the most vulnerable by mapping the capacities and social protection services in 12 local self-government units through 97 interviews with key local players
     
  • We contributed to raising the level of understanding, experience, and knowledge of public issues through the conclusions and findings of 11 research studies, reports, analyses, publications, regularly monitoring reforms, and provided recommendations for improving the state of employment and social policy
     
  • We established new and deepened existing partnerships, networking, and synergistic action through joint work with 131 organizations and institutions and 7 networks at the local, regional, and European levels
     
  • We improved cooperation with the academic community, the business sector, decision-makers, and included 145 experts in working on our programs and project activities
     
  • We marked 30 years of the Foundation's work and the fight for a democratic, European, and solidaristic society with a series of events, discussions, meetings, and 5 public events with over 350 participants, collaborators, donors, partners, friends, and the media
     
  • We kept the interested public and citizens informed through 11 newsletters with over 4,000 readers, online forums, 6 blogs, 195 media publications, and 10.000 followers on social media

 

The Most Successful Projects 2024:

CDF 2023 Results:

  • We empowered 38 young people from the Western Balkans for civic activism at the regional Politeia school and thematic sessions, together with 24 lecturers/trainers.
  • We contributed to the improvement of public dialogue on political, economic and social issues through 13 debates and roundtables with 711 participants.
  • We supported the promotion of human rights, equality and social inclusion of vulnerable groups at 2 National conferences with 224 participants.
  • We strengthened the capacities of local civil society organizations and activists through 9 educational trainings, seminars and workshops with 158 participants.
  • We participated in the preparation, design and analysis of public policy documents as members of 12 working bodies mandated for preparation and monitoring of public policies.
  • We influenced raising the level of understanding and knowledge on public issues by issuing recommendations and findings within 7 researches, studies and publications.
  • We have established cooperation and coordinated activities in the area of social development with 22 new partners at local, regional and European level.
  • We involved 115 experts in the work on our programs and project activities, expanded the network of partners by implementing 7 projects out of a total of 13 designed projects.
  • We informed the interested public and citizens on our work and views through 18 announcements, 22 interviews and media appearances, 11 e-newsletters, 6 blogs and over 200 media announcements about CDF activities.

The Most Successful Projects 2023:

The Most Successful Projects 2020-2022:

Dedicated to Promoting EU values in Serbia

 

 

 

Along 25 years of operation, CDF has advocated for integration of Serbia into the EU, through strengthening of human resources and institutional capacities for democracy, rule of law and human rights.

CDF is highly competent in promoting EU values and policies on local level, with experience in development of human resources and institutional capacities.

It has a significant track record in advocating for public administration reform, particularly in the areas which are mostly important for citizens (good governance and EU standards implementation in local government, inspections reform, and recruitment and hiring practice in public sector).

 

 

                  Key Achievements 2017-2021

 

  • Public Reading of the EC Report on Serbia – Setting the Tone for Debating the Report, in cooperation with the EWB, (2019-2021)
  • Elected coordinator for the cross sectorial working group for the Berlin Process at the National Convention on the EU (NCEU) in 2021
  • Contributions for the EC Report on Serbia (annually)
  • Politeia Goes Regional organized in ReSPA for students from WB (2019-2021)
  • Established Regional Youth Forum through RYCE Project (2019)
  • Study visit to National Convention on the EU for BNLD (Balkan Network for Local Democracy) members as exchange tool for lessons learned in monitoring EU accession negotiations (2018)
  • International Conference Call to Europe in the Western Balkans on EU Elections Impact on the WB in cooperation with FEPS – Brussels (2018)
  • Launched advocacy initiative “European Social Fund for the WB” – amendment based on our initiative adopted by the Joint Parliamentary Committee of the EP and the NARS (2018)
  • Public campaign Justice Above Politics – Pravda iznad Politike® (2018)
  • National conference Towards a Democratically Change of the Constitution:Key stakeholders debating the change of the Constitution, with YUKOM, Belgrade Center for HR, Association of Judges, FOS and IPSOS (2017)
  • Monitoring report and recommendations on Employment and Fight against Corruption in Public Administration (2012-2017)

Advocating for a Stronger Social Dimension of the EU integration process

 

 

 

CDF is one of the leading organizations active in Serbia in the socio-economic field where CDF advocates for the policies of sustainable economic and social development policies, through a wide network of partners and associates, from trade unions to employers, and from academia to civil society.

By constantly increasing its expertise and experience in the monitoring of economic, social and labor rights in a changing economic environment and in the context of the development perspective, CDF influenced public policies through recommending modification of legal and institutional framework.

This expertise earned the CDF a position of a Chair of the Working group for monitoring Chapters 2 and 19 (Freedom of  Movement for Workers and Social Policy and Employment) within the National Convention on the EU (NCEU), the largest CSOs umbrella organization in Serbia. 

CDF directs its activities in the field of economic and social rights to the needs of vulnerable target groups, such as women, young people, elderly citizens, members of the LGBT community, etc. The Foundation has provided direct legal advice to more than 20,000 people.

 

                        Key Achievements 2017-2021

  • Annual Report and recommendations on the negotiation chapter 2 (Free Movement of Workers) and 19 (Social Policy and Employment), with the National Convention on the EU https://eukonvent.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Knjiga-nacionalnog-konventa-2020_Web.pdf
  • Analysis: National Employment Strategy (2021)
  • Annual Reports on the Status of Labour Rights in Serbia (2018-2020)
  • Launched Society Wide Platform for SDGs in 2020 followed by analyses, reports, extensive work in local communities
  • Project cooperation with GiZ on the project Inclusion of Roma and Other Marginalized groups (since 2020)
  • Analyses of the impact of Covid19 Crisis to employment in Serbia: “The Impact Of The Covid-19 Epidemic On The Position And Rights Of Workers In Serbia” published with the UN Team for Human Rights, 2020
  • Monitoring Report on measures introduced during the state of emergency in the areas of social policies and employment, public health and consumer protection and education, published in 2020, http://www.centaronline.org/userfiles/files/publikacije/nkeu-analysis-covid-3-social-policy.pdf
  • The Rule of Law in the Chapter 19 - Social Policy and Employment, report published with the National Convention on the EU (2020), http://www.centaronline.org/en/publication/1825/the-rule-of-law-in-the-chapter-19-social-policy-and-employment
  • Analysis: Draft Action Plan for Chapter 19 – Employment and Social Policy (2019)
  • On-field survey “Precarious work in Serbia – report from a research”, 2019;
  • Coordination of a coalition of NGOs for the National Strategy of Social Protection (2019) for the modification of the Social Protection Law and of the draft Strategy
  • Initiative for Intergenerational dialogue through workshops and focus groups (2019)
  • Analysis: Treatment of Older workers in European and national documents, legal and other regulations and the media, 2019.
  • Launched Platform against Cheap Work (2018) addressing the need for improved social dimension of the reforms
  • Analysis: Employment policies in Serbia - Encouraging (non) Decent work, 2018;
  • Statistics and Decent Work - A Critical Analysis of the Political Interpretation of Labour Statistics, 2017;
  • Desk Research: Women in Labour Market 2017;
  • Profiles of the Employed through Private Employment Agencies, in cooperation with the SIPRU Team for Social Inclusion and Reduction of Poverty (2017)
  • Pilot Platform for Monitoring of the Implementation of the Economic Reform Program- ERP and the Employment and Social Reform Program-ESRP (2017)

 

 

Promoting Public Dialogue

 

 

We bring together policy makers, experts, businessmen, journalists and social activists. Together we engage in debating key issues and search for common approaches in finding solutions.

The CDF Platform Dialogue in the Center is a place for public dialogue, where scholars, activists, politicians and analysts exchange their views on key strategic issues and development challenges

We participate in all relevant EU accession-related fora and events, such as in the meeting of the Joint Consultative Committee EU-Serbia on civil society and annual briefings at the EU Delegation on the EC report on Serbia. 

           Key Achievements 2017-2021

  • 136 Public Debates since 2007 with 2950 participants
  • Through Synergy to Enlarged Impact in Youth Related Programs:established dialogue among CSOs networks in the Western Balkans (2018)

        Issues Addressed:

  • Two Decades of Social Dialogue in Serbia
  • Patronage Appointment and Discrimination
  • Fair Energy Transition in Serbia and Potential Social and Economic Consequences
  • (Un)Dignified Ageing and Old Age
  • Social Rights and the Media
  • Position of Foreign Workers in Serbia
  • New law on Gender Equality
  • Where are Labour Rights on the Agendas of Political Parties?
  • Violence Against Women in the Public Space
  • Poverty and the Environment
  • Towards a Political Solution - Civic Protests as a Response to a Deficit of Justice and Weak Institutions
  • Europe ahead of Elections – The New Session of the European Parliament
  • Today’s Civil Society – NGO or GONGO, Watchdog or Strategic Partner, Think-Tank or Do-Tank

 

Profile and Key Achievements 2017-2019

CDF 25 YEARS

 

Preuzmite

EVENTS

HIGHLIGHTS

2025-04-24 | Belgrade

Two-thirds of the way to achieving the 2030 Agenda

2025-04-07 | Brussels

Vučković at JCC Meeting in Brussels: Serbian Citizens Have Shown Commitment to European Values through Protests

2025-04-01

Public debate: Single and Independent – Local Policies Supporting Parents Raising Children Alone

CURRENT PROJECTS

Labour Rights and Decent Work in Socio Economic Reforms in Serbia - Black and White

Regional Youth Dialogue for Europe - RYDE

Sustainable Development Goals for All Platform