Introduction of the Restorative justice concept and Victim-offender mediation practice in Serbia and Montenegro within the “Children’s Chance for Change” project – A juvenile justice reform initiative in Serbia and Montenegro.

Source: (2007) UNICEF Belgrade.

UNICEF global efforts in the area of juvenile justice are directed towards the reduced incarceration of juveniles
and the development of policies and practices that encourage the use of alternative measures to deprivation of
liberty. Together with governmental and nongovernmental counterparts, UNICEF in Serbia and Montenegro
promotes community rehabilitation as a safer and more effective approach to reintegrating the child into society
than the prevailing retributive approach. For these reasons UNICEF strongly advocates restorative justice
approach, diversion, and alternatives to custodial sentencing.
UNICEF in Serbia and Montenegro has been supporting governmental efforts to reform juvenile justice system
since 2001, when a thorough country-wide assessment of the juvenile justice was conducted by UNICEF. The
findings of this assessment served as a basis for the project “Children’s Chance for Change” that was developed
in partnership with the Government’s of Serbia and Montenegro – (Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Labour,
Employment and Social Policy, Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Education and Sport) and the Swedish
International Development Agency (Sida). The overall objective of “Children’s Chance for Change” is to
promote the comprehensive and multidisciplinary reform of the juvenile justice systems in Serbia and
Montenegro aimed at improving protection of the rights of the children at risk and children in conflict with the
law. (excerpt)