11 July: World Population Day Population Policies Require a Strategic, Not Random Approach

The most recent study paper of the Provincial Ombudsman concerning the population policies and their implementation on the local self-government level indicates that the local authorities, despite their broad jurisdiction in this field, lack strategic approach to it.

The APV Demographic Development Program, a document devised and approved by the authorities of the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina, perceives local self-governments as having a major role and activity potential in this field. Concerning the position and role of local self-governments in any political system, the most burning issue of immediate interest to the local population is its reproduction. On the other hand, the state population policy measures are general by their nature and implemented uniformly on its entire territory. Effective population policies implementation means complementing the general measures with those of the local authorities, as well as providing local funding. This is why the local self-government is the place where the specific parent’s needs are best identified and where the mechanisms for meeting those needs could be put to their best use within the limits of the local authorities jurisdiction and competences.

The Provincial Ombudsman has therefore collected and analyzed the data on whether and to what extent have the local self-governments undertaken relevant measures along the provisions of the local population policy papers.

The study indicates that 26 out of the total of 45 local self-governments in Vojvodina have a local welfare policy paper, whereas 13 of them have neither such, nor any other strategic documents regulating the field of welfare. Only 24 percent of the local self-governments provide financial support to unemployed parents, whereas a bit more than a half of them finance the so-called parental bonus for their first child. Financial support to every newborn is provided in 11 local self-governments, while in 28 of them third- and fourth-born children can attend preschool facilities free of charge. About a third of the local self-governments subsidize school books and gives financial awards to star pupils, but only 13 percent of them provide scholarships and other kind of support to talented students.

Bearing these data in mind, the Provincial Ombudsman holds that such an important issue like population policy needs a strategic approach. However, the local self-governments are still more prone to acting randomly. This observation is supported by the fact that only 10 of them have founded a body with the local self-government (i.e. a committee or a council) responsible for population policy implementation, while only two of them have funds specifically designated for this purpose. 

Local self-governments have thus been sent a Recommendation to analyze the demographic situation in their local communities, identify resources and provide an institutional framework for implementation of the local population policies. Such policies must observe the gender aspect of this issue and provide funding for their implementation. More attention should be paid to providing parent, children and youth education and counseling, along with a more effective and efficient collaboration and networking of institutions and organizations dealing in matters of local population policies and related fields (such as welfare, healthcare, education, culture, sports, media, gender equality, etc.).