Purpose of consultancy:

The results from the 2022 Census show that out of a total of 6,526,707 inhabitants, 356,404 people with disabilities2 live in the Republic of Serbia which represents about 5.46% of the total population. Observed by gender, there is a higher proportion of women (58.42%) than men among people with disabilities.

In 2024, UNFPA CO Serbia supported the Ministry of Labour, Employment, Veteran, and Social Affairs (MoLEVSA) in drafting and finalizing the Strategy for Improving the Position of Persons with Disabilities in Serbia (2025-2030) and its first three-year Action Plan (2025-2027) that were adopted on 16 January 2025 by the Government of the Republic of Serbia. The new Strategy for Improving the Position of Persons with Disabilities in Serbia introduced certain innovations aimed at enhancing the quality of life for persons with disabilities and achieving a higher level of participation in nearly all aspects of life (social and health protection, education, and upbringing, employment and work engagement, etc.). Furthermore, the new Strategy for Improving the Position of Persons with Disabilities in Serbia strengthens the gender component by explicitly recognizing and addressing the multiple forms of discrimination faced by women with disabilities. It builds on Serbia’s Gender Equality Strategy (2021-2030) and international frameworks such as CEDAW and the SDGs to promote equal opportunities in employment, education, healthcare, and social protection. The strategy acknowledges that nearly 50% of unemployed persons with disabilities are women and introduces targeted measures to improve their economic inclusion, such as equal pay and accessible workplaces. Additionally, it highlights the vulnerability of women with disabilities to gender-based violence and advocates for stronger protection mechanisms. By emphasizing gender-sensitive policies and ensuring that women with disabilities are not left behind, the strategy takes a crucial step toward bridging existing inequalities and fostering a more inclusive society.

Building on this successful cooperation, in 2025, the UNFPA CO Serbia has been invited to provide support, in accordance with its mandate, in drafting the Law on the Registry of Persons with Disabilities (Law), accompanied by an ex-ante analysis. MoLEVSA will lead the process and establish a Working Group to oversee the law’s development. The primary goal of this Law is to establish a unified registry of persons with disabilities in the Republic of Serbia.

The new Law will have two main objectives: i) defining a standardized classification system for persons with disabilities that sets clear criteria for assessing and recognizing disabilities. This system will ensure that disability assessments are conducted in a transparent, fair, and standardized manner, and aligning national standards with international best practices. By refining the way disability is assessed, the law will create a more reliable framework for determining eligibility for support and services; ii) establishing a registry for persons with disabilities based on the standardized classification system, the law will introduce a Registry to facilitate the identification and registration of persons with disabilities. The registry will primarily serve as a tool to record individuals classified under the standardized classification system. Additionally, it will enhance institutional coordination and data management, enabling more effective policymaking and resource allocation to support persons with disabilities.

To address this, a crucial step in the process will be conducting a comprehensive analysis of national and international regulations on disability rights and classification.

The UNFPA CO Serbia is engaging a team of three National Consultants to support this process: i) a Coordinator to oversee the ex-ante analysis and lead the drafting and finalization of the new Law on the Registry of Persons with Disabilities; ii) two experts to conduct the ex-ante analysis and contribute to drafting and finalizing the law.

The data and outcomes generated through this process will also support the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Expanding Choices: Gender-Responsive Family Policies for the Private Sector in the Western Balkans – Phase 2 project. The law directly aligns with the project's objectives by promoting a more inclusive labor market and strengthening support systems for families with members who have disabilities. By establishing a comprehensive registry, the law will enhance data-driven policymaking, ensuring better access to services, workplace accommodations, and social protection measures that enable persons with disabilities and their families to participate fully in economic and social life.

The National Consultants will report to the Coordinator of the overall process, the UNFPA Serbia SRH and Youth Programme Analyst, and the UNFPA Serbia PD Programme Analyst. They will work in close collaboration with all relevant institutions and organizations involved in this initiative.

The UNFPA Eastern Europe and Central Asia (EECA) Regional Office, along with the EECA Disability Task Team Focal Point, will provide technical backstopping, offering expertise and insights into regional best practices and services for persons with disabilities. Throughout the process, the National Consultants will maintain close coordination with UNFPA CO Serbia to ensure continuous feedback from the UNFPA EECA Regional Office on the documents they develop.

Scope of work:

The National Consultant is expected to execute the following tasks/activities:

Task 1. Participate in the work of the Working Group established by MoLEVSA for the development of the new Law on the Registry of Persons with Disabilities.

Task 2. Carry out preparatory work in two key phases: 1. Conduct an exante analysis of the new Law on the Registry of Persons with Disabilities, focusing on defining persons with disabilities and establishing the criteria for their registration. Ensure that the methodology, tasks, stakeholders, and proposed content align with the outline developed under the Coordinator’s supervision. 2. Review and analyze national and international legal and strategic documents, including laws, by-laws, policies, research, publications, and reports relevant to the Registry of Persons with Disabilities. Consolidate and utilize these sources to support the ex-ante analysis and the drafting of the law. The document will be reviewed by the Coordinator, and the UNFPA CO Serbia for quality assurance.

Task 3. Engage in consultations with relevant ministries, independent bodies, state entities, and other stakeholders, as identified in the coordinator’s oversight, to gather input for the development of the new Law on the Registry of Persons with Disabilities. This includes the relevant ministries, associations of persons with disabilities, Statistical Office of the Republic of Serbia, Republic Secretariat for Public Policies, Protector of Citizens of the Republic of Serbia, Commissioner for the Protection of Equality, National Academy of Public Administration, National Employment Agency, Standing Conference of Towns and Town Municipalities, UN agencies such as UNDP, UNICEF, UN Women, and others entities not included in the Working Group for the development of the new Law on the Registry of Persons with Disabilities.

Task 4. Develop the ex-ante analyses of the new Law on the Registry of Persons with Disabilities in the Serbian language and submit the documents to the MoLEVSA and the UNFPA CO Serbia for review and comments.

Task 5. Draft the first version of the Law on the Registry of Persons with Disabilities, ensuring that it incorporates findings from the ex-ante analysis, stakeholder consultations, and legal framework reviews. in the Serbian language and submit the documents to the MoLEVSA and the UNFPA CO Serbia for review and comments.

Task 6. Support the organization and execution of public consultations, hearings, and social dialogues with representatives of target groups, organizations of persons with disabilities, and other interested parties to collect information necessary for the improvement of the new Law on the Registry of Persons with Disabilities.

Task 7. Based on the comments from public hearings, finalize the draft of the new Law on the Registry of Persons with Disabilities and submit it to the Coordinator for review and feedback before its submission for Government approval.

Task 8. Perform any additional tasks as requested by UNFPA leadership, especially within the specific domain where the consultant holds expertise.

Qualifications and Experience:

• University degree in social sciences, law, economy, or related field;
• Excellent practical understanding of the human-rights based model of disability and knowledge of the inclusive social protection systems;
• Working experience with relevant ministries in similar exercises in the past will be a strong asset.
• Good knowledge of national policy and practice in the Republic of Serbia, national laws and by-laws, key players both at the institutional as well as local levels, and understanding of challenges in Serbia and globally, related to the improvement of the position of persons with disabilities;
• Analytical skills, communication skills, and ability for coordination and group/team work;
• The ability to meet deadlines and dates and to prioritize multiple tasks;
• Strong organizational skills, self-motivated, result-oriented, and proactive;
• Excellent communication, writing, and editorial skills as well the ability to communicate in accessible and inclusive formats;
• Excellent knowledge of English language.

Duration and working schedule:

Expected duration is from 15th March 2025 – 15th February 2026 (to invest up to 40 days). Working days are shown approximately, while payment will be based on and made upon completion of each deliverable as described below.

How to apply:

Interested individuals with the required qualifications and experience should submit their application to serbia.office@unfpa.org with the subject line “Application for expert for ex-ante analysis and drafting of the Law on the Registry of Persons with Disabilities”. 

The application should include:

• A cover letter, indicating the candidate’s motivation for this consultancy
• An updated copy of the curriculum vitae (CV)

The closing date for the submission of applications is 20 March at 23:59 CET.

Only those candidates who meet all qualifications and experience will be contacted for further consideration. Incomplete applications will be automatically disqualified.