Kosovo has the youngest population in Europe with nearly 70 per cent of people under the age of 30 (Kosovo Agency of Statistics, 2022). Therefore, the future of Kosovo lies with its youth and their understanding and participation in political, socioeconomic, judicial and environmental processes.

The challenges are manifold, including moving towards an inclusive society where communities can work together to better understand each other and improve their quality of life. However, a number of young people in Kosovo are taking this brave leap towards a better, brighter future, and UNMIK is proud to support them on this path.  

Youth, Peace and Security at UNMIK

In 2015, the United Nations Security Council adopted a groundbreaking resolution on Youth, Peace and Security, UNSCR 2250 (2015), which recognizes the essential role of young people as contributors to peace-building processes.

UNMIK was among the first peacekeeping missions to launch the Youth, Peace and Security (YPS) portfolio in February 2016. Currently, the UNMIK YPS programme is run by a Youth Programme Coordinator, supported by Mission-wide network of Youth Focal Points and Youth Reference Group, to implement a broad range of programmatic activities that have so far benefitted more than 6,400 youth.

Kosovo Roadmap on YoutH, Peace and Security

As a milestone achievement, in June 2017 UNMIK convened the first UN Youth Assembly in Kosovo that served as a Kosovo-wide consultation for the Secretary-General’s Progress Study on YPS, in order to localize UNSCR 2250 into the Kosovo context. Nearly 940 Kosovo youth from all communities and backgrounds contributed to the creation of the Kosovo Roadmap on Youth, Peace and Security (ALB, SRB, ENG).

The Roadmap consists of 50 recommendations on the four pillars of the resolution, namely Participation, Prevention, Protection and Partnerships. These youth-driven recommendations have shaped important policy developments.

Read more: Kosovo Roadmap on Youth, Peace and Security | UNMIK (unmissions.org)

Implementation of UNMIK YPS Programme

Inspired by the Roadmap, UNMIK’s YPS programme focuses on the following cross-cutting areas:

I.        Youth Inter-ethnic trust-building

Inter-ethnic cooperation and trustbuilding are the cornerstones of all activities under the Mission’s program on Youth, Peace and Security. UNMIK works “with and for youth” by building capacities of young peacebuilders and peer-educators and supporting youth trustbuilding initiatives in the areas of culture, media, art, sports, economic empowerment, science and innovation and environmental protection.

Read more on UNMIK’s work on Youth Inter-Ethnic Trustbuilding here (Tab 02)

iI.       inclusive Youth Political Participation

Through our “Make Your Voice Heard” programme on inclusive youth participation in local and central governance, UNMIK is supporting young leaders, youth organizations and Local Youth Action Councils by providing platforms for exchanges between youth from all communities and decision-makers, technical assistance in drafting local youth strategies, seed funds and training on community advocacy skills and co-design methodology for social change.

Established in 2017, the annual UN Youth Assembly in Kosovo became the main platform that connects young people from all Kosovo communities and the entire region with the decision-makers on the matters of youth concerns.

Read more about the UN Youth Assembly in Kosovo here (Tab 03)

III.     Youth INVOLVEMENT in Human Rights and justice-related processes

As a partnership between UNMIK Human Rights Section, Youth Programme Coordinator and local youth organizations, the Mission supports capacity-building of youth activists through non-formal human rights education with a specific focus on countering online and offline hate speech and discrimination, as well as equipping them with general knowledge of human rights mechanisms, principles, and reporting tools.

Since 2017, UNMIK’s Rule of Law Section is supporting the Kosovo Judicial Council through the training and professional certification of young lawyers, with a special focus on those from non-majority communities.

IV.     Empowerment of Young Women and Girls

Gender equality and empowerment of young women and girls are essential elements of sustainable development. Since its launch, UNMIK’s YPS programme has worked in tandem with the Mission’s gender advisor to support capacity-building of young women and girls as leaders and agents of change in the local communities, with a specific focus on marginalized groups, including those with disabilities and from the Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian communities.

In addition to being gender-balanced, all youth activities aim to address gender-related topics such as participation of young women in decision-making processes, combating gender-based stereotypes, and women’s empowerment.