Boosting youth employment in Kosovo

Almost one out of every two people in Kosovo* is unemployed. For people 25 and younger, eight out of ten are unemployed.

Avni Gallopeni is a 25 year old a graphic designer with a university degree who looked for a job for three years.

“After several failures, one after another, I made my way to an employment office,” said Mr. Gallopeni.

He got an internship with a shoe manufacturer in nearby Suhareka/Suva Reka and now works as a shoe designer.

Since 1999, UNDP has been working with partners in Kosovo to help increase employment by strengthening the offices that help people find jobs.

Results include: better information about the job market, enhanced vocational training, more effective job counselling, and improved employment prospects for youth and people with disabilities.

Social inclusion and water: Why a human rights based approach matters

BRATISLAVA, Slovak Republic – 1 October 2010 – Katy Norman and Jürg Staudenmann use experiences from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo (UNSC Resolution 1244) and Tajikistan to call for the closer integration of access-to water and social-inclusion agendas. Read: issue 15 of Development and Transition devoted to the theme of social inclusion.

Eight steps forward: Cleaning up environmental hotspots in the Western Balkans

PODGORICA, Montenegro – 15 June 2010 – Environmental experts and representatives from national and local governments and civil society from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo (hereafter referred to in the context of the UN Security Council Resolution 1244), Montenegro, Serbia and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia came together to celebrate the successful clean up of eight of the worst environmental hotspots in the Western Balkans. Watch:       Trailer for "Eight Steps Forward" documentary and music video

Dogs Join Fight Against Weapons in Kosovo

Lebane, Kosovo-UN Administered Territory Under UNSC 1244, 11 March 2010-Dogs are the latest weapon in an ongoing battle against small arms and light weapons in Kosovo. As part of a United Nations Development Programme/Kosovo Police initiative, the dogs are to help sniff out an estimated 350,000 small arms and light weapons in circulation in Kosovo.

Three Countries, Two Lakes, One Future

Pyli, Greece, December 2009-In support of the forthcoming Copenhagen Summit, the Prime Ministers of Albania, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Greece, met in Prespa to sign a joint statement expressing their readiness for further promotion of environmental issues in the region. They announced that the signing of a Tripartite Agreement for Sustainable Development of the Prespa Basin will take place on 2 February 2010 - the 10^th Anniversary of the Transboundary Prespa Park.

Handling Environmental Hotspots in Western Balkans; Meeting Stresses Cooperation

Podgorica, Montenegro, November 2009—More than a decade after armed conflicts, six countries/territories in the Western Balkans are now working together to tackle regional environmental hotspots. Representatives from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, and the UN-administered territory under SCR 1244  Kosovo, recently met in Budva to assess their progress in the Western Balkans Environmental Hotspots Programme. The six countries/territories are partnering with the United Nations Development Programme, with funding from the Netherlands Embassy in Belgrade, to address such hazards as a polluted canal, toxic contaminants at a railway station, air pollution in the city centre, poisonous mine wastes, and other issues. Video: Tour of Environmental Hotspots in Western Balkans Video: Experts Meet at Western Balkans Environmental Programme Conference  Photo Album: Handling Hotspots in Western Balkans

Unemployment, Poverty Concern Kosovars

Pristina, Kosovo, May 2009-Economic issues are key concerns for Kosovars, a new survey shows. Unemployment and poverty are the top concerns of those surveyed, as well as corruption and lack of electricity. The socio-economic concerns cited are listed as the main threats to Kosovo’s stability.

Kosovo Businesses Commit to Social Responsibility

Pristina, Kosovo, January 2009-Kosovo’s two biggest telecommunications companies and two biggest banks are among the businesses that have agreed to a United Nations initiative aligning the private sector with social change and development.

Unemployment and poverty: key topics of concern for Kosovars

Pristina, Kosovo, January 2009 - A new poll shows unemployment and poverty to be key topics of concern for a broad cross-section of Kosovars. The United Nations Development Programme poll, known as the Early Warning System, was conducted to assess potential security challenges for the country.

Public-private partnership to tackle Kosovo unemployment

PRISTINA, Kosovo - United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has teamed up with the government and private companies to help bring down Kosovo's worryingly high unemployment rate.