United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Kosovo, in partnership with the Kosovo Assembly marked today the International Day of Democracy (IDD) with a webinar titled: “The future we want to see – democracy and rule of law in times of crisis”. The webinar gathered distinguished speakers including Ms. Vjosa Osmani, Speaker  of the Kosovo Assembly and Ms. Maria Suokko, UNDP Resident Representative joined by Mr. Hilmi Jashari, Kosovo Ombudsperson,  Mr. Skender Çoçaj, Head of Kosovo Judicial Council, and Ms. Sarah Rattray, Global Policy Specialist for Human Rights.

The Covid-19 pandemic will leave an indelible social and economic mark, but will also present new opportunities for institutional reforms, social dialogue, and strengthening of democracy and the rule of law, which are the cornerstones of UNDP’s  work  for  sustainable  human  development. To discuss these challenges and opportunities, the event brought together practitioners from the field of human rights and rule of law who provided their thoughts on the gaps exposed by the pandemic and how these gaps may be addressed in the future.

Ms. Maria Suokko, UNDP Resident Representative, in her opening remarks emphasized: “COVID-19 presents an opportunity to make societies more inclusive and resilient, and in our responses, we aim to support fundamental principles of democratic governance, including accountability, transparency, and participation.” Ms. Suokko emphasize a global UN message: “The choices we make and action we take during the COVID-19 era will define the future we want now & for future generations!”

Ms. Vjosa Osmani, President of the Assembly of Kosovo said: “As we mark the #InternationalDemocracyDay, we find ourselves challenging the pandemic which is not only attacking our health and lives, but also the democracy. The basis of democracy is founded on the three main principles: freedom, equality, and justice, I therefore would like to invite everyone to turn our attention to these democratic principles as the main values for fundamental freedoms.”  

United Nations General Secretery Antonio Guterres on the occasion of IDD stated:

“Well before COVID 19, frustration was rising and trust in public authorities was declining. Governments must do more to listen to people demanding change. On this #DemocracyDay let’s sieze this moment to build more equal and inclusive world, with full respect for human rights”.   (Full message:  https://www.un.org/en/observances/democracy-day )

UNDP in Kosovo remains committed to removing the barriers which people face in realizing their rights and support institutions to modernize, expand access, and ensure that services are provided without discrimination.

For more information, please contact:

Burbuqe Dobranja, UNDP Communications Associate

Phone: (038) 249 066 ext. 410; mobile: 049 720 800 e-mail: burbuqe.dobranja@undp.org

Danijela Mitić, Communication Associate UNDP

Phone: (038) 249 066 ext. 412; mobile: 049 720 824 e-mail: danijela.mitic@undp.org