19.06.2023
Kosovo is often highlighted for having the youngest population in Europe, with 55% of its population under 30 and over one-third under the age of 18. And being a youthful country in the digital age gives a considerable advantage.
Kosovo only participates in IPA CBC Programmes, namely in the bilateral programmes with North Macedonia, Albania and Montenegro.
In order to present youth with the existing opportunities of IPA CBC Programmes on one side and to raise awareness among programme authorities on youth inclusion on the other, Cooperation and Development Institutitute organized in Pristina on the 8th of June, a workshop in partnership with DG Regio and in cooperation with the Ministry of Local Government Administration of Kosovo.
Ms Krisela Hackaj, the Executive Director of CDI welcomed the participants, active youth organisations, students and Programme representatives by inviting them to be part of an open discussion, share experiences and ask questions. She presented the Youth Manifesto and the main findings from the tour CDI had in the region, in which youth were invited to discuss with INTERREG programmes on their involvement and active engagement at the programme and project level.
“Youth is part of all the programmes objectives, as their involvement is a crosscutting issue meaning that youth can be involved in every phase” mentioned Mr Trim Berisha, the Deputy Secretary General, Ministry of Local Government Administration.
Ms Albertina Binaku, Head of Joint Technical Secretariat, IPA CBC Kosovo-North Macedonia together with Mr Dritan Shala, Antenna Officer, IPA CBC Albania-Kosovo and Mr Gazmir Raci, Antenna Project Officer of IPA CBC Montenegro-Kosovo programme, after briefing the audience on the current and new programming period challenges and achievements in impacting young people, highlighted that the focus on young people must increase, so as communication with them and mobility exchanges.
Part of the panel discussion were also representatives from Non-Governmental Organisations, Ms Jehona Gjurgjeala, Executive Director of TOKA NGO and Mr Urim Xharavina from Let’s do it Peja. Ms Gjurgjeala mentioned that these programmes should prioritize more people-to-people projects in the CBC areas as it is noticed that young people want to know and have more cooperation with their peers on the other side of the border. While Mr Xharavina also expressed “I am very happy that the environment remains a priority in all three programmes. But as environment, youth should be a priority as well”.
Existing good examples applied in other INTERREG IPA programmes in the region such as small-scale projects, simplified procedures, inclusion of youth priority, etc were mentioned during the workshop as best practices to be considered in the new calls, in order for programmes to be more accessible to young people.
Consult the event’s agenda here
PowerPoint Presentation:
IPA CBC-Kosovo-North Macedonia
More information about CDI’s engagement in “Raising awareness on the Youth Manifesto in the Western Balkans” can be found here.
