Kosovo Human Development Report 2010 - UNDP Kosovo - United ...

Foreword
Kosovo’s unilateral declaration of independence on 17 February 2008 was a
powerful statement of intent. By claiming recognition as an independent nation
and announcing its desire to become a full partner in Europe, Kosovo pledged
to become a modern, open and inclusive society. The road towards the goals of
Europe’s Lisbon Treaty since then has been paved with some successes in aligning
Kosovo’s legislative frameworks with European ideals and bringing greater
opportunity and freedoms for its citizens.
Kosovo’s laudable effort, however, begins to stumble as the work of change
moves from the Assembly in Pristina out to its cities, towns and villages. Efforts
to implement legislation on the ground are still severely hampered by a legacy
of conflict that left tensions within and between societal groups and by fledgling
governance structures that are still weak and struggling to catch up after an era
of economic and socio-cultural repression. Too many Kosovan men, women and
children are becoming discouraged at the slow pace of change and frustrated
at the ongoing struggle to a achieve fulfilling, prosperous lives. This is especially
true for those vulnerable to poverty or discrimination, be they the elderly, people
with disabilities, or people belonging to ethnic minority communities.
As the baton of leadership in Kosovo passes to a newly elected government, the
challenge is to find a new strategy to unlock the hidden potential of this small
but significant part of Europe. Economic growth, though greatly needed, on its
own is not the key. Kosovo’s people themselves must be at the core of any sustainable
solutions.
When the first global Human Development Report was launched by the United
Nations Development Programme in 1990, it introduced a revolutionary concept:
that people are the real wealth of nations. Real progress can only be achieved
by bringing equal opportunity to all people and harnessing their energies for
development. No matter how much national economies may grow, countries
remain poor in pocket and spirit unless every member of society is given an
equal chance to thrive. The most recent Global HDR, launched in November
2010, returns to this concept twenty years later by measuring the development
of nations not by their Gross Domestic Products, but by the inclusiveness and
fairness of their societies.
This Kosovo Human Development Report aims to challenge the status quo in
Kosovo, just as its global parent did, by reframing Kosovo’s development goals
in terms of its people rather than just its economy and its laws. It explores the
FOREWORD
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