The MDGs – are for everyone
The MDGs offer the opportunity to every citizen and individual to voice their concerns and opinions.
They can provide a platform for debate, consultation and discussion. Achieving the MDGs by 2015 is a challenging task and requires the concerted efforts of a broad range of actors including government representatives, policy makers, civil society organizations, the private sector, the media, local communities and citizens.
The Assembly of Kosovo signed the MDG resolution on October 17, 2009, showing the commitment to achieve the Millennium Development Goals by 2015. Kosovo supports the Millenium Development Goals (MDGs) and is making efforts towards their acheivements, embracing a people-centered rights-based approach to development.
UNKT is determined to support Kosovo in achieving the MDGs in order to promote human development, reduce social and economic disparities and enhance the quality of life of all people in Kosovo. UNKT has supported the accomplishment of Kosovo first baseline and second MDG Development Report, which has mapped out a path to 2015.
How will Kosovo look in 2015 if the Goals are achieved?
Many thousands of people will be lifted out of extreme poverty. There will be a dramatic progress in child health. Rather than die before reaching their fifth birthdays, many children will be saved. So will the lives of many mothers. Achieving the MDGs will mean that many thousands people will have safe drinking water and fewer people live without the benefits of basic sanitation, allowing them to lead healthier and more dignified lives. Many more women and girls will go to school, access economic and political opportunity, and have greater security and safety. Behind these numbers are the lives and hopes of people seeking new opportunities to end the burden of grinding poverty and contribute to economic growth and renewal.
Where does Kosovo Stand?
1. Eradicate Extreme Poverty and Reduce Relative Poverty
This MDG aims at alleviating poverty and its many dimensions.
Overall poverty, particularly extreme poverty, represents a serious challenge for Kosovo. With 44% of the population living in poverty and 14 % in extreme poverty, Kosovo is considered to have the poorest society in the Western Balkans.
MDG 1 could only be achieved through establishment of pro poor economic growth through a complex rural development, job creation policies as well as export promotion and investments.Concrete recommendations on achieving MDG 2 are outlined in the Second MDG Report (link to chapter 2).
2. Achieve Universal Primary Education
This MDG calls for attainment of universal primary education, to ensure that by 2015, all children are able to complete a full course of primary and secondary schooling, while also eliminating gender disparities in all levels of education.
In Kosovo, positive developments have been noted in education system, though the situation needs further improvement.
Only about 73% of children of ages 7-15 completed primary school in 2001. In 2001 and 2002, the ratio of girls to boys in primary education was 0.92 Illiteracy rate among Kosovo Roma adults is 17% and illiteracy among children with special needs - 10% . Concrete recommendations on achieving MDG 2 are outlined in the Second MDG Report (link to chapter 2).
3. Promote Gender Equality and Empower Women
The third goal is to halve by 2015 the proportion of women as unpaid family workers, reduce their inactivity rate by one third while also doubling the proportion of women in governance.
Gender, like human rights, cuts through all sectors and has an impact on all issues related to politics, economics and culture. In addition to the high level of poverty and unemployment in Kosovo, women are at a disadvantage to men in terms of employment, education, opportunity for choice and active participation in public life. Gender disparities are greater after primary school, especially in rural areas.
- Primary Net Enrolment Rate for girls is 96% and boys 97%
- Literacy Rate: Women 91%, Men 96%
- Unemployment. rate: Women 58%, Men 30%
- The situation is alarming amongst the Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian:78% of female and 62%
of the males are out of secondary school and only 1.4% have finished secondary school.
Achievement of MDG 3 would be possible through the increase of education levels of women through better access to education and improvement of quality of these services. The average level of earning for women should be increased as well as the number of women in managerial and decision making positions.Concrete recommendations on achieving MDG 3 are outlined in the Second MDG Report (link to chapter 3).
4. Reduce Child Mortality
Forth MDG is to by 2015 further reduce the infant an under-five mortality rate and also to eradicate measles.
Child and infant mortality are considered to be the most complex issues in Kosovo’s development, with the highest infant mortality rate in Europe, between 35 and 49 for every 1000 births each year.The indicators reflect the inefficiencies of a health system, as well as the impact of risk factors that go beyond that system, such as social, economic and environmental factors. Since the year 2000 , perinatal mortality in Kosovo has fallen, however it remains one of the highest in Europe. Concrete recommendations on achieving MDG 4 are outlined in the Second MDG Report (link to chapter 4).
5. Maternal Health
The fifth goal is ensure that by 2015, the maternal mortality ratio is reduced by three quarters.
Kosovo has a very high maternal mortality rate, between 12 and 23 per 100,000 live births. The following figures year 2000: 23% maternal mortality; year 2005: 6.9% maternal mortality show decrease of mortality rates. Challenges remain in increasing the capacities for data gathering, statistical tracking, and planning and resourceallocation mechanisms to implement the Reproductive Health Strategy 2007-20013 and of Law on Reproductive Health and Law on pregnancy termination. Concrete recommendations on achieving MDG 5 are outlined in the Second MDG Report (link to chapter 5).
6. Combat HIV/AIDS
The sixth goal is to have halted by 2015 and begun to reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis by 2015.
HIV/AIDS in Kosovo is low, but factors that risk increasing HIV transmission remain high,such as the high proportionof children and youths in the population, high unemployment, use of illicit drugs, particularly heroin, an emergingsex industry with workers coming from countries with a high prevalence of HIV/AIDS, changes in sexual behavior anda low level of knowledge on the means of virus transmission. Total number of persons reported as HIV positive is 71 (December 2007). Concrete recommendations on achieving MDG 6 are outlined in the Second MDG Report (link to chapter 5).
7. Ensure environmental sustainability
The seventh goal is to have integrated by 2015 the principles of sustainable development into national policies and programmes and reverse the losses of environmental resources.
Kosovo’s environment faces severe problems with regard to water quality,waste management as well as air and soil pollution.
-Share of inhabitants that are connected to water supply network is 65-70%.
-Around 30% are covered with individual water supply systems or individual wells.
-Losses in the network (ranging from 50% to 80%).
-Low percentage of billing (42% in 2005) and low revenue collection (56% in 2005).
The main ways forward include enforcement of existing legislation and its harmonization with EU standards and norms.This requires the development of capacities at both central and local levels, the building of a reliable system for gatherin data on pollution and other threats to the environment, as well as the creation of an effective monitoring mechanism. Concrete recommendations on achieving MDG 7 are outlined in the Second MDG Report (link to chapter 7).
8. Partnership for Development
This MDG calls for global partnerships to be set up in which developed countries play an important role in supporting developing and transition countries improve conditions for success in achieving the previous seven MDGs.
The role of the donor community in reconstruction and development in Kosovo in the post-conflict period has been, and remains, crucial.The UNKT continues its commitment and
Concrete recommendations on achieving MDG 8 are outlined in the National MDG Report (link to chapter 8).
9. Building Good Governance towards European Integration
G -- In Kosovo, there is an extra goal, called good governance, identified as an important goal and a very crucial prerequisite to achieving of the 8 MDGs.Building good governance, including efficiency, justice and security institutions, independent media and an active civil society, is seen as prerequisite for achievement of the eight MDGs, as well for shaping a more secure path towards Kosovo’s European Integration. Concrete recommendations on achieving MDG 9 are outlined in the National MDG Report (link to chapter 9).