Partnership with institutions

UNICEF Kosovo prides itself on its long-standing partnerships with key institutions. These high-level partnerships ensure UNICEF has an impact on policies and programmes that affect children throughout Kosovo, especially the most vulnerable.

UNICEF works with the Ministry of Health to ensure that all children receive quality primary health care services, including immunization, support for optimal nutrition, and early detection and intervention for disability.

One of our main collaborations is the home visiting programme which is active in 34 out of 38 municipalities in Kosovo and provided support this past year to 30,000 children under the age of three and 8,000 pregnant women. UNICEF and the Ministry of Health also work together to procure vaccines and other essential drugs. UNICEF has also supported the ministry to digitalise immunization data within the Health Information System and finalise the National Nutrition Action Plan, the Strategic Action Plan on Maternal, Child and Reproductive Health, and the Action Plan for Immunization 2022-2025.

UNICEF also works closely with the Ministry of Education, Science Technology, and Innovation (MESTI) on ensuring all children have access to quality education at all ages. UNICEF’s support to the Ministry strengthened inclusive education in Kosovo and is working to improve the quality and expand access to Early Childhood Education. Recently, the partnership finalised an important draft law and action plan on Early Childhood and also revised preschool curriculum based on Early Learning and Development Standards. For school aged students, UNICEF and the MESTI continued to roll-out shkollat.org, a Kosovo-wide e-learning platform that includes a digital library and video lessons for all subjects in Grades 1–9 The experiential skills-based programmes for youth UPSHIFT, PODIUM and PONDER were accredited for upper secondary education, and have also been made available on shkollat.org.

Having comprehensive data on all groups of children is key to making good policy choices for children. UNICEF works with the Kosovo Agency of Statistics  to generate evidence through on important surveys like the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) and is also developing a database for child rights monitoring and reporting. This database will inform strategies and provide reliable and internationally comparable data on the situation of children in Kosovo.

Through its partnership with the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports UNICEF works to develop youth friendly legislation and policies. This includes support to the development and implementation of the Youth Strategy (2019-2023), endorsement of administrative instructions to regulate youth voluntary work, and work on the prevention of violence in schools.

UNICEF also partners with main partnerships with the Ministry of Finance, Labour and Transfers (MFLT) is the coordination of Kosovo Generation Unlimited, including management of its internship programme. UNICEF also works on data analysis and research with the Ministry to advocate for increased investments into education, health, and social protection. UNICEF also supports MFLT in the reform of the social welfare system, by advancing the legal and policy framework in line with European and international standards. We also work jointly to increase the capacity of the social welfare workforce to provide better preventive and response services for children at risk of abuse, neglect, and exploitation.

Through partnership with the Ministry of Justice, UNICEF has supported the development and implementation of internationally aligned norms and standards for children in contact with the law and helped expand alternatives to detention and reintegration programmes in Kosovo.