International Youth Day 2025

Pristina, August 12, 2025 – To mark International Youth Day 2025, a roundtable was co-hosted by the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports and UNICEF Kosovo, bringing together young changemakers, government representatives, and development partners to discuss the future of youth in Kosovo.

Over the past decade, in partnership with the Austrian Development Cooperation (ADC) in Kosovo, UNICEF Kosovo, together with central and local institutions, has empowered over 40,000 youth with 21st-century skills, leadership training, digital literacy, and problem-solving capacities. This sustained investment has laid the groundwork for the reforms now underway.

The discussion centered on recent legal and institutional reforms, including the newly adopted Law on Youth, the establishment of the Youth Council, and the creation of the Agency for Youth Development. These steps were widely recognized as critical milestones, but participants emphasized that their full and equitable implementation will be key to ensuring all young people, regardless of their background, can actively contribute to shaping policies and decisions that affect their lives.

The roundtable also addressed the importance of career guidance in light of rapid technological shifts, particularly developments in artificial intelligence and their impact on the future of work. Which professions will be in demand? What skills will young people need to thrive? Participants stressed the importance of future-oriented education, upskilling, and preparing youth to navigate an evolving job market.

The Youth Guarantee was also highlighted as a promising approach to connect young people with employment, further education, or training within months of leaving school.

In Kosovo, Kosovo Generation Unlimited, a platform for internships and skills development developed by UNICEF and partners with strong institutional anchorage and owrnership by the Ministry of Finance, Labour and Transfers (MFLT), aims to equip 10,000 young people with 21st-century skills through internships, training, and structured mentorship. Combining proven methods with innovative ideas, the initiative offers young people a stronger start in the job market while supporting broader social and economic progress.

As the only place in Europe currently in the early demographic dividend stage, Kosovo faces a unique but time-limited opportunity to harness the ideas, skills, and leadership of its youth, not just for community-driven initiatives, but for accelerating progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

This International Youth Day, the message is clear: legislative and institutional reforms are only the first step. The real challenge lies in turning them into action that creates equal opportunities, strengthens youth participation, and ensures every young person can shape the future they deserve.

UNICEF remains committed to working alongside youth, institutions, civil society, and the private sector to make these reforms a reality, creating meaningful pathways for education, employment, and participation for every young person in Kosovo.

Let’s not just celebrate youth, let’s listen to them, learn from them, and lead alongside them.