In a sign of dissatisfaction with the failure to constitute the Assembly and the impact of this blockade on many child protection processes, the Coalition of Organizations for Child Protection – KOMF, organized an activity with the motto: “Your seats are not worth more than the lives and well-being of children”.

The purpose of this activity was to encourage reflection and institutional responsibility of the deputies towards the difficult reality that many children in Kosovo face and their needs. As a result of this blockade, many policies that directly affect the well-being and lives of children continue to remain unapproved.

The necessary reforms  to reorganize and strengthen social policies have stagnated. The adoption of several key draft laws continues to be lacking, such as: the Draft Law on Social Assistance; the Draft Law on Rights, Assessment, Treatment and Recognition of Status, Services and Benefits for Persons with Disabilities; the Draft Civil Code as well as the reform stemming from the Law on Social and Family Services. All of these processes are essential for alleviating child poverty, strengthening the family and protecting children, with a special focus on protecting vulnerable children.

Policies in the field of child health have also stagnated. Several important draft laws have not yet been adopted, including: the Draft Law on Health, the Draft Law on Mental Health, the Draft Law on the Prohibition of Energy Drinks for Persons under the Age of 18, etc. The delay in these processes has a direct impact on children’s health, hindering their access to quality health services and appropriate healthcare.

Without a constituted Assembly, there can be no significant investments in child protection. The Draft Law on Local Government Finances remains unapproved. Through this draft law, it is envisaged to make a sustainable solution for financing social services provided to vulnerable children and families, through the allocation of a special budget for social services. Currently, social service providers, whether public such as the Centers for Social Work, or non-governmental, are in a very difficult situation due to the lack of funding, human resources and adequate infrastructure.

In addition to its legislative function, the Assembly also has an monitoring mandate, including monitoring the implementation of adopted laws. The lack of a constituted Assembly directly impacts on the reduction of the level of accountability and oversight in the field of child protection. This creates an institutional vacuum and risks worsening the situation of children, especially those in vulnerable circumstances.

The situation of children in Kosovo remains difficult. According to the latest available data, 72% of children in Kosovo experience violent forms of discipline within the family environment. 5% of children in Kosovo are involved in hard labor. Only 10% of children with disabilities receive quality health and social services. Only 15% of children in Kosovo aged 3-4 years attend early childhood development programs. It is estimated that the total number of users of narcotic substances has exceeded 30,000. The fact that the average age of starting drug use is decreasing, from 18 years old in 2018, to 16 years old in the recent period, remains extremely worrying. The pass rate in the 2023 achievement test was only 52.1%, while “PISA” ranked Kosovo in 76th place out of 80 participating countries. During 2023, the number of children in conflict with the law reported by the Kosovo Police was 2175 children.