On February 22, Group for Legal and Political Studies (GLPS) held the Annual Conference PAR Progress Kosovo 2023, under the title: “Public Administration Reform in Kosovo: Challenges, progress and the way forward”, held in Prishtina. GLPS has been has been  closely monitoring the progress of the  Public Administration Reform (PAR) in Kosovo, providing a civil society perspective on the process. Despite an evident progress reached over  the  years,  it  remains  insufficient  due  to  a variety of challenges. Factors such as lack of political willingness, instability, and inadequate inter-institutional coordination have greatly hindered progress in this crucial reform process.  This  affects  not  only  the  efficiency  of  the  administration  but  also  Kosovo’s  EU integration efforts.  Given  the  significance of  PAR  and  the  complex  dynamics  involved  in  this  process, GLPS organized the second Annual Conference that aimed to discuss  key  issues,  challenges,  and  results  related  to  PAR.  The  conference  brought together  more than 150 participants, including institutional stakeholders, civil society, academia, experts  and  professionals,  both  local  and  international,  to  engage  in  a  comprehensive dialogue on this significant reform process.

PAR Progress Kosovo 2023 was divided into three (3) thematic panel discussions, focusing on key PAR-related aspects, including publc service, accountability, rationalization of agencies and reorganization of ministries, and the Commentary on the Law on General Administrative Procedure. The latter was presented for the first time during the Annual PAR Progress Kosovo 2023, and is a novelty brought in Kosovo.

The Annual Conference was opened by the Prime Minister of Kosovo, Mr. Albin Kurti, followed by a speech from the Head of the EU Office in Kosovo/EUSR, Mr. Tomas Szunyog. Both, PM Kurti and Mr. Szunyog emphasized the importance of the public administration reform as one of the key processes that requires strong institutional and political willingness, in order to be properly implemented. Equal treatment, professionalism and efficiency are the priniciples that must be followed in order to ensure a well-functioning public administration in Kosovo, they concluded.

PAR Progress gathered more than 150 participants from various institutions, international organizations, embassies, academia, civil society and experts from the national and international arena.

Venue: Hotel Emerald, Prishtina, Kosovo.