GIZ Kosovo

20/08/2026

Returning home is not always the end of a difficult journey. Sometimes, it is the beginning of another one.

In our latest article, Naim Basha, clinical psychologist at GIZ Kosovo, shares what he has learned from nearly two decades of supporting returnees in .

From the challenges of rebuilding a sense of belonging to the importance of trust, psychological support and simply having someone to turn to, his perspective offers a closer look at what reintegration really means.

“Returning home does not automatically end the emotional challenges of migration.”

Read the full conversation: https://www.giz.de/en/regions/europe/kosovo/news/quiet-work-starting-over-return-does-not-end-journey-it-begins-new-one

19/08/2026

Investing in gender equality is one of the smartest investments a society can make

The in Sarajevo provided a space for stakeholders from across the Western Balkans to build partnerships and discuss how gender equality can contribute to stronger institutions, greater social cohesion and progress towards integration, bringing together more than 150 participants from across the region.

In her opening remarks, Heike Backofen-Warnecke, Head of Division at the Bundesministerium für wirtschaftliche Zusammenarbeit und Entwicklung (BMZ), reaffirmed ’s commitment to advancing gender equality as a matter of rights, equal opportunities and sustainable development.

🎥 Take a look at some moments from the forum that created an important space for regional dialogue and cooperation, bringing together perspectives and experiences from across the .

13/08/2026

Open call: Young people from Kosovo, join the regional conversation on just transition 🇽🇰🌱

For the first time, the Youth at the Heart of Just Transition training brings together young people from across the to share experiences, connect with peers and turn community perspectives into concrete policy recommendations.

For young people from , this is an opportunity to bring local realities to a regional conversation and help shape the future they will live in.

📍 Bitola, North Macedonia
📅 5-8 October 2026
⏰ Apply by 27 August 2026

🔗 Learn more and apply: https://www.rycowb.org/open-call-youth-at-the-heart-of-just-transition-from-dialogue-to-policy-recommendations/

Bundesministerium für wirtschaftliche Zusammenarbeit und Entwicklung (BMZ) | GIZ | Regional Youth Cooperation Office - RYCO

12/08/2026

Different contexts, common aspirations

This year’s theme highlights a simple truth: young people may grow up in different contexts, but their hopes and aspirations often bring them closer together.

This is at the heart of , creating opportunities for young people from and across the to meet, exchange experiences and learn from one another.

🎥 Take a look at some moments from the Superschools Youth Camp 2026, which brought together more than 100 young people in Zlatibor: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8fG67DPHmCo

| Bundesministerium für wirtschaftliche Zusammenarbeit und Entwicklung (BMZ) | GIZ | Regional Youth Cooperation Office - RYCO

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

11/08/2026

Are you a journalist covering climate, energy, environment or EU integration?

Applications are now open for the Regional Training for Journalists: Reporting on the Green Agenda for the Western Balkans, taking place 16–18 September 2026 in Podgorica and Žabljak, Montenegro.

As part of Germany’s Regional Climate Partnership in the Western Balkans, this training will provide journalists with practical skills, regional insights and new connections to strengthen their reporting on the Green Agenda.

📅 Apply by 24 August 2026

👉 Find the full application details here: https://media.ba/en/event/regional-training-journalists-reporting-green-agenda-western-balkans

Bundesministerium für wirtschaftliche Zusammenarbeit und Entwicklung (BMZ) | Mediacentar Sarajevo

07/08/2026

Public procurement affects how public funds become public services

A newly published report examines the work of Kosovo's Procurement Review Body and the handling of procurement complaints, contributing to greater transparency, accountability, and stronger public procurement practices.

Read the full report by Democracy Plus, supported by the German Government through GIZ: https://dplus.org/publikimet/siguria-juridike-ne-prokurimin-publik-permes-praktikes-se-oshp-se/21653/?fbclid=IwY2xjawTio99wZG9mAWV4dG4DYWVtAjEwAGJyaWQRMWJObHZ2c3huU3pmSk9HTTNzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEeNJ6QKhc24WjHqxBTx-f85sRzzAKuosdz4OlQcd87tUziBlFiyWeJ_6RVsbE_aem_SEb8dpSHOi_97jtfVcgsAA

Organi Shqyrtues i Prokurimit (OShP), i njohur si "Gjykata e Tenderëve", është një nga institucionet kyçe të sistemit të prokurimit publik në Kosovë. Roli i tij bëhet edhe më i rëndësishëm në një fushë ku gjatë vitit 2025 u menaxhuan mbi 1 miliard euro buxhet publik, ndërsa çdo ankesë e paraqitur pezullon, në parim, nënshkrimin e kontratës dhe mund të vonojë realizimin e investimeve publike.

Raporti i monitorimit, i mbështetur nga Qeveria Gjermane përmes Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ Kosovo) GmbH, analizon transparencën, efikasitetin dhe konsistencën e OShP-së në trajtimin e ankesave. Përmes rasteve konkrete, evidentohen situata kur autoritetet kontraktuese nuk zbatojnë vendimet e OShP-së, duke shkaktuar vonesa të gjata në procedurat e prokurimit, si dhe raste kur ankesa përfundon pa një vendim meritor, duke lënë pa përgjigje thelbin e kontestit.

Raporti trajton gjithashtu praktikën inkonsistente në anulimin e aktiviteteve të prokurimit, interpretimin e ndryshëm të kritereve për vendosjen e operatorëve ekonomikë në "Listën e Zezë", si dhe raste kur kompani të diskualifikuara kanë arritur të paraqesin ankesa, madje edhe të fitojnë kontrata publike gjatë periudhës së diskualifikimit.

Një pjesë e veçantë i kushtohet tarifës së ankesës, e cila mund të arrijë deri në 10,000 euro. Analiza evidenton raste kur OShP ka konfiskuar tarifën, ndërsa në raste të tjera e ka kthyer atë, edhe pse të gjitha pretendimet e kompanive janë vlerësuar si të pabazuara. Po ashtu, raporti shqyrton praktikën e rrallë të kompensimit të dëmeve dhe shpenzimeve procedurale për operatorët ekonomikë që rezultojnë të suksesshëm në procedurën e ankimit.

Raporti i plotë sjell një analizë të detajuar të praktikës së OShP-së dhe identifikon sfidat që ndikojnë në efektivitetin e mbrojtjes juridike dhe funksionimin e sistemit të prokurimit publik në Kosovë.

👉 Klikoni këtu për të lexuar raportin: https://dplus.org/publikimet/siguria-juridike-ne-prokurimin-publik-permes-praktikes-se-oshp-se/21653/

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The Procurement Review Body (PRB), often referred to as Kosovo's "Tender Court", is one of the key institutions within the country's public procurement system. Its role is particularly significant in a sector that managed more than €1 billion in public funds in 2025, where every complaint, as a rule, suspends the signing of a public contract and can delay the implementation of public investments.

This monitoring report, supported by the German Government through the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, examines the PRB's transparency, efficiency, and consistency in handling procurement complaints. Through concrete case studies, it highlights instances where contracting authorities failed to implement PRB decisions, resulting in lengthy procurement delays, as well as cases where complaint procedures were concluded without a decision on the merits, leaving the core dispute unresolved.

The report also explores inconsistent practices in the cancellation of procurement procedures, differing interpretations of the criteria for placing economic operators on the "Black List", and cases where disqualified companies were nevertheless able to file complaints and even win public contracts during their period of disqualification.

A dedicated section examines the complaint fee, which can reach up to €10,000. The analysis identifies cases where the PRB confiscated the fee, while in other cases it refunded it, even though all of the companies' claims were found to be unfounded. The report also reviews the PRB's rarely used practice of awarding compensation for damages and procedural costs to successful complainants.

The full report provides an in-depth analysis of the PRB's decision-making practice and identifies the challenges affecting the effectiveness of legal protection and the overall functioning of Kosovo's public procurement system.

👉 Read the full report here: https://dplus.org/en/publications/legal-certainty-in-public-procurement-through-the-practice-of-the-prb/21669/

06/08/2026

Better public spaces start with local voices 🌳

In Prizren, Gjakova/Đakovica and Gjilan/Gnjilane, citizens, civil society organisations and local institutions came together to co-design the future of their public spaces.

Community members gathered at public institutions to identify local needs, discuss challenges and propose practical ideas for three priority public spaces in each municipality. Their input will now inform the preparation of additional schematic design projects to be integrated into the Public Space Masterplans, which provides municipalities with a pipeline of conceptual projects and people-centred public spaces.

The best public spaces are designed with the people who use them every day. 💚

Find out more: https://www.giz.de/en/regions/europe/kosovo/news/planning-greener-and-more-resilient-public-spaces-kosovo

Bundesministerium für wirtschaftliche Zusammenarbeit und Entwicklung (BMZ) | SECO Economic Cooperation and Development

05/08/2026

"Return does not end the journey. It begins a new one."

For nearly 20 years, clinical psychologist Naim Basha has supported returnees in Kosovo through the URA reintegration project. In our new interview, he talks about what people carry with them when they come back: uncertainty, fear, and often the quiet struggle of belonging to two places at once.

Last year alone, URA registered, counselled, and assisted more than 800 returnees, offering post-arrival support, help entering the labour market, and psychosocial counselling.

His message to anyone who has just returned and is afraid to ask for help: "Asking for help is not a sign of weakness, it is a sign of strength."

Read the full interview: https://www.giz.de/en/regions/europe/kosovo/news/quiet-work-starting-over-return-does-not-end-journey-it-begins-new-one

Implemented by GIZ on behalf of the German Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF), under the authority of the Federal Ministry of the Interior (BMI).

Kosovo Overview News Downloads 05.08.2026 The Quiet Work of Starting Over: "Return does not end the journey. It begins a new one." A conversation with Naim Basha, a clinical psychologist who has spent nearly two decades supporting returnees in Kosovo through the URA reintegration project. Displaceme...

03/08/2026

Connecting investors, institutions and renewable energy projects in Kosovo 🇽🇰🇩🇪

Kosovo’s renewable energy potential is growing, creating new opportunities for investment and German-Kosovar business cooperation. Realising this potential requires closer coordination among investors, financial institutions, renewable energy project developers and public institutions.

To advance this cooperation, GIZ and the German-Kosovar Business Association (OEGJK-KDWV) have signed a new grant agreement focused on connecting these stakeholders and supporting renewable energy investments in .

Through investment forums, stakeholder roundtables and targeted business matchmaking, investors will connect directly with Kosovar institutions, financial partners and renewable energy project developers. The goal is to give investment-ready projects greater visibility, navigate regulatory and financing requirements, and turn shared interests into lasting German-Kosovar partnerships.

The project Support to the Climate and Energy Transition Partnership is supported by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Climate Action, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMUKN) through the International Climate Initiative (IKI) and implemented by GIZ.

03/08/2026

Cleaner and cheaper energy for Kosovo’s people

Today our Head of Cooperation Daniel Alker joined the Secretary General in the Ministry of Economy, Leonita Shabani Mullarama, and GIZ Project Manager Avni Sfishta in the signing of the Implementation Agreement for the Kosovo Energy Project, which is financed by Germany and co-financed by Denmark. This project is set to support further progress in Kosovo’s energy transition by improving conditions for investments by the state, by citizens and by companies in energy efficiency and renewable energy. Ultimately, Kosovo’s citizens will benefit by a cleaner and healthier environment and by more affordable energy.

To reach these goals, the project, among other things, aims to:
- Support Municipalities to better plan their energy and climate priorities and turn these plans into investment opportunities.
- Improve access to relevant information and to financing for investors in the energy transition.
- Support a stronger national regulatory framework for more investment in energy efficiency and renewable energy for self-consumption.
- Create new opportunities for the participation of women in the energy sector.

New financing mechanisms will help bring energy efficiency and renewable energy solutions to more buildings, creating opportunities for citizens to benefit from more efficient and sustainable energy use. And more women will have opportunities to participate and build careers in the energy sector.

Today’s agreement builds on over two decades of German-Kosovar cooperation and moves Kosovo a step closer to bringing its energy sector in line with EU requirements. Germany remains a committed partner in Kosovo's path toward a secure, sustainable, inclusive and European energy future. 🇩🇪🤝🇽🇰