For the first time in the Republic of Kosovo, the Ministry of Labor, Family and Values of the Liberation War mark 15 May – International Family Day, with various activities and the “Table for Noting the International Family Day”, of the highest institutional level.
The “Table for Noting the International Family Day”, was attended by the Prime Minister of the Republic of Kosovo, Mr. Albin Kurti, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Justice, Ms. Donika Gërvalla-Schwëarz, the Chairperson of the Commission for Human Rights, Gender Equality, Labor, Family, Values of the Liberation War and Petitions, Ms. Fatmire Mulhaxha-Kollçaku, as well as representatives of non-governmental, local and international organizations.
Full speech of the Minister, Mr. Andin Hoti:
Honorable Prime Minister of the Republic of Kosovo, Mr. Albin Kurti, Honorable Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Justice, Ms. Donika Gërvalla-Schwëarz, Chair of the Commission for Human Rights, Gender Equality, Work, Family, Values of the Liberation War and Petitions, Ms. Fatmire Mulhaxha-Kollçaku, Honorable local and international non-governmental organizations, Honorable partners, Honorable media, Honorable attendees, Dear citizens:
Thank you for being with us today to mark the International Day of Families. Thank you for being with us today to mark the International Day of Families.
Today we have come together to appreciate and affirm the irreplaceable role that the family has in building a healthy, just and solidary society.
This day, proclaimed by the United Nations, has a special importance for the Ministry of Labor, Family and Values of the Liberation War, for the institutions of the Republic of Kosovo, civil society organizations and, above all, for our families themselves.
The celebration of this day demonstrates the institutional commitment to the family remaining at the center of our social and development policies. For this reason, we have chosen the slogan:
The State is Built in the Family
Because it is precisely in the family that human values, solidarity, civic responsibility, the education of generations and the social and economic dignity of our society are built.
The family in Kosovo has always been the main pillar of our social and national stability. In challenging times, our families have maintained unity, care for each other and the values of solidarity.
Today, in the face of economic, social and demographic challenges, the preservation and strengthening of the family remains a national priority.
Therefore, our institutions are committed to:
• protecting the dignity of every family,
• strengthening social welfare,
• creating equal opportunities,
• and providing support for families in need, children, the elderly, people with disabilities, women and youth.
We strongly believe that an economically supported family with the appropriate social and family services is the basis for a more stable, more developed and fairer Kosovo.
In the previous mandate and in this mandate, for the first time, the family has been placed at the center of state policy-making through concrete and measurable measures.
Child and maternity benefits have been established and are being implemented, as policies that have brought direct support to families and have contributed to improving the country’s demographic prospects.
At the same time, we have launched a deep reform of social assistance, with the aim of creating a fairer, more efficient and more dignified system for families in need, by linking social support with activation in the labor market.
During this period, the Ministry has advanced social and family policies and services with a focus on child protection and family empowerment.
Kosovo has compiled the National Commitments 2026–2028 for Child Care Reform, fully accepted at the international level, ranking first in the Balkans and seventh in the world.
To increase the quality of social and family services, over 400 professionals were trained during the period February–April 2026, while the Minimum Package of Social Services for families and children in need was also finalized..
The Ministry has allocated over 2.5 million euros for financing social and family services and is finalizing the National Plan for Family Housing for the protection of children without parental care.
At the same time, important institutional and legal reforms are being advanced, including the Department for Family Policy, the Social Insurance Fund, the “one-stop-shop” model, and the finalization of 15 by-laws from the Law on Social and Family Services.
Currently, over 15,000 families benefit from the Social Assistance Scheme, over 3,500 families from the World Bank-supported project, and over 4,000 children from the scheme for supporting children with disabilities. The Ministry is also working on the reform of the Social Assistance Scheme and the comprehensive Law on Persons with Disabilities, with the aim of building a fairer and more inclusive social system.
Honorable attendees:
The Ministry of Labor, Family and Values of the Liberation War remains committed to, in order to protect the economic dignity and social well-being of all families in the Republic of Kosovo, continuing to work so that every family feels supported, every child feels protected and every citizen has the opportunity for a life of dignity and social security.
Because the family is not just a social structure, the family is the heart of our society and the foundation on which the future of Kosovo is built.
Thank you!
