Three years in, Kosovo still struggling for international recognition

Martin Wählisch, international lawyer and Senior Researcher at the Center for Peace Mediation/ Institute for Conflict Management at the European University Viadrina and the Humboldt-Viadrina School of Governance, and Behar Xharra, EmpedocleMaffia Fellow at the Center for International Conflict Resolution, Columbia University, wrote an article this month on the challenges Kosovo is facing since it gained independence on 17 February 2008.

The country’s image abroad has taken a toll from recent news reports of organ trafficking, organised crime and corruption, although measures have been taken to decentralise government. Also, only 75 out of 192 states acknowledged the new state, putting Kosovo off the international radar.

The lack of recognition is having an impact on Kosovo’s citizens. A blog post by the Open Society Foundation reported Kosovo as one of the most isolated countries in the world. One passage reads:

Starkly, Kosovo citizens can travel to only four countries without visas. This is fewer than any other country in the world. Citizens of Afghanistan, Iraq and Somalia have significantly greater freedom when travelling. This all when Kosovo does not require a visa of any single traveller wishing to enter its territory.

Not only is the unemployment rate of 45% for young Kosovars one of the highest in Europe, but also women’s entrepreneurship in the country has room for improvement as well. “With only 6% of business registered to women owners in Kosovo, the challenges are enormous,’ says Mirlinda Kusari Purrini of SHE-ERA, the Kosovar Women’s Business Association which has published the publication of a set of policy recommendations designed to ensure a better contribution of women to the economy.

From an import-export point of view Kosovo is also unrecognised. Importing goods and services worth around 200 million USD from neighbouring countries such as Serbia and Bosnia Herzegovina, it is still impossible for Kosovo to export. On the upside, the Economic Initiative for Kosova (ECIKS) announced that trade of “Made in Kosova” products has slightly increased, but on the downside the renewal of the EU preferential trade agreement failed in the meantime. Therefore, goods from Kosovo brought into the market of the European Union will need to pay extra tariffs.

With its opening line “Dawn rolling over, the clouds bring the rain. It’s time to start over, time to join hands,” perhaps the Saatchi & Saatchi nation brand video (seen below) was getting ahead of itself. Kosovo will need to renew efforts inside and outside the country to gain the much-needed international recognition, especially to the benefit of its citizens. It’s a slow start, but these things take time.