Albulena Haxhiu, Speaker of the Kosovo Assembly, held an inaugural briefing meeting with representatives of partner organizations and local and international civil society groups. Approximately forty representatives participated, marking Haxhiu’s first engagement with these organizations in her capacity as Speaker.
The meeting focused on open dialogue and cooperation, addressing challenges faced by civil society, ongoing projects, and recommendations for improving parliamentary work.
Key points discussed included:
- Enhanced cooperation between the Assembly and civil society to ensure early consultation on important legislation.
- Increasing transparency, including live broadcasting of parliamentary committee work and broader public access to Assembly activities.
- Maintaining respectful parliamentary language and taking clear action against denigrating speech.
- Strengthening the Assembly’s oversight role, especially in monitoring government expenditures.
- Integrating gender perspectives and environmental impact assessments into legislation.
- Supporting professional expertise from civil society in legislative processes.
- Implementing the Istanbul Convention and reviewing strategies for transitional justice.
In her closing remarks, Haxhiu emphasized that parliamentarians, especially new members, should view civil society as allies, utilizing their expertise to support legislative work. She underscored the necessity for timely drafting and processing of laws and stressed that denigrating language in the Assembly is unacceptable and requires institutional response.
Haxhiu announced steps to introduce a Code of Conduct for Deputies and confirmed the forthcoming activation of the Women Deputies Group and the Group of Young Deputies. She reaffirmed her ongoing support for parliamentary groups and committees and thanked all organizations for their contributions to strengthening democracy and national institutions.
Both Haxhiu and the civil society representatives agreed to hold regular thematic meetings to deepen cooperation and enhance institutional coordination.
