BGF part of 'The Next Frontier: Human Development and the Anthropocene' organized by UNDP and the Swedish Embassy

Today, February 1, marked the launch of the 2020 Global Human Development Report, with the "The Next Frontier: Human Development and the Anthropocene" panel, where the Executive Director of Balkan Green Foundation, Visar Azemi, was one of the panelists. 

UNDP gathered representatives from the civil society, parliament and Green Caucus group, government, entrepreneurs, and keynote speakers Ms. Mirjana Spoljaric Egger - Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations, Assistant Administrator of UNDP, and Director of the UNDP Regional Bureau for Europe and the CIS; Mr. Muharrem Nitaj - Minister of Economy and Environment; H.E. Karin Hernmarck - Ambassador, Swedish Embassy; Mr. Ben Slay - UNDP Senior Economic Advisor Government, Swedish embassy.

Discussions delved into how humanity can adapt in a way that encompasses global trends such as advances in technology as well as global challenges including uneven development, deepening inequalities, and climate change. Points of dialogue also centered on how we could ensure the well-being of the people and the planet in a fair way, implications for Kosovo and the region, and for how we approach sustainability in all that we do.

The speakers highlighted the challenges faced, related policy development, the importance of green investment and concertedly gave emphasis on how Covid-19 has left a marking on our lives but emphasized that a balanced recovery between humans and the planet should be a new way forward. They underlined that the cooperation of all actors is instrumental in propelling forward matters within this field.

During the panel discussion that brought together actors from various fields, Visar Azemi, identified a number of challenges Kosovo faces in the environmental domain including data gaps for informed decision making and planning, and emphasized the need for advancements in areas of green energy, circular economy and pave the path for solutions to environmental harm and planetary pressures.

He underlined that the recovery should be built upon principles of sustainable development, and reemphasized that the people and the planet put in parallel in the developmental efforts, in a manner that catalyzes change and brings about a sustainable recovery in the post-Covid-19 era. ‘Sustainable development and paving the new way forward in this regard is not a responsibility of not an individual, but of us all as a society and we should take action as we have a responsibility to the generations to come.‘ marked Mr. Azemi.

Since 1990, the HDR has inspired people at the center of development and will continue to do so in the Anthropocene. We as a society should work together towards a common goal and help in forwarding and advancing this agenda.