The Assembly of Kosovo has marked the International Day of Democracy under the motto “Effective governance of artificial intelligence at all levels”. Speaker Glauk Konjufca said that this day is a call for attention from the institutions for building policies and human capacities. Among other things, it was said that the current government has violated democratic values and has shown a lack of accountability.

The Speaker of the Assembly of Kosovo, Glauk Konjufca, said that marking this day is an opportunity to emphasize the importance of the ideals of freedom, equality and justice.

“At a time when misinformation and disinformation are unfortunately increasingly gaining ground around the world, the global topic for this year’s International Day of Democracy by the United Nations is artificial intelligence as a tool for better governance alongside the dangers posed to democracy, when we do not have control mechanisms. This is, among other things, a call for attention from our institutions to work together to build policies and human capacities to put artificial intelligence into operation, with the aim of increasing efficiency, transparency and decision-making to create a general government, while simultaneously maintaining trust and integrity in the processes of democratic governance”, said Konjufca.

Konjufca added that democracy is maintained through civic engagement, as he emphasized that elections are essential for democracy.

The director of the National Democratic Institute (NDI) in Kosovo, Nancy Soderberg spoke about artificial intelligence, for which she said that even in Kosovo there have been cases of influence on women.

“Artificial intelligence offers great opportunities for progress, but this amazing technology also presents fundamental challenges, especially how it deals with human rights and democratic values. In Kosovo, we have seen that AI and digital tools can be misused to disrupt the participation of women, then spreading dangerous narratives and undermining democratic values… Kosovo has the opportunity to build high standards that can be used for the good of the society in general and by promoting transparency”, she said.

The Chairperson of the Forum for Parliamentary Transparency, Arbëresha Kryeziu-Hyseni, said that the assembly is the most democratic place, adding that transparency and accountability have increased.

“One of the most democratic, transparent institutions that the Republic of Kosovo has. And at the same time one of the most democratic institutions that the countries of the region and the Balkans have and this has come precisely because we have always moved forward in our common goal to increase the level of democracy in Kosovo and to show that we are ready to change and we have done this together year after year… The Assembly today is more open and accessible than ever before, and for this reason transparency has also increased and accountability is greater”, she said.

Meanwhile, the MP of the Democratic Party of Kosovo, Blerta Deliu-Kodra, said that democratic values have been violated.

A fair of civil society organizations was also organized in the lobby of the Assembly of Kosovo