This National Development Strategy (or NDS) for the period from the year 2024 until the year 2044 is a leading document that defines the main national development goals, strategic areas, and priorities for the accelerated, inclusive, balanced, gender-equal, and sustainable development of the Republic of North Macedonia. The NDS identifies key challenges and priorities of the state, especially bearing in mind the Republic of North Macedonia's aspirations to join the European Union (EU) by 2030 and the commitment to sustainable development outlined in the 2030 Agenda. The NDS essentially incorporates the main goals defined in the adopted strategic documents, while also providing guidelines for future strategic documents and policies.
The main goal of the NDS is to be a comprehensive strategic document that will enable a fundamental transformation of the Republic of North Macedonia. The main idea of the NDS is to enable continuity in strategic planning and a consistent response to major challenges, regardless of political orientation. The NDS is a key strategic document that defines the vision for the development of the Republic of North Macedonia, which is fundamentally based on three basic national development goals: 1. Strengthening the competitiveness of the economy through a functional and innovative ecosystem, improving the skills, knowledge, inclusion and resilience of citizens; 2. Governance models that are open, accountable, comprehensive and resilient, capable of preventing, appropriately responding, and fostering prosperity for all groups in society; 3. Social inclusion, which entails improved social, health, and educational services aimed at providing benefits to individuals, businesses, and society as a whole. The plan is to implement these national development goals through six key strategic areas: 1. Sustainable, Innovative and Competitive Economy; 2. Sustainable Local and Regional Development that Ensures Cohesion; 3. Demographic Revitalization and Social and Cultural Development; 4. Secure, Safe and Resilient Society; 5. Rule of Law and Good Governance and 6. Green Transformation. This text also includes cross-related issues regarding different topics and sectors such as demographics, migration, climate change, education and health, energy, food supply and food safety, geopolitics and digital transformation.
The vision here stated is as follow: People in the Republic of North Macedonia have a high standard of living and thrive in an economy that is sustainable, competitive and provides equal opportunities for all. Institutions are efficient, accountable, responsible, innovative and open to civic participation. The communities we live in are green, safe, resilient to modern risks and dangers, infrastructurally connected and digitized. These conditions contribute to laying the foundation for prosperous young people and satisfied, happy, healthy, and actively aging individuals. Art and culture are the pillars of our society and contribute to improving collective well-being and the international perception of the country.