OSCE Presence in Albania

1. Basic Decisions

Establishment:

• 108th Permanent Council, Decision No. 160, 27 March 1997

Adjustment of the Mandate:

• 107th Permanent Council, Decision No. 158, 20 March 1997
• 108th Permanent Council, Decision No. 160, 27 March 1997
• 137th Permanent Council, Decision No. 193, 5 November 1997
• 143rd Permanent Council, Decision No. 206, 11 December 1997
• 156th Permanent Council, Decision No. 218, 11 March 1998

Update of Mandate of the Presence:

• 488th Permanent Council, Decision No. 588, 18 December 2003

2. Tasks

On the basis of the reports by the Personal Representative of the Chairman-in-Office, Dr. Franz Vranitzky, on his visits to Albania on 8 and 14 March 1997, and following the Decision No. 158 (107th Plenary Meeting of 20 March 1997), the Permanent Council in its Decision No. 160 (108th Plenary Meeting of 27 March 1997) decided to establish an OSCE presence in Albania in co-operation with the Albanian authorities and to provide the co-ordinating framework within which other international organizations can play their part in their respective areas of competence, in support of a coherent international strategy, and in facilitating improvements in the protection of human rights and basic elements of civil society.

1. In co-operation with other international organizations, such as the Council of Europe, the OSCE will provide advice and assistance, in particular in the following fields:

• Democratization, the media and human rights;
• Election preparation and monitoring.

Furthermore, the OSCE will explore other possibilities, including monitoring the collection of weapons.
[...]

The overall co-ordination of the efforts of the international community will be ensured by Dr. Vranitzky as Personal Representative of the Chairman-in-Office. He will report to the Permanent Council on progress achieved.
[...]

2. The Permanent Council

• Has taken note of the official appeal made by the Albanian authorities to a group of countries for assistance in resolving the security situation in Albania;
• Expects any assistance to be given in accordance with the United Nations Charter and OSCE principles and in accordance with appropriate action by the United Nations Security Council;
• Expects to be informed on any further steps to be taken in this context.

In Decision No. 206 of 11 December 1997 the Permanent Council made the following adjustments to its Decision No. 160 of 27 March 1997:

The Permanent Council decides that:

• In co-operation with other international organizations, such as the Council of Europe, the OSCE will provide advice and assistance, in particular in the field of democratization, media and human rights;
• The flexible co-ordination of the efforts of the international community will be ensured by the OSCE Presence in Albania acting as a clearing-house for information on the international efforts in Albania.

Recalling Permanent Council Decisions Nos. 158, 160, 168, and 178, and taking into account the conclusions of the Rome and Brussels Conferences on Albania, the Permanent Council further decides:

• To continue to provide a flexible co-ordinating framework in concert with the Albanian Government within which other international organizations can play their part in their respective areas of competence, in support of a coherent international strategy;
• That there will be semi-annual reviews of the implementation of this mandate and of the work of the OSCE in Albania.

In Decision No. 218, taken in a special session on the Kosovo crisis on 11 March 1998, the Permanent Council decided to temporarily enhance the monitoring capabilities of the OSCE Presence in Albania in order to allow for adequate observation of the borders with Kosovo, FRY, and prevention of possible crisis spillover effects. The Head of Presence will report regularly on his observations.

With the end of the Kosovo crisis in 1999, the border monitoring activities of the OSCE Presence were progressively downscaled and the border monitoring field stations were transformed into normal Field Stations.

In Decision No. 588 taken on 18 December 2003, the Permanent Council, recognizing the country's overall progress achieved in Albania in recent years, as well as the increased central position that the country's institutions have taken, decided to update the mandate of the OSCE Presence in Albania to reflect the developments which have taken place in the country.

Working in close consultation and co-operation with the Government of Albania, the OSCE Presence provides assistance and expertise in the following areas:

• Legislative and judicial reform, including property reform;
• Regional administrative reform;
• Electoral reform;
• Parliamentary capacity-building
• Anti-trafficking and anti-corruption, including supporting the implementation of relevant national strategies;
• Development of effective laws and regulations on the independent media and its code of conduct;
• Promotion of good governance and targeted projects for strengthening of civil society;
• Police assistance, in particular training for border police, within a co-ordinated framework with other international actors in field

3. Deployment

The Presence started working in Tirana on 3 April 1997.

4. Duration

As specified by the Decision No. 750 of the Permanent Council, the duration of the mandate will be until 31 December 2007.

5. Composition

The total number of international staff is 30 (as of March 2006), with international staff at headquarters in Tirana and at four Field Stations in Gjirokaster, Kukes, Shkoder and Vlora. The Head of the Presence (since October 2007) is Robert Bosch of the Netherlands.

6. Financial Implications

The OSCE Unified Budget for 2006, adopted at the Permanent Council on 20 December 2005, PC.DEC/712, established the budget of the OSCE Presence in Albania at EUR 3.8 million.