OSCE Mission in Kosovo

Background

The OSCE Mission in Kosovo was established by the OSCE Permanent Council on 1 July 1999. It forms a distinct component of the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK). As Pillar III of UNMIK, the Mission is responsible for institution- and democracy-building, and promoting human rights and the rule of law.

History

The OSCE Mission in Kosovo is the third OSCE Mission that has been deployed in the former Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY). In 1992, the then CSCE (now OSCE) deployed the first Missions to Kosovo, Sandjak and Vojvodina. The mandate was not renewed the following year.

From October 1998 to March 1999, the Kosovo Verification Mission (KVM), the largest and most challenging OSCE operation up to that date, was deployed to verify the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia's compliance with UN Security Council Resolutions 1160 and 1199. The purpose of the KVM was to verify the cease-fire, monitor movement of forces, and promote human rights and democracy-building. When the security situation deteriorated in Kosovo in March 1999, the KVM was withdrawn.

The current Mission in Kosovo was set up in July 1999.

Tasks

Referring to UN Security Council Resolution 1244 (1999), the Council decided that the OSCE Mission in Kosovo would, within the overall framework of UNMIK, "take the lead role in matters relating to institution- and democracy-building and human rights and rule of law."

The Mission has three main fields of activity:

• Support to democratic institutions
• Human rights, good governance and communities
  
• Public safety and security

To help further develop domestic institutions and ensure their adherence to human rights and good governance standards, the Mission applies a proactive monitoring policy with a four-step process: monitoring, analyzing, reporting and recommending remedial action for observed shortcomings. When necessary, the Mission provides further training and advice to the authorities, or calls on the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General in Kosovo (SRSG) to use the UN's reserved powers.

Facts and figures

With a ceiling of 262 international and 664 local staff, the OSCE Mission in Kosovo is currently the largest OSCE field presence. The Mission is led by Ambassador Tim Guldimann of Switzerland, who has also been appointed Deputy Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Institution-Building.

Working with international partners

The Mission in Kosovo represents a new step for the OSCE in fostering co-operation between international organizations. For the first time, the OSCE is an integral part of an operation led by the United Nations.

The OSCE also closely interacts with its other major partners, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Council of Europe and the European Union. This involves both co-operation on specific projects and mutual support in terms of logistics and access to office facilities.

The Mission also maintains close links with the Kosovo Force (KFOR), the NATO-led peacekeeping force, which provides a secure environment for OSCE activities in Kosovo.