OSCE Mission in Kosovo

Human rights violations still occur in Kosovo. Responsibility lies with the executive, but also the legislative and judicial, authorities, be it while providing services or implementing legislation.

The OSCE Mission, therefore, engages in a number of activities to help ensure that adequate mechanisms for human rights protection and public accountability are in place, and that the central and municipal governments meet the needs of all Kosovo inhabitants.

Special attention is paid to the rights of national minority communities, as well as to the rights of traditionally disadvantaged groups, such as women, youth and persons with disabilities.

Communities

The Mission analyses existing, and helps draft new, legislation that will cater for human rights protection and enable greater participation of minority groups in decision-making. It focuses on minority participation, civil registration, language and education, as well as access to utilities and infrastructure, health services, employment and fair-share financing of minority groups' needs.

Furthermore, the Mission issues specific reports to inform domestic and other relevant authorities (international institutions) about failures to protect the rights of national minorities, and to recommend necessary improvements in performance.

Property rights

One key issue is property rights. The failure to comply with property rights regulations impedes the return process, as well as economic development and the rule of law. Hence, the Mission works with the domestic authorities, at both central and local levels, to enhance their policies and to promote and strengthen compliance with housing and other relevant laws and regulations.

It also closely co-operates with the Kosovo Property Agency, which is responsible for addressing housing and commercial property claims.

Anti-trafficking

To address the problem of internal and external trafficking in human beings to and from Kosovo, the Mission co-operates with a number of domestic counterparts. These include governmental (ministries, municipalities and bureaus) and non-governmental institutions, as well as the police and judiciary. The Mission helped develop a set of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to better co-ordinate the work of all parties involved. Each SOP addresses a specific victim group - minors, adults, local residents or foreign citizens.

In addition to developing the SOPs, the Mission is also providing training on their content and helps facilitate effective communication between all the relevant actors.

Ministerial human rights units

In an effort to raise human rights awareness within the central Government, the Mission has helped to establish human rights units in all provisional ministries, and now supports their work. These units aim to ensure that human rights and good governance principles are followed by all ministerial operations, from developing policy and drafting legislation and subsidiary acts to issuing administrative instructions and ministerial permissions. Several of the Mission's human rights advisers are assigned to work closely with the ministries.

Municipal teams

The Mission has deployed 33 municipal teams (MTs) to work with local authorities and monitor their adherence to human rights and good governance standards. When a shortcoming is observed, the MTs analyse it, report on it and recommend remedial action to be taken. Their work is supported by the Mission's officials working in five regional centres and at the Mission's headquarters.

Human rights institutions

In parallel with working with the central and municipal governments and helping them adhere to human rights standards, the Mission also supports the work of independent institutions that are becoming the key guarantors of human rights. The Mission supports the work of the Ombudsperson Institution of Kosovo as the final step in protecting rights, as well as the Kosovo Judicial Institute, which provides continuous human rights education to lawyers and judges.