OSCE Mission in Kosovo

For most of Kosovo's inhabitants, municipalities are their first and only point of contact with the authorities. It is from the latter that residents receive the largest portion of governmental services and with them that they exercise their civic rights.

The OSCE Mission, charged with institution-building and promoting human rights, has municipal teams working in Kosovo's 30 municipalities and three pilot municipal units.

These teams monitor the work of municipalities to help local authorities uphold good governance and human rights principles. Special attention is paid to the needs of minority communities and the return process.

In addition, the Mission is also engaged in municipal governance reform, which is becoming increasingly important as the municipalities are preparing to assume additional responsibilities under the new Law on Local Self-Government expected in 2008. The Mission also assists local level legislators with drafting municipal statutes and regulations.

Proactive monitoring

Proactive monitoring is a four-step process that includes monitoring, analyzing, reporting and recommending remedial action for observed shortcomings in the work of municipal authorities.

The Mission's 33 municipal teams, each manned with three national and two international staff members, maintain daily contact with local authorities and the population. They observe the daily work of municipalities, including the sessions of the Municipal Assembly and its committees, and the work of the executive, and provide on-site advice on how to improve municipal operations.

They closely monitor:

• observance of the Assembly Rules of Procedure, 
• application of human rights principles in the legislative process, 
• regularity of appointments, 
• proper use of official languages, 
• protection of property rights and cultural heritage, 
• freedom of movement and 
• access to public services such as health, education and utilities.

The information collected at the municipal level is also shared with central level authorities to ensure comprehensive institutional follow-up.

Local governance reform

To help improve the quality of services and the responsiveness of municipalities to the needs of their inhabitants, the Mission is providing advice on how to better plan municipal budgets, increase transparency and include the public in decision-making.

The Mission is also helping municipalities apply a three-year planning cycle whereby budgets are reviewed annually for the next three years. Each year, budget preparation includes public hearings that provide the public with an opportunity to influence municipal plans for the next year, for example in infrastructure development and capital investments.

Furthermore, with the OSCE's assistance, municipalities have also developed transparency action plans that regulate the public's insight in their work and enable greater public participation.

In 2008, the Mission will continue to support these processes.

Local self-regulation

In Kosovo, laws are developed at the central level by the provisional ministries and the Assembly of Kosovo. Though bound by these laws, municipalities still exercise a high level of self-regulation by developing municipal statutes and regulations.

The Mission monitors and assists the development of municipal regulatory documents to ensure that human rights and good governance principles are fully taken into account. It also supports the inclusion of minorities in the drafting process and helps ensure that municipal regulations are in line with applicable legislation.

Co-operation with the central Government

Bringing together its efforts at central and local levels, the Mission also assesses the legal framework governing relations between the central Government and municipalities. It stimulates co-operation between the two levels of governance with a view to ensuring that local needs are reflected in the legislation.

The Mission is helping to increase communication between the Assembly of Kosovo and municipalities by promoting parliamentary visits to latter and by opening constituency offices.