OSCE Mission in Kosovo, Office of Language Commissioner call for further protection of linguistic rights

PRISHTINË/PRIŠTINA, 25 September 2015 – “Protecting language rights and the rich linguistic and cultural diversity in Kosovo are crucial to fostering tolerance and non-discrimination,” the OSCE Mission and the Office of the Language Commissioner said ahead of the European Day of Languages.

The Law on the Use of Languages treats Albanian and Serbian as equal and official languages at both central and local levels, making it obligatory for the institutions to provide services in official languages. Other languages are considered official at the municipal level under specific conditions.

“Nurturing a culture where linguistic rights are respected by the institutions is never easy and legal provisions are not enough in themselves,” said the Head of the OSCE Mission in Kosovo, Ambassador Jean-Claude Schlumberger. “We have seen considerable progress, and institutions should continue efforts to make sure that the legal framework is fully implemented. Provision of education, healthcare, access to justice, and municipal services in the official languages enables members of different communities to fully participate in democratic processes and decision making.”

“26 September reminds us of the importance and the meaning of learning languages of our social environment. Learning the languages of one-another would not only solve the challenges our Office is mandated to deal with, but many other issues in the society,” said Language Commissioner Slaviša Mladenović.  

The OSCE Mission and the Office of the Language Commissioner will continue working on protection and promotion of language rights in Kosovo as an integral part of their mandates.