of milestones 1 July 1999 ©OSCE/Lubomir Kotek
The OSCE Permanent Council, on its 237th Plenary Meeting, took the Decision no. 305 to establish the OSCE Mission in Kosovo giving the Mission the leading role in matters relating to institution and democracy building and human rights. Highlights of the Permanent Council decision no. 305 Following the adoption of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244, on 1 July 1999 the OSCE Permanent Council adopted Decision 305 setting up the OSCE Mission in Kosovo and tasking it with the lead role in matters relating to institution- and democracy-building and human rights.
In particular, the Decision requests that the OSCE Mission in Kosovo concentrates its work in the following interrelated areas:
1. Human resources capacity-building, including the training of a new Kosovo police service within a Kosovo Police School which it will establish and operate, the training of judicial personnel and the training of civil administrators at various levels, in co-operation, inter alia, with the Council of Europe;
2. Democratization and governance, including the development of a civil society, non-governmental organizations, political parties and local media;
3. Organization and supervision of elections;
4. Monitoring, protection and promotion of human rights, including, inter alia , the establishment of an Ombudsman institution, in co-operation, inter alia , with the UNHCHR;
The OSCE Mission in Kosovo will in its work be guided by the importance of bringing about mutual respect and reconciliation among all ethnic groups in Kosovo and of establishing a viable multi-ethnic society where the rights of each citizen are fully and equally respected. 2 ©OSCE/Yllka Fetahaj Who we are The Mission in Kosovo is an OSCE field operation headquartered in Prishtinë/Priština and maintains five regional offices located in Gjilan/Gnjilane, Mitrovicë/Mitrovica, Pejë/Peć, and Prizren, as well as in Prishtinë/Priština itself.
of milestones What we do The OSCE Mission in Kosovo, one of the largest OSCE field operations, runs a wide array of activities in the field of human rights, democratization and public safety. Over the years, the role of the OSCE Mission has been instrumental in developing and supporting the functioning of democratic institutions and civic participation in decision-making. It also focuses a major part of its work on the promotion and protection of human rights and the wellbeing of non majority communities. Maintaining an effective and democratic public safety sector is another continued priority. The work of the mission continues to evolve within a framework of its mandate, OSCE Permanent Council decision 305 (1999), and in cooperation with our stakeholders.
4 miles stones through the years>> 1999 the OSCE Mission in Kosovo: Supports establishment of the justice system • The support included helping to establish the Joint Advisory Council on Provisional Judicial Appointments, court monitoring and facilitating the appointment of the first judges and prosecutors.
©OSCE/Lubomir Kotek Establishes the Kosovo Police Service School, now Kosovo Academy for Public Safety • Developed and provided extensive training for police cadets. Today, Kosovo Police is a highly- trusted, democratic and professional law enforcement agency serving all communities in Kosovo. of milestones ©OSCE/Lubomir Kotek
Establishes Radio Television of Kosovo (RTK) • As a public broadcaster, RTK's objective is to ensure programming of high professional standards in the interest of the public. RTK continues to produce a diverse range of programmes over its four television and two radio channels. ©OSCE/Lubomir Kotek 2000 the OSCE Mission in Kosovo: Establishes the Kosovo Law Centre (KLC) • The KLC is a non-governmental organization that promotes democratic principles and the rule of law.
Establishes the Chamber of Advocates • The Chamber is a self-governed organisation advocating for equal representation for all under the rule of law and supporting legal reforms that benefit the public.
Establishes the Ombudsperson Institution (OIK) • The OIK is a legal mechanism for the protection, monitoring and promotion of human rights and freedoms. It investigates human rights violations and issues decisions for improvements.
©OSCE of milestones Establishes the Kosovo Judicial Institute, now Kosovo Academy of Justice • The Academy is an independent public institution providing training for judges and prosecutors, administrative staff and free professionals. Administers the first democratic municipal elections in Kosovo ©OSCE/Lubomir Kotek
Establishes the Central Election Commission (CEC) • The CEC is the body responsible for organization and implementation of elections in Kosovo. It was chaired by the OSCE Mission until 2008. • ECAP is a permanent body that Establishes the Elections Complaints reviews and decides on and Appeals Panel (ECAP) and its complaints and appeals related to the electoral process. Secretariat 10 2001 the OSCE Mission in Kosovo: Administers the first democratic assembly elections in Kosovo
©OSCE/Lubomir Kotek Supports the establishment of the first municipal return and community rights mechanisms mechanism • The Municipal Community Officer, Municipal Returns Officer, Municipal Working Groups and Task Forces on Returns support the return and reintegration of displaced persons.
of milestones 2002 the OSCE Mission in Kosovo: Supports the launch of Dokufest film festival • Dokufest started as an initiative of a group of friends wanting to create a cultural event that would re-establish links between movie makers in the region. It has since grown into a successful documentary film festival that attracts international artists and audiences. ©OSCE/Hasan Sopa
Administers the second democratic municipal elections in Kosovo
12 2003 the OSCE Mission in Kosovo: Establishes the Kosovo Media Association (KOSMA) • KOSMA is a network of Serbian-language radio stations, still functioning today.
Establishes the Central Election Commission Secretariat (CECS) • As its operational arm, the Secretariat assists the CEC in its electoral duties, providing expert advice and recommendations.
©OSCE of milestones 2004 the OSCE Mission in Kosovo: Organizes and supervises the second democratic assembly elections in Kosovo ©OSCE/Elchin Azizov
14 2005 the OSCE Mission in Kosovo: Supports the establishment of the Independent Media Commission (IMC) • The Commission regulates the audio-visual media services and safeguards ethical reporting and freedom of expression in Kosovo. It also plays a crucial role in monitoring the compliance of media coverage during election campaigns.
Supports the establishment of the Press Council of Kosovo (PCK) • The PCK remains a defender of the rights of citizens and journalists, protecting the public from false information and reporters from undue criticism.
©OSCE of milestones 2006 the OSCE Mission in Kosovo: Establishes the Police Inspectorate of Kosovo (PIK) • The role of the PIK is to investigate potential criminal offences committed by Kosovo Police officers, regardless of rank or position. ©OSCE
Starts the establishment of Municipal Community Safety Councils (MCSC) and Local Public Safety Committees (LPSC) • These local public safety mechanisms bring together community representatives, the police, municipal administration, and the non- governmental sector to identify and address key local community problems. 16 2007 the OSCE Mission in Kosovo: Organizes and supervises municipal, mayoral and Kosovo assembly elections
Establishes the Kosovo Media Institute (KMI) • The KMI serves as a mid-career training centre to enhance the professional skills of journalists in Kosovo.
©OSCE of milestones 2008 the OSCE Mission in Kosovo: Supports the establishment of the Consultative Council for Communities (CCC) • The CCC is a central level body for community participation in the Kosovo legislative and decision making processes. It serves as a forum for dialogue between government and minorities on relevant issues, enhancing inter-community cohesion. ©OSCE/Yllka Fetahaj
18 2009 the OSCE Mission in Kosovo: Supports Kosovo government Strategy for the Integration of Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian communities (2009 – 2015) • The Mission supported the development and implementation of the first-ever Kosovo Government strategy for these communities. The strategy established institutional mechanisms to co-ordinate efforts and outlined actionable policies and activities to foster their integration.
©OSCE/Yllka Fetahaj of milestones 2010 the OSCE Mission in Kosovo: Supports the establishment of the Youth and Women caucuses in the Assembly of Kosovo • The caucuses help to strengthen the voice and role of women and youth inside the Kosovo Assembly and in general. ©OSCE/Hasan Sopa
20 2011 the OSCE Mission in Kosovo: Supports the Kosovo Forensic Agency • The Mission began its support to the Agency in 2011 and continued throughout the years. This has included training in forensic techniques, accreditation of its laboratories, and donating a significant amount of forensics hardware and software.
©OSCE of milestones 2012 the OSCE Mission in Kosovo: Supports the establishment of the Office of the Language Commissioner • The Language Commissioner, part of the Office of the Prime Minister, oversees the implementation of the Law on the Use of Languages and promotes multilingualism in Kosovo. ©OSCE/Yllka Fetahaj
Launches the “Follow Us” initiative • The initiative brought together prominent women from Prishitinë/Priština and Belgrade to promote dialogue and co-operation. Over 20 meetings were held under its auspices, which paved the way for future inter-community activities.
Facilitates the Serbian parliamentary and presidential elections in Kosovo 22 2013 the OSCE Mission in Kosovo: Facilitates Kosovo municipal and mayoral elections in the four northern municipalities
Joins the Implementation and Monitoring Council • The Council ensures proper implementation of the Law on Special Protective Zones, which safe- guards Serbian Orthodox churches and other heritage sites.
Contributes to the functionalization of the Council for Cultural Heritage of Prizren and the Council for Velika Hoča/Hoçë e Madhe • The Councils provide protection to significant cultural centers, preventing the destruction of historic buildings.
©OSCE/Arben Llapashtica 2014 the OSCE Mission in Kosovo: Facilitates a collection of ballots operation for Serbian parliamentary elections in Kosovo
Supports the conduct of early Kosovo Assembly elections in the four northern municipalities ©OSCE/Besfort Oruçi
Launches the Skopje Process • The Skopje Process is a platform for regional dialogue and co-operation on durable solutions for displaced persons from Kosovo. In subsequent years, the Mission facilitated the establishment of implementation mechanisms for the Skopje Process action points for durable solutions. 24 2015 the OSCE Mission in Kosovo: Launches the first OSCE Dialogue Academy for young women from Prishtinë/Priština and Belgrade • As part of the “Follow Us” initiative, the OSCE helped to facilitate the Dialogue Academy for young women, many of them students or social activists. Academy participants engage in teambuilding exercises, negotiation role-plays, gender-related lectures, and discussions with members from the initiative. After four editions, almost 100 alumnae have been engaged in joint projects across both societies.
©OSCE/Sara Bagnato of milestones 2016 the OSCE Mission in Kosovo: Facilitates a collection of ballots operation for Serbian parliamentary elections in Kosovo
Launches the Digital Platform for Public Participation (DPPP) •The Platform is a tool for improving public communication between local level institutions and residents, improving the transparency of municipal work. It was initially launched in Prishtinë/Priština and Gjakovë/Ðakovica and more municipalities are expected to join soon. ©OSCE/Besfort Oruçi
26 2017 the OSCE Mission in Kosovo:
Facilitates a collection of ballots operation for Serbian parliamentary elections in Kosovo
Supports the conduct of early Kosovo Assembly elections in the four northern municipalities
Supports the conduct of municipal and mayoral elections in the four northern municipalities
• The program brings young and Launches the Media Fellowship emerging journalists from different program communities together and pairs them with established journalists, Each year, fellows attend seminars and visit media who serve as their mentors. institutions, gaining first-hand experience in the functions of journalism.
©OSCE/Arlinda Osmanaj 2018 the OSCE Mission in Kosovo: Supports and advocates for regulation on displaced persons • Regulation 01/2018 is the first legislative document addressing displacement issues in Kosovo. • The agreement between the Facilitates inter-agency agreement on Ministry of Internal Affairs, Kosovo hate crimes Police, Prosecutor's Office, and Kosovo Judicial Council upgrades the system for treatment of hate crimes in Kosovo. Supports co-operation among journalists associations • ?In 2018, the European Federation of Journalists adopted a resolution, jointly proposed by associations of journalists in Prishtinë/Priština and Belgrade, requesting that the cases of murdered and missing journalists from the 1998–2005 period are addressed. The OSCE Mission facilitated co-operation between the two associations with a focus on killed and missing journalists. ©OSCE/Yllka Fetahaj
28 2019 the OSCE Mission in Kosovo: Launches joint OSCE/EU initiative on strengthening electoral processes • All Kosovo Assembly caucuses signed a joint declaration through which they initiated a process of implementing EU election observation missions’ recommendations.
© OSCE/Yllka Fetahaj Supports the conduct of the extraordinary mayoral elections in the four northern municipalities
Supports the conduct of early Kosovo Assembly elections in the four northern municipalities
of milestones facts and figures 30 Facts and figures Produced over 270 reports on criminal, civil and administrative justice in Kosovo, bilingual legislation, property rights, expropriations, returns, communities access to education, shelters for victims of domestic violence, human trafficking, performance of the Assembly, independent institutions, budget processes in municipalities, freedom of media, community safety, and language compliance in Kosovo Police.
Supported around 60 strategies and action plans on a wide range of topics, including against organized crime, violent extremism that may lead to terrorism, domestic violence, gender equality, integration of vulnerable communities, youth, local self-government, media digitalization.
Facilitated over 30 camps for youth of different communities on cultural heritage, journalism, inter-community relations, religious tolerance, community safety, basketball, and mini-Olympic games for people with disabilities. 31 Around 23,000 court cases monitored,
33,000 involving around hearings
Since 2008, the Mission reviewed and provided
comments to around 320 pieces of legislation
Out of 21 Municipal Coordination Mechanisms against Domestic Violence
throughout Kosovo,12 are established by the OSCE Mission.
OSCE supported Inter-Municipal Declarations for Promotion of Inter-Community Dialogue and Co-operation were signed by
29 municipalities across five regions.
The OSCE Mission organizes numerous training sessions, workshops, conferences and public information campaigns on regular basis. 32 OSCE Mission leadership
© OSCE/Yllka Fetahaj Ambassador Jan Braathu of Norway is the Head of the OSCE Mission in Kosovo since 1 October 2016.
Former Heads of the OSCE Mission in Kosovo 2012-2016 Jean-Claude Schlumberger (France)
2008-2012 Werner Almhofer (Austria)
2007-2008 Tim Guldimann (Switzerland)
2005-2007 Werner Wnendt (Germany)
2002-2005 Pascal Fieschi (France)
1999-2001 Daan Everts (Netherlands) moving forward milesto ones