OSCE Mission supports campaign that asks Kosovo residents to demand the best from civil servants
PRISTINA, 15 December 2006 - A public information campaign calling on the public to keep civil servants under scrutiny and request services to be provided efficiently and without discrimination was launched today in Kosovo.
The campaign promoting the new Code of Conduct for Civil Servants is a joint effort of the Ministry of Public Services and the OSCE Mission. Its slogan is: "The new Code of Conduct serves the people of Kosovo!"
"The Code of Conduct sets the principles that should guide each and every public servant in their work and in relations with the population," said Jens Modvig, Acting Head of the OSCE Mission, at a press conference launching the campaign.
"These principles include legality, non-discrimination, political neutrality, impartiality and transparency in accomplishing their duties. The public should expect nothing less from its civil service but to respect these principles."
The campaign also promotes people's right to complain about poor quality of services or feel that the Code is not being respected.
The new Code of Conduct was developed by the Ministry of Public Service in May. Since then Kosovo's 30,000 civil servants have been trained on the Code's provisions. Training is still ongoing.
"Part of the reform of Kosovo's public administration is for civil servants to respect the Code of Conduct and be more responsible toward citizens when offering services," said Melihate Termkolli, the Minister of Public Services.
"We believe that this campaign will make people aware of civil servants' work, to be critical, so that civil servants carry out their tasks honestly, objectively, and in an unbiased manner."
The two-week campaign is the first step in promoting the Code among the public. It comprises TV and radio advertising, as well as posters and billboards placed in side and in vicinity of all Ministries and municipal buildings throughout Kosovo.
The campaign will be assessed in January 2007 with surveys carried out in municipalities, targeting the public as service users and civil servants as service providers.