OSCE Mission in Kosovo steers steady course in changing environment

Kosovo has witnessed dramatic changes over the past 18 months. The November 2007 elections resulted in a power shift. February 2008 saw a unilateral declaration of independence. A range of new international organizations have moved in, while those already present, such as the UN, have re-thought and reshaped their activities.

But one thing that has not changed in Kosovo is the role of the OSCE Mission.

"We have, of course, adapted to the new environment," says the Mission's Head, Ambassador Werner Almhofer, "but our goal remains the same: we want to ensure that the human rights of all people living in Kosovo are respected."

The Mission's main task is institution-building. Originally that meant helping to establish central institutions and municipal assemblies, independent bodies like the Ombudsperson and basic rule of law institutions such as the police and the judiciary. Today, the Mission continues to support and strengthen these institutions and monitors their work for compliance with human rights standards.

"Irrespective of the status of Kosovo, people need and deserve functioning institutions that follow democratic principles and adhere to the practices of good governance," Almhofer says.

Steady course

Even as the Mission continues its steady course, it is adapting to the changing circumstances. The biggest newcomer in Kosovo is EULEX, the European Union's rule of law mission.

One fundamental difference between the two missions is that EULEX works closely with the police, the judiciary and the customs, and has deployed almost 1,400 of its own officers to work together with the Kosovo police. The OSCE, meanwhile, continues to monitor the functioning of the courts, report on possible shortcomings and suggest improvements, as well as checking that the Kosovo police comply with human rights standards.

The Mission pays special attention to the human rights of non-Albanian communities. With the UN Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) cutting its presence from 5,000 to some 500 staff, the OSCE's role in helping to ensure these communities' rights has become more important, particularly on the municipal level, since the UNMIK has closed nearly all its field offices.

Strong field presence

And it is precisely in its extensive field presence that the Mission's strength lies, according to the Director of the OSCE Regional Centre in Prishtinë/Pristina, Bo-Ewert Linne, a Swede with considerable field expertise in the Balkans.

"Almost half of the Mission's 800 staff work in the field and our municipal and community teams maintain daily contacts with officials and civil society representatives," says Linne.

The OSCE's strong field presence makes it a valuable source of information for policy decisions and planning in other organizations. For example, when Björn von Sydow, rapporteur on Kosovo for the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), needed assistance, he came to the Mission.

"I wanted to get information from the grass roots level and to find out whether all people in Kosovo enjoy the same rights and freedoms and have the same opportunities," von Sydow said.

As von Sydow was particularly interested in the security situation and the views of the Kosovo Serb community towards Kosovo institutions, the OSCE sub-office in Graçanicë/Gracanica, a Kosovo Serb enclave just outside Prishtinë/Pristina, was the right place to find out more.

Von Sydow's team will present their findings to PACE later this year. The report, he notes, will impact the future decisions of the Council of Europe on Kosovo.

Community's eyes and ears

"We are the eyes and ears of the international community," says Linne. "Our municipal teams and specialized sections dealing with property, good governance and communities help local institutions to improve their services, as well as providing information to much of the international community to help them develop their assistance projects."

The Mission also provides input to the decision making and reports of other international organizations such as the European Commission, which requested input for a progress report on Kosovo issued last November. The Mission's daily municipal reports are shared with most of the international actors in Kosovo, including NATO. Its thematic and analytical reports are also published so that everyone can benefit from them.

"The OSCE is the only international civilian actor that has maintained a continuous presence throughout Kosovo for almost ten years," says Linne.

"The Organization is perceived as a force for stability. We have managed to establish good working relations with all our partners and that is because we are here to advise and help, in line with international standards," he concludes.