OSCE Mission in Kosovo calls for full implementation of Independent Oversight Board decisions

PRISHTINË/PRIŠTINA, 14 October 2011 – Acting Head of the OSCE Mission in Kosovo, Edward Joseph, today called on Kosovo institutions to fully implement decisions of the Independent Oversight Board for Civil Service.

The Board is a quasi-judicial body charged with adjudicating complaints on hiring, firing and promotion practices within the civil service in Kosovo. Its decisions are final and legally binding. However, the rate of the implementation of its decisions by Kosovo institutions is at 60 percent.

“The implementation of the Board’s decisions is required by the applicable legal framework in Kosovo, and all institutions should fully comply with them,” said Joseph. “Failure to execute the Board’s decisions brings into question the integrity of institutions and reduces public trust. The OSCE Mission supports the Board in raising awareness about the issue among institutions of Kosovo.”

The Board processes some 150 admissible complaints a year, mainly related to allegations of unfair dismissals and nepotism.

The Board Chairperson Mehdi Geci said: “The biggest challenge the Board faces is the non-execution of our decisions by the institutions. Our aim is to increase the implementation level and defend civil servants whose employment rights were unjustly violated.” 

More than 20,000 people work as civil servants in Kosovo, mainly as administrative staff in municipalities, ministries, secretariat of the Assembly of Kosovo, and independent agencies.

The OSCE Mission in Kosovo is mandated with the promotion and protection of human rights and rule of law, as well as the development of democratic institutions. It supports the work of independent institutions, including the Independent Oversight Board for Civil Service, the Ombudsperson and the Central Election Commission.