OSCE Mission in Kosovo supports independent institutions in presenting their work to the public

A series of four debates on the role of independent institutions in holding government accountable organized by the OSCE Mission in Kosovo for Prishtinë/Priština University students and representatives of independent institutions concluded on 13 November 2012.

The discussions, which involved students of law, public administration and political sciences, were organized to help independent institutions to reach out to young people.

“The Independent Oversight Board for the Civil Service, the Personal Data Protection Agency, the Office of the General Auditor, and the Ombudsperson Institution are all relatively young institutions,” said Jared Hays, Acting Head of the OSCE’s Democratization Department.

“However, their role in enhancing transparency and accountability in decision-making is becoming increasingly important. It is thus crucial that these institutions reach out to the public and promote their work. On the other hand, it is important for students to learn how these institutions function and how they can engage with them and benefit from their work.”

The debates are one of the follow-up activities to an OSCE report of July 2012 that identified lack of outreach and information about the work of independent institutions as a major challenge to implementing their mandates.

The OSCE Mission in Kosovo is mandated with human right protection and promotion, democratization and public safety sector development. The Mission has helped establish a number of independent and regulatory institutions, including the Kosovo Judicial Institute, Independent Media Commission, Ombudsperson Institution, Central Election Commission and Independent Oversight Board for the Civil Service of Kosovo, and now supports their work.