The experts will assist local authorities in ensuring compliance of municipal legislation and actions with international human rights standards. They will also support human rights related capacity building needs in the municipality.

“This is an important new programme which will bring a greater understanding of human rights within municipal governments,” said Carsten Weber, Director of the OSCE Mission's Department for Human Rights and Rule of Law. “They will work in partnership with all municipal actors.”

The establishment of the new positions is an example of the increased attention and commitment of the OSCE Mission to the Provisional Institutions of Self-Government (PISG). It is intended to foster a human rights culture in Kosovo and, through capacity building, support the development of sustainable human rights structures within local government.

“Municipalities need this kind of support. Human rights experts will be important in helping municipalities guarantee the effectiveness of human rights across Kosovo,” said Lutfi Haziri, President of the Association of Kosovo Municipalities and Gjilan/Gnjilane Municipal Assembly.

Terms of reference for their work have been agreed upon between the OSCE Mission in Kosovo and the Association of Kosovo Municipalities, with the support of the UNMiK Civil Administration.

The experts in human rights will be using a new edition of the Remedies Catalogue, prepared by the OSCE Mission, which describes in detail remedies for human rights violations under the laws that apply in Kosovo in the areas of criminal justice, security, non-discrimination and property.

The first edition of the Catalogue, released in May 2003, was welcomed by the legal community in Kosovo as a useful resource for monitoring the effectiveness of human rights guarantees. The second edition incorporates the considerable legislative developments that have taken place during the past year, in particular the new Provisional Criminal Code of Kosovo.

The Catalogue is part of the efforts of the OSCE Mission to strengthen the position of Kosovo's legal community and public officials and help them apply human rights principles in their work. It is available in English, Albanian and Serbian on the OMiK website.

Cited from:  Kosovo municipalities will have human rights experts, says OSCE Mission , OSCE, 2 September 2004.