Kosovo Human Development Report 2010 - UNDP Kosovo - United ...

mechanisms of exclusion from the political
process in Kosovo are:
(i) Lack of accountable implementation
of laws promoting political
reform: although Kosovo’s legislation
on political participation meets international
standards, its slow implementation
and poor monitoring have
opened a significant credibility gap in
public perception. There has been little
accountability in the public process to
determine whether laws are achieving
their intended results and benefiting
excluded groups. Impatience is perhaps
one causative factor – the hurry to
bring Kosovo into technical alignment
with EU standards has raised expectations
far beyond actual performance (a
function in itself of low accountability)
and also Kosovo’s capacity to deliver
results even where real and visible efforts
are being made.
There have been only a few attempts
to monitor the level of implementation
of laws and policies. The 2009 European
Progress Report for Kosovo underlined
that despite the fact anti-discrimination
provisions have been included in the
Yes, in a way we feel culturally excluded.
The only activities that are organised for
the disabled people in Kosovo are those
that are planned by NGO’s that we are
part of. Also we would love to have a
TV Programme once every two weeks
dedicated to people with disabilities in
Kosovo.
Disabled participant of a focus
group
Strategy and Action Plan for Human
Rights in Kosovo 2009-2011, equal access
to housing, education, employment
and social security has not always
been respected. 172 The Assembly
of Kosovo failed to undertake serious
actions to include citizens in decisionmaking.
173 The number of public hear-
80 | KOSOVO HUMAN DEVELOPMENT REPORT 2010
ings organized by parliamentary committees
was limited and unsuccessful
in bringing together appropriate experts
and citizens for discussion of specific
issues. 174 The Assembly of Kosovo
has to implement additional measures
to fulfill the minimum standards on
inclusion of citizens in the process of
decision-making. 175
Kosovo’s uncertain status is another
factor underlying lack of governance
accountability. Cooperation with human
rights bodies is limited, since
Kosovo is neither a member of the UN
nor of the Council of Europe. Consequently,
Kosovo’s citizens do not have
the possibility to lodge a complaint
with the European Court of Human
Rights against Kosovo’s authorities. Regarding
the promotion and enforcement
of human rights, in December
2008, Kosovo approved the Strategy
and the Action Plan on Human Rights
for the period 2009-2011. However,
the mechanisms to ensure its implementation
are not yet in place. Some
municipal human rights units are not
operational, in particular in Kosovo-
Serb majority municipalities that are
reluctant to cooperate with the central
authorities. The Ombudsperson institution
has only limited oversight of
Kosovo-Serb parallel structures. 176
(ii) A donor-orientated civil society:
civil society is an important contributor
to social cohesion. For a nascent
democracy, NGOs are a source
of vital experience, expertise and information.
They serve as a practical and
critical link between authorities and
the more vulnerable and voiceless social
groups and, at their best, promote
the transparency and accountability
of the decision-making process. Since
1999, foreign development agencies
and private foundations have invested
several millions of Euros in Kosovo’s
NGOs. As a result of outside financial
support, NGOs proliferated. According
to the latest statistics provided by