Praxis submitted Recommendations to OHCHR Belgrade on the occasion of adopting Concluding Observations of the Human Rights Committee on Kosovo

Related to PROPERTY (Section 18 of the Concluding Observations)

• UNMIK, in cooperation with PISG, should establish effective legal remedies for challenging the final decisions of the Housing and Property Commission, and it should ensure and facilitate displaced persons’ access to the remedies.
• UNMIK, in cooperation with PISG, should consider establishing new, clear and credible arrangements in respect to resolution of private immovable property claims (currently conducted by Kosovo Property Agency). In the meantime, it should ensure effective access of displaced persons to the existing mechanism.
• UNMIK, in cooperation with PISG, should ensure prompt and effective regaining of possession over owned property, in particular in cases of re-possession requested by displaced persons and members of minority communities.
• UNMIK, in cooperation with PISG, should ensure prompt registration of civil suits filed before the courts in Kosovo and immediate provision of due registration notices to the interested persons, in accordance with the principle of non-discrimination.

Related to DOCUMENTS

• UNMIK, in cooperation with PISG, should ensure that administrative and judicial bodies in Kosovo recognize and accept documents duly issued and/or verified by Serbian authorities, in particularly those required for conduct of inheritance procedures in Kosovo.
• UNMIK, in cooperation with PISG and KFOR, should ensure unimpeded and effective access to available documentary archives of Kosovo courts, companies and institutions containing personal and other files related to, inter alia, property, education, employment and pension, in accordance with the principle of non-discrimination.

Related to LANGUAGE (Section 22)

• UNMIK should ensure that PISG respect the right of minority communities that all official documents are promptly and properly translated into their language. In particular, it should ensure that the documents relevant for effective participation in court procedures (court minutes etc.) should be issued translated within a reasonable time.

Download: Concluding Observations of the Human Rights Committee