Recommendation 1708 (2005)1

Current situation in Kosovo

1.The Council of Europe has played a major role in improving good governance, strengthening democracy and the rule of law, and raising human rights standards in new democracies, in this way contributing to laying down solid foundations for closer European political integration.

2. Referring to its Resolution 1453 (2005) on the current situation in Kosovo, the Parliamentary Assembly believes that the Council of Europe should endeavour to play a similar role in the search for a durable stabilisation of Kosovo, regardless of its future status, in co-operation and co-ordination with other international actors.

3. Its action should aim, on the one hand, at facilitating the establishment of a fruitful dialogue between the parties concerned by the status issue and, on the other hand, at ensuring that Council of Europe standards in the fields of democracy, rule of law, protection of national minorities and human rights are achieved and irreversibly secured in Kosovo.

4. Furthermore, the Council of Europe should contribute to the promotion of better socioeconomic conditions for ethnic minorities, in particular internally displaced persons and returnees.

5. The Assembly therefore asks the Committee of Ministers to:

i. support the role of the Council of Europe as a facilitator of political dialogue between the parties concerned, in preparation of status talks;

ii. take appropriate financial and administrative measures to increase the visibility and the impact of the Council of Europe in Kosovo, in the fields pertaining to its mandate and expertise;

iii. promote the organisation of a donors’ conference to increase the sustainability of returns to Kosovo;

iv. ask the Co-ordinator on Roma activities, if necessary with the assistance of the Group of Specialists on Roma, Gypsies and Travellers (MG-S-ROM), to conduct a fact-finding mission to Kosovo to collect first-hand information on the socioeconomic conditions of the Roma, Ashkalia and Egyptian internally displaced population as well as of Roma, Ashkalia and Egyptian returnees, with a view to reporting back to the Committee of Ministers.

1.  Assembly debate on 21 June (19th Sitting) (see Doc. 10572, report of the Political Affairs Committee, rapporteur: Mrs Tritz).
Text adopted by the Assembly on 21 June 2005 (19th Sitting).