OSCE Mission presents Kosovo prime minister with handbook for human rights action plans

PRISTINA, 9 December 2005 - On the eve of International Human Rights Day, the OSCE Mission in Kosovo, the Office of the UN High Commissioner on Human Rights (OHCHR) and the Finnish Human Rights Support Programme (FHRSP) presented the Prime Minister of Kosovo, Bajram Kosumi, with a handbook for human rights action plans.

The event follows a recent decision by the Prime Minister to establish a Human Rights Unit in each ministry of the provisional institutions of self-government, following recommendations and support from the OSCE Mission.

"We believe that this handbook will enable the Office of the Prime Minister to lead the local institutions in the right direction, in creating an effective human rights strategy and a government-wide structure to bring human rights principles into practice in every sector," said Henry McGowen, Director of the OSCE Mission's Department of Human Rights and Rule of Law.

This guide, authored by the OHCHR is the "international standard" for human rights policy development tools. It has been used on every continent for developing human rights plans of action that lead to effective human rights compliance.

With this gesture of partnership, the OSCE continues its support to the local institutions by offering concrete tools and expertise so that the latter can start working on an all-inclusive national human rights strategy.

The Handbook is available in English at the OHCHR office in Pristina, and on the OHCHR website. Albanian and Serbian printed versions will be distributed by the OSCE, OHCHR, the FHRSP, and the Office of the Prime Minister starting in mid-December.