OSCE Head of Mission urges Kosovo refugees, IDPs, to hold on to hope ahead of World Refugee Day

PRISTINA, 19 June 2006 - The Head of the OSCE Mission in Kosovo, Ambassador Werner Wnendt today urged refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) from and within Kosovo to hold on to their dreams of returning home in a statement issued ahead of World Refugee Day tomorrow.

"We at the OSCE honour the strength, the patience and the hopes held by all refugees and IDPs from and within Kosovo, and on this day encourage you to persevere. We are helping to prepare the ground for your return, so that your dreams can be realized in the near future," he said.

Since the end of the conflict seven years ago, the OSCE Mission in Kosovo has consistently pressed for the development of sustainable democratic institutions, for the rule of law and compliance with international human rights standards. As part of this, the OSCE mission is working closely with Prime Minister Agim Ceku and the Provisional Institutions of Self-Government (PISG) on projects aiming to make Kosovo a more hospitable environment for refugees and IDPs, as well as for minority communities.

Prime Minister Ceku has launched a "Confidence-building Task Force" and a "Communities Security Council" to assess and address the needs of minorities, who remain the most at-risk populations for human rights violations in Kosovo. The PISG also recently endorsed a Protocol on Voluntary and Sustainable Returns.

Ambassador Wnendt added: "We applaud all the recent efforts by the authorities to take remedial action toward improving the conditions in Kosovo for voluntary and sustainable returns of refugees and IDPs. We stand beside this Government and all its institutions, as an ally and supporter in the quest to secure better living conditions for refugees, IDPs and all Kosovo residents."

The U.N. General Assembly designated 20 June every year as World Refugee Day in a resolution that was unanimously adopted in 2000.