Kosovo: access to voters' list agreed
Head of Mission Everts: "very pleased with the agreement with the Serbian Commissariat". (Lubomir Kotek/OSCE) Photo details
PRISTINA, 2 August 2001 (OSCE) - The Head of the OSCE Mission in Kosovo, Daan Everts, has signed an agreement with the Serbian Commissariat for Refugees on monitoring the voter registration process in the current registration period for the 17 November general elections.
The move further underlines the OSCE's commitment to an open and transparent election process while respecting confidentiality of personal data in accordance with international data protection standards.
"I am very pleased that we have come to this agreement with the Commissariat," said Mr. Everts. "There has been a serious but unfounded mistrust about what we are doing. Now they can see, like other domestic and international observers, that everything is in the open with no reason to suspect manipulation."
Under the agreement, representatives from the Commissariat can monitor the process in Serbia and in Pristina as well as in Vienna, where the out-of-Kosovo information is being compiled. Other organizations also have the right to observe this process.
It was agreed that the database would always remain in OMIK's custody and under international supervision.
The Commissariat can also ask for specific, non-personal, statistical information to be extracted from the database. This could be, for example, how many women aged 45 and older registered in Kragujevac. But it does not give the Commissariat the right to extract personal information from the database.
Any other information the Commissariat may want from the database, for projects in the public interest, would be provided only if there is mutual agreement with the OSCE and if it is within international data protection standards.
The agreement is seen as a very positive move as it ensures the confidentiality of the database, while stressing the public scrutiny of the process. It has resulted in full official endorsement by Belgrade of the registration campaign. The registration centres in Serbia proper re-opened on Thursday, 2 August.
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For more information please contact Claire Trevena, Spokesperson, OSCE Mission in Kosovo, tel.: (+381-38) 500-162 ext. 260, mobile: +377 (044) 500-150, e-mail: [email protected], website: www.osce.org/kosovo.
The move further underlines the OSCE's commitment to an open and transparent election process while respecting confidentiality of personal data in accordance with international data protection standards.
"I am very pleased that we have come to this agreement with the Commissariat," said Mr. Everts. "There has been a serious but unfounded mistrust about what we are doing. Now they can see, like other domestic and international observers, that everything is in the open with no reason to suspect manipulation."
Under the agreement, representatives from the Commissariat can monitor the process in Serbia and in Pristina as well as in Vienna, where the out-of-Kosovo information is being compiled. Other organizations also have the right to observe this process.
It was agreed that the database would always remain in OMIK's custody and under international supervision.
The Commissariat can also ask for specific, non-personal, statistical information to be extracted from the database. This could be, for example, how many women aged 45 and older registered in Kragujevac. But it does not give the Commissariat the right to extract personal information from the database.
Any other information the Commissariat may want from the database, for projects in the public interest, would be provided only if there is mutual agreement with the OSCE and if it is within international data protection standards.
The agreement is seen as a very positive move as it ensures the confidentiality of the database, while stressing the public scrutiny of the process. It has resulted in full official endorsement by Belgrade of the registration campaign. The registration centres in Serbia proper re-opened on Thursday, 2 August.
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For more information please contact Claire Trevena, Spokesperson, OSCE Mission in Kosovo, tel.: (+381-38) 500-162 ext. 260, mobile: +377 (044) 500-150, e-mail: [email protected], website: www.osce.org/kosovo.