Newsroom
OSCE Mission in Kosovo distributes human rights remedies catalogue
PRISTINA 6 May 2003
PRISTINA, 6 May 2003 - The OSCE Mission in Kosovo (OMIK) is about to deliver 600 copies of a new human rights publication to local and international authorities in Kosovo with the aim of helping them to better monitor the implementation and effectiveness of the human rights guarantees.
As its name implies, the "Remedies Catalogue" details remedies for human rights violations under the laws that apply in Kosovo in the areas of criminal justice, security issues, non-discrimination, victims of crime and property issues. At a further stage, the OSCE will evaluate the effectiveness of the remedies and will recommend - if necessary - changes to the current legal system and offer assistance to implement these recommendations.
"The sustainable protection and promotion of human rights relies, in particular, on the availability of and access to effective remedies to address potential or actual human rights violations," said Carsten Weber, Director of OMIK's Department of Human Rights and Rule of Law.
This represents a shift of focus from the violation itself, as traditional human rights protection concentrates on, to the available remedy to avert the violation or provide compensation for it. Knowledge of human rights remedies helps to prevent injustice and abuse of power by providing a correction of the wrong or a review by the authorities.
Under each section there are subsections containing more specific issues, where the nature of the human right is described. It further states the applicable law for the violation and the evidence that has to be presented for a claim. Finally the remedy to the particular violation is described.
The catalogue has been produced in English, Albanian and Serbian. It represents the first of its kind to clearly identify the applicable remedy, or lack thereof, to each issue where human rights might be at stake.
As its name implies, the "Remedies Catalogue" details remedies for human rights violations under the laws that apply in Kosovo in the areas of criminal justice, security issues, non-discrimination, victims of crime and property issues. At a further stage, the OSCE will evaluate the effectiveness of the remedies and will recommend - if necessary - changes to the current legal system and offer assistance to implement these recommendations.
"The sustainable protection and promotion of human rights relies, in particular, on the availability of and access to effective remedies to address potential or actual human rights violations," said Carsten Weber, Director of OMIK's Department of Human Rights and Rule of Law.
This represents a shift of focus from the violation itself, as traditional human rights protection concentrates on, to the available remedy to avert the violation or provide compensation for it. Knowledge of human rights remedies helps to prevent injustice and abuse of power by providing a correction of the wrong or a review by the authorities.
Under each section there are subsections containing more specific issues, where the nature of the human right is described. It further states the applicable law for the violation and the evidence that has to be presented for a claim. Finally the remedy to the particular violation is described.
The catalogue has been produced in English, Albanian and Serbian. It represents the first of its kind to clearly identify the applicable remedy, or lack thereof, to each issue where human rights might be at stake.