OSCE Mission in Kosovo facilitates finalization of draft law on allocation for use and exchange of municipal land

A three-day workshop organized by the OSCE Mission in Kosovo to support the Ministry of Local Government Administration (MLGA) in finalizing the draft Law on Allocation for Use and Exchange of Immovable Property of the Municipality concluded on 22 April 2018 in Tirana, Albania.

Participants, including MLGA Minister Ivan Todosijević and Permanent Secretary Rozafa Ukimeraj, as well as other responsible officials, addressed and reviewed all the comments provided by affected and interested parties during the consultation process. 

“This law is important for Kosovo municipalities as it will influence economic development and directly affect residents and communities, and it should have special provisions on the rights of displaced persons and religious communities,” said Barbara Rohmann, Director of the OSCE Mission in Kosovo’s Human Rights and Communities Department. 

“I believe the comments provided are valuable and will make it compliant with best practices on local governance and international standards, and we hope to see its finalization soon,” Rohmann said.

Some of the key issues discussed during the workshop were competences at the central level and obligations of the municipalities, definition of the public interest, gender and communities’ representation, rights of the civil society, and determination of religious communities and displaced persons as specific categories in the process of municipal land allocation.  

The OSCE Mission in Kosovo is mandated with the protection and promotion of human and community rights, as well as with democratization and public safety sector development. Once the Law is approved by the Assembly of Kosovo, the Mission will monitor its implementation to ensure that the rights of communities, in particular of displaced persons and religious communities, are respected.