Assembly debate on 29 April 2004 (14th Sitting) (see Doc.10157, report of the Political Affairs Committee, rapporteur: Mr Lloyd; and Doc. 10170, opinion of the Committee on Culture, Science and Education, rapporteur: Mr O’Hara). Text adopted by the Assembly on 29 April 2004 (14th Sitting).
Thesaurus
1. The Parliamentary Assembly refers to its Resolution 1375 (2004) on the situation in Kosovo.
2. The Assembly also notes the commitment of the Council of Europe to the development of democratic values, civil society and inter-ethnic co-operation in Kosovo. It therefore encourages the Committee of Ministers to promptly authorise the Secretary General to reach agreements with the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (Unmik) and the Kosovo Stabilization Force (Kfor), on the basis of the existing draft texts, for the full implementation of the European Convention for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (ETS No. 126) and of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities (ETS No. 157).
3. The Assembly notes that Unmik has requested the Council of Europe to accept the responsibility for international observation of the forthcoming Kosovo Assembly elections (of 23 October 2004). These will be the first elections administered largely by the Kosovars themselves, assisted by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Mission in Kosovo and Unmik. The Assembly considers that it is of utmost importance that the Council of Europe accept this request to ensure impartiality of the observation.
4. The Assembly therefore recommends that the Committee of Ministers:
4.1 respond favourably, as proposed by the Secretary General of the Council of Europe and as done for the last three elections in Kosovo, to the request made by Unmik to be responsible for international observation of the forthcoming Kosovo Assembly elections;
4.2 allocate the resources necessary for the Council of Europe to put at the disposal of Unmik and the Provisional Institutions of Self-Government (PISG) its experience in implementing the reform of local self-government and public administration, and in the development of youth participation.
