13.02.2009 – “I am extremely disappointed that for the fourth time the Kosovo Assembly has failed to elect an Ombudsperson,” said Björn von Sydow (Sweden, SOC), PACE Rapporteur on the situation in Kosovo.
“The Ombudsperson is the main human rights mechanism available to the people in Kosovo. It is an effective institution which, moreover, enjoys the trust of all communities. The fact that this position has been held ad interim since January 2006 risks undermining the credibility of the Institution.
I appeal to the sense of responsibility of the members of the Kosovo Assembly, and call on them to find a remedy to this state of affairs, and to do their utmost to ensure that Kosovo has human rights mechanisms which are independent, reliable and accessible to everybody.”
[All reference to Kosovo, whether to the territory, institutions or population, in this text shall be understood to be in full compliance with United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244 and without prejudice to the status of Kosovo].
