Kosovo still grapples with the aftermath of the war period. While it built institutions, developed the
economy and boasted overall stability, the legacy of the conflict continued to impact and shape social
relations between different ethnic groups. The need to build safer communities, improve control over small
arms and support violence survivors and families of missing persons is still acute. The multifaceted nature
of human rights, justice and security challenges in Kosovo defined its diverse rule of law portfolio
composed of four UNDP projects.
TRANSITIONAL JUSTICE
In the context of transitional justice and dealing with the past, UNDP prioritized a victim-centred and
gender-sensitive approach to address limited access to justice for the victims of conflict-related crimes,
lack of bilateral cooperation between Serbia and Kosovo in handling war crime cases, partial public
awareness on past crimes and lack of accountability.
Under the regional project on Confidence Building in the Western Balkans funded by the European Union (EU),
in 2023, key progress was made both at the regional and local level, reflecting UNDP’s commitment to
strengthen institutional capacities for processing war crime cases, enhancing regional and bilateral
cooperation and providing direct support to the survivors of conflict-related crimes.
High-level regional meetings of prosecutors and technical level meetings of victim support professionals
have resumed, along with capacity-development initiatives that fostered cross-border cooperation and sharing
best practices, as well as strengthened the knowledge of professionals working with the survivors of
conflict-related sexual violence and war crimes. The expertise provided to the Commission for the
Verification and Recognition of Sexual Violence Victim Status working to address conflict-related sexual
violence contributed to enhancing legal and policy framework for victims’ support.
The professional competencies and skills of 13 journalists (11 women and two men) were strengthened on
gender-sensitive reporting, including, ethical aspects of reconciliation, conflict transformation and
sensitive communication. The EU and UNDP are working together with civil society
to promote an ethical and gender-sensitive approach to dealing with the past.
The Dealing with Conflict Legacy – Enhancing Coordination and Support project empowers women and youth in
the transitional justice process. UNDP facilitated 14 focus group discussions, seven for women and seven for
young men and women, with 222 participants. They served as a path to
reconciliation and better understanding on dealing with the past principles tailored to the context in
Kosovo. The project also supported the return and reintegration of 23 families of internally displaced
persons in North Mitrovica and provided income-generation grants to seven other families.
COMMUNITY SECURITY AND SMALL ARMS CONTROL
UNDP's Kosovo Safety and Security Programme (KSSP) facilitated the digitalization of the Firearms Focal
Point (FFP) of Kosovo Police through a Tableau Dashboard data management system. This system enabled the
accurate documentation of seized weapons and tracking of trafficking routes and criminal networks. UNDP also
supported training for police officers on firearms investigations and information gathering, analysis and
sharing, as well as weapons categorization. UNDP's joint efforts with the
South-Eastern and Eastern Europe Clearinghouse for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (SEESAC)
led to the destruction of over 1,500 small arms and light weapons by the Kosovo Police. Finally,
UNDP provided advanced equipment to the ballistic division of the Kosovo Forensic Agency, including
stereomicroscopes, borescopes and trigger scan systems.
ACCESS TO JUSTICE
UNDP continued to improved access to justice in partnership with the United Nations Interim Administration
Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK).
To further improve the management of judicial archives and ensure effective access to files for timely
adjudication, UNDP initiated the review and registration of over one million old minor offence cases. To
conduct the review, 20 legal officers (including 14 women) were engaged and trained to serve all seven Basic
Courts in Kosovo.
To address the lack of interpretation services in the judicial processes, UNDP
engaged short-term professional court translators and interpreters who provided Albanian-Serbian
interpretation during 216 court hearings.
In cooperation with the Kosovo Academy of Justice, UNDP facilitated capacity development for 191
professional legal associates and officers (including 124 women) working in different court instances on
civil justice. Parties involved in a court case can now obtain a judicial decision within the shortest
possible time.
UNDP introduced innovative digital tools for the rule of law sector by enabling 500 judges and legal
associates to access the Lexdoks resource platform
that contains local and international legislation and best judicial practices on dealing with domestic and
gender-based violence cases.
The Intercommunity Dialogue in Kosovo project mirrors the UNDP Crisis Offer’s strategy of Get Ahead of the Crisis Curve:
Anticipate and Prevent Crisis' It suggests two approaches to enhance community and institutional
capacities: horizontal support within communities and vertical assistance to justice institutions.
The project completed deep listening exercises to allow state officials, representatives of communities,
civil society and international organizations to share their concerns with regards to the environment and
climate change. Entry points were identified for short- and long-term cross-community environmental
justice initiatives.
The project has also formed a strategic partnership with the Ombudsperson Institution (OIK) to strengthen
institutional responses to environmental justice issues that affect communities.
As for institutional support, 21 judges and prosecutors (including 12 women) benefitted from training
sessions focusing on the analysis of Kosovo's legal framework and practices related to environmental
criminal offenses, their investigation, prosecution and adjudication.
