Page:SECOND ANNUAL REPORT 2001 – 2002.pdf/9

 Kosovo, for example between Albanians and Serbs in Bordosh/Devet Jugovic, Fushe Kosove/ Kosovo Polje, Rahovec/Orahovac, and other communities.

UNMIK Regulation 2000/38 calls on the Ombudsperson to offer his good offices with regard to cases involving individuals from Kosovo living outside the territory. (See Annex 4 for summaries of selected relevant correspondence). In May 2002, at the invitation of the Civil Rights Project of the Norwegian Refugee Council, who hosted the visit, the Ombudsperson, together with other senior members of the staff of the Institution, travelled to Serbia proper to visit individuals who had been displaced from Kosovo, representatives of non-governmental organisations engaged in addressing problems confronting this population and governmental officials, including both the President of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and the Chairman of the Co-ordination Committee for Kosovo.

During this reporting period, the Ombudsperson Institution availed itself of the assistance of the Spanish Ombudsman (to arrange for medical treatment in Spain for a resident of Kosovo who had been injured in an accident for which Spanish KFOR accepted responsibility), the Belgian Ombudsman (to initiate compensation proceedings in Belgium in the interests of survivors of an individual who had been killed by Belgian KFOR), the Ombudsman for Bosnia and Herzegovina (to assist an individual living in Kosovo to obtain a disability pension), the Macedonian Ombudsman (to obtain assistance for an individual trying to obtain Macedonian citizenship) and the Albanian Ombudsman (to investigate allegations against members of the Albanian Security Service and allegations of unfair criminal proceedings conducted in Albania).

During this reporting period, the Ombudsperson exercised his power to recommend that the competent authorities pursue criminal proceedings in two instances. The Ombudsperson recommended that the public prosecutor initiate a criminal investigation against a member of the Kosovo Police Service who had allegedly ill-treated an individual in his custody. He also forwarded to the public prosecutor relevant information about alleged corruption in the Kosovo Customs Service.

During the reporting period, the Ombudsperson and senior staff visited all municipalities and enclaves in Kosovo, meeting with governmental officials, community leaders and individuals. During these meetings the Ombudsperson informed the participants about the work of the Ombudsperson Institution and solicited their views on problems they were facing in their daily lives and work. The Ombudsperson also met with Kosovan political leaders in order to discuss the role of the Ombudsperson with respect to the new institutions of provisional selfgovernment.

In October 2001, the Ombudsperson Institution in Kosovo became a member of the European Ombudsman Institute. The Ombudsperson made a presentation at the biennial meeting of this Institute in May 2002.

In November 2001, the Ombudsperson made a presentation to the Permanent Council of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe.

In April 2002, the Ombudsperson made a presentation at the European Ombudsmen Conference.