UNMIK/PR/1717 - UNMIK Countdown #33
PRISTINA - UNMIK Civil Administration has been instrumental in organizing, supervising and monitoring activities pertaining to civil registration (habitual resident registration), in accordance with UNMIK Regulation 2000/13 on the Central Civil Registry.
In May 2000, a Joint Registration Taskforce was set up with OSCE to start registration of habitual residents throughout Kosovo. Applicants were registered between May and July and included in the newly created Central Registry Database, which helped to establish the voters list for the 2000 municipal elections – the first elections organized in Kosovo by UNMIK.
Then, in December 2000, Municipal Civil Registration Centers (MCRCs) were established under the supervision of Municipal Civil Registration Officers, who were UN Volunteers appointed by the Head of the Central Civil Registry (CCR) to facilitate and collect applications for civil registration operations in accordance with the aforementioned regulation and related procedures. Applications are forwarded to the Central Processing Center where collected personal data are integrated in the Central Registry Database and UNMIK Identity Cards are produced for adult applicants (those who are at least 16 years old).
From July to September 2001, a special registration drive was organized for minorities. UNMIK registration teams registered 71,000 persons from minority communities and issued them UNMIK Identity Cards. Since then, all adult and child civil registration operations, including those for minorities, are conducted by MCRCs. Civil registration is a prerequisite for the issuance of UNMIK Identity Cards and Travel Documents.
The Civil Registry Database currently contains personal data of around 1,600,000 persons registered as habitual residents of Kosovo. On average, over 1,500 persons in total are registered every week. The Central Registry Database, which is located at the Central Processing Center, is updated as often as required and is an essential tool for elections since voters lists are extracted from it. It is also used for police, judiciary, customs, and pension-related purposes on the basis of personal data protection rules. The data base is intended to be a major instrument for the promotion of democracy and development in Kosovo.
In October 2005, UNMIK transferred to Kosovo authorities managerial and operational responsibility for civil registration activities in MCRCs and the Central Processing Center. UNMIK, through the Civil Registrar, maintains an oversight role and ultimate authority over the Central Registry Database. UNMIK has been working closely with the Ministry of Internal Affairs for a smooth transition and total transfer after the status is determined.
