Transitional Justice

UNMIK Human Rights Office (HRO) actively supports and promotes a victim-centred and human rights approach to transitional justice processes in Kosovo to advance human rights for all with a view toward conflict prevention and ensuring peace and security in Kosovo. In particular, the office engages in and supports a wide range of transitional justice processes in Kosovo, such those relating to clarifying the fate of missing persons, survivors of conflict-related sexual violence (CSRV), and emerging transitional justice strategies and mechanisms.

Missing Persons

UNMIK HRO supports the process of clarifying the fate of the persons who remain unaccounted for in relation to the 1998–1999 events in Kosovo through meaningful engagement with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Pristina and Belgrade. UNMIK HRO supports the “Working Group on Persons Unaccounted for in Relation to the Events in Kosovo”, a unique mechanism that offers both sides space to cooperate in resolving the fate of the missing and ensuring the right of the families to the truth.

In 2017, UNMIK supported the establishment of the Missing Persons Resource Centre (MPRC) in Pristina as part of the Mission’s efforts to support the families of the missing and continues to partner with this entity.

Survivors of Conflict-related Sexual Violence

UNMIK HRO monitors and reports on the process of granting the status to Conflict-related Sexual Violence (CRSV) survivors and verifying their cases, a process that enables the survivors to receive reparations. HRO also advocates for ensuring that the legal framework is more inclusive and addresses the stigma that the survivors are subject to. To amplify its advocacy efforts, UNMIK produced a video documentary to combat the stigmatisation of CRSV survivors.

In Kosovo, a woman fights for the well-being of survivors