The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) is the world's largest regional security-oriented intergovernmental organization with observer status at the United Nations. Its mandate includes issues such as arms control, promotion of human rights, freedom of the press, and free and fair elections. It employs around 3,460 people, mostly in its field operations but also in its secretariat in Vienna, Austria, and its institutions.
The United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) is the officially mandated mission of the United Nations in Kosovo. The UNMIK describes its mandate as being to "help the United Nations Security Council achieve an overall objective, namely, to ensure conditions for a peaceful and normal life for all inhabitants of Kosovo and advance regional stability in the Western Balkans."
The Kosovo Force (KFOR) is a NATO-led international peacekeeping force in Kosovo. Its operations are gradually reducing until Kosovo's Security Force, established in 2009, becomes self sufficient.
Parliamentary elections to the Assembly of Kosovo have been held four times since 1999 with the latest in December 2010. The Assembly was an institution within the Provisional Institutions of Self-Government (PISG) established by the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) to provide 'provisional, democratic self-government' in advance of a decision on the final status of Kosovo. Kosovo, formerly a province of Serbia, came under UN administration in 1999 and unilaterally declared its independence in February 2008. The Assembly elected in 2007 continued in office after the declaration of independence.
Election monitoring involves the observation of an election by one or more independent parties, typically from another country or from a non-governmental organization (NGO). The monitoring parties aim primarily to assess the conduct of an election process on the basis of national legislation and of international election standards. There are national and international election observers. Monitors do not directly prevent electoral fraud, but rather record and report instances of suspicious practices. Election observation increasingly looks at the entire electoral process over a long period of time, rather than at election-day proceedings only. The legitimacy of an election can be affected by the criticism of monitors, unless they are themselves seen as biased. A notable individual is often appointed honorary leader of a monitoring organization in an effort to enhance legitimacy of the monitoring process.
The politics of Kosovo takes place in a framework of a multi-party parliamentary representative democratic republic, whereby the President (Presidenti) is the head of state and the Prime Minister (Kryeministri) the head of government. Parliamentary elections are held every four years, the most recent in 2021.
Created on July 8, 1992 by the Helsinki Summit Meeting of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE), now known as the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), the High Commissioner on National Minorities (HCNM) is charged with identifying and seeking early resolution of ethnic tension that might endanger peace, stability or friendly relations between and within the participating states of the OSCE. The HCNM focuses on the OSCE area and will alert the Organisation where a situation has the potential to develop into a conflict. The Organisation consists of 57 participating States across North America, Europe and Asia. The establishment of the HCNM is generally considered to be a “success story” and a useful instrument of conflict prevention.
United Nations Security Council resolution 1244, adopted on 10 June 1999, after recalling resolutions 1160 (1998), 1199 (1998), 1203 (1998) and 1239 (1999), authorised an international civil and military presence in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and established the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK). It followed an agreement by Yugoslav President Slobodan Milošević to terms proposed by President of Finland Martti Ahtisaari and former Prime Minister of Russia Viktor Chernomyrdin on 8 June, involving withdrawal of all Yugoslav state forces from Kosovo.
The European Union Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo, known as EULEX Kosovo or simply as EULEX, is the largest civilian mission ever launched under the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) of the European Union. EULEX supports selected Kosovo rule of law institutions on their path towards increased effectiveness, sustainability, multi-ethnicity and accountability, free from political interference and in full compliance with international human rights standards and best European practices through monitoring activities and limited executive functions with the aim of handing over remaining tasks to other long-term EU instruments and phasing out residual executive functions. The Mission's mandate covered the period until 14 June 2020 based on Council Decision CFSP 2018/856 and has been extended to 14 June 2021 by Council Decision CFSP 2020/792. EULEX works within the framework of UN Security Council Resolution 1244.
Lamberto Zannier is an Italian diplomat and lawyer.
United Nations Security Council resolution 1160, adopted on 31 March 1998, after noting the situation in Kosovo, the council, acting under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter, imposed an arms embargo and economic sanctions on the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, hoping to end the use of excessive force by the government.
The Governance of Kosovo operates in the context of the disputed territory of Kosovo.
The United Nations Police (UNPOL) is an integral part of the United Nations peace operations. Currently, about 11530 UN Police officers from over 90 countries are deployed in 11 UN peacekeeping operations and 6 Special Political Missions. The "mission of the UN Police is to enhance international peace and security by supporting Member States in conflict, post-conflict and other crisis situations to realise effective, efficient, representative, responsive and accountable police services that serve and protect the population".
Dardan Gashi is a Kosovo Albanian politician and author and was Deputy Prime Minister of Kosovo / Minister of the Ministry of Diaspora and Strategic Investments in the cabinet of Ramush Haradinaj from September 2017 to February 2020.
The 1998-1999 Kosovo Verification Mission (KVM) was an OSCE mission to verify that the Serbian and Yugoslav forces were complying with the UN October Agreement to end atrocities in Kosovo, withdraw armed forces from Kosovo, and abide by a ceasefire.
The Kosovo Centre for Public Safety Education and Development (KCPSED), formerly the Kosovo Police Service School, is a training centre and education provider for the Kosovo Police, and for other public services in Kosovo. It is based in Vučitrn, 25 kilometers north of Pristina.
OSCE Mission to Croatia was the field mission of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe operating in Croatia in from July 1996 until the December 2007. The Mission become preeminent international organization in Croatia after the departure of UNTAES forces from the Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Syrmia. Original Mission's was supposed to last until the 1999 and it consisted of 280 international personnel and 320 national staff deployed in twenty field offices and three regional coordination centers as well as the Zagreb headquarters. The first mandate adopted by the Permanent Council in April 1996 authorized the Mission to "provide assistance and expertise to the Croatian authorities at all levels, as well as to interested individuals, groups and organisations, in the field of the protection of human rights and of the rights of the persons belonging to national minorities. In this context and in order to promote reconciliation, the rule of law and conformity with the highest internationally recognised standards, the Mission will also assist and advise on the full implementation of legislation and monitor the proper functioning and development of democratic institutions, processes and mechanisms". On the 14 July 1997 United Nations Security Council Resolution 1120 urged the Government of the Republic of Croatia to cooperate fully with the OSCE mission in return of all refugees and displaced persons, protection of their rights, and the protection of persons belonging to national minorities. The annual budget of the Mission in 2000 was 21,086,900 euros. Along the Zagreb headquarters mission was operating from three co-ordination Centres in Vukovar, Sisak and Knin and 14 field offices. In the region of former Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Syrmia mission operated the Police Monitoring Group in the 1998-2000 period but close it down in September 2000 due to the stable security situation in Croatia and notably in the Danube region. On the 21 December 2007 OSCE Permanent Council decided on closing the OSCE Mission to Croatia, on 31 December 2007, and keeping only the OSCE office in Zagreb. This office itself was closed on 17 January 2012. Croatia became full member state of NATO in 2009 and European Union in 2013.
The OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine was an international civilian observer mission of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) mandated to contribute to reducing tensions and to help foster peace in Ukraine. The mission was deployed in March 2014, following the Russian annexation of Crimea and the outbreak of open conflict in eastern Ukraine. Following the 2022 Russian Invasion of Ukraine, the mission discontinued its operations on 31 March 2022.
United Nations Administered Kosovo refers to the period between 1999 and 2008 when the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo was directly responsible for the governance of Kosovo. This period began on 10 June 1999 with the passing of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244 and effectively ended on 17 February 2008 with the unilateral declaration of independence of Kosovo.
Bernhard Knoll is a professor of International Relations who is interested in the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and its activities, and was a member of the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK).
Kosovo 
