By Marc Perrin de Brichambaut
Published: June 5 2006 03:00 | Last updated: June 5 2006 03:00
>From Mr Marc Perrin de Brichambaut.
Sir, Your special report on Kosovo (May 30) made fascinating reading and gave a timely overview of the progress made and the challenges ahead. Yet it was odd, to say the least, to find no mention of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe in four pages of detailed reporting on areas in which the OSCE is closely involved.
The OSCE mission in Kosovo, known as OMIK, is the largest of the Organisation's 18 field operations. The OSCE has played a crucial role in the international community's work there since the mission was set up in July 1999.
With 852 local and international staff and a budget this year of some €32m, or nearly a fifth of the entire OSCE budget, the mission is active in all Kosovo's 30 municipalities through five regional centres. It runs projects ranging from training police and support for parliament to monitoring human rights, trials and media freedoms.
It has been the driving force in election reform, vital for a vibrant democratic society. The OSCE created the Kosovo Judicial Institute and is involved in others. The OSCE has trained more than 7,000 police officers, helping to make a multi-ethnic force welcomed by all.
To be sure, the United Nations plays the lead role for now through the UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo, UNMIK. However, to overlook the OSCE's highly visible presence and activities is to ignore popular grass-roots work that has made and continues to make a tangible difference to the inhabitants of Kosovo.
Marc Perrin de Brichambaut,
Secretary-General,
Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe,
Vienna 1010, Austria
http://news.ft.com/cms/s/88d1753a-f42f-11da-9dab-0000779e2340.html
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
===============
Group Moderator: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
page at http://magazine.sorabia.net
for more informations about current situation in Serbia http://www.sorabia.net
Slusajte GLAS SORABIJE nas talk internet-radio (Serbian Only)
http://radio.sorabia.net
SPONSORED LINKS
| Human rights | Human rights watch | Cause and effect essay |
| Causes of depression | History of human rights |
YAHOO! GROUPS LINKS
- Visit your group "sorabia" on the web.
- To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
- Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service.
