Kosovo/Kosova As Seen, As Told ● Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights ● Geneva Conventions and Additional Protocols (see further the Annex to this report) In addition, the OSCE-KVM relied on the standards and obligations of the Helsinki Final Act and the Paris Charter. With regard to domestic standards, the 1992 FRY Constitution provides that the Federal 3 Republic of Yugoslavia is a democratic state "founded on the rule of law". The Constitution includes 49 articles guaranteeing basic political, civil, economic, social and cultural rights and freedoms for all citizens without discrimination. 4 The combination of international and domestic human rights law applicable in Kosovo is meant to provide the highest level of protection from abuse and violations. The OSCE-KVM verified allegations of human rights violations and abuses according to these internationally and domestically recognized standards. Although technically some of these standards may have been binding only on the FRY as a state which had ratified the international instruments, the OSCE-KVM held armed opposition groups to the same standards. As a result of political developments in early June 1999, the OSCE anticipated the adoption of a 5 Security Council resolution enabling the international community to re-commence work in Kosovo. By decision of the OSCE Permanent Council, the OSCE-KVM ceased to exist on 9 June, being replaced by a transitional OSCE Task Force for Kosovo (TFK). The main priorities of the OSCE-TFK were to plan and prepare for deployment into Kosovo (which commenced on 14 June) and to continue assessing the 6 human rights situation there. The OSCE-TFK was in turn replaced by the OSCE Mission in Kosovo 7 (OSCE-MiK) by decision of the OSCE Permanent Council on 1 July 1999. OSCE-KVM Human Rights Division field operation Establishment of the operation The OSCE/ODIHR and the OSCE Conflict Prevention Centre took the lead in human dimension planning for the OSCE-KVM. The OSCE/ODIHR temporarily posted an adviser to the OSCE-KVM Support Unit in Vienna with the task of planning and activating the OSCE-KVM's election, human rights and democratization units. The OSCE/ODIHR and UNHCHR conducted a joint technical mission to Pristina in early December to work with the OSCE-KVM to activate an operational framework for 8 implementing the OSCE-KVM's human rights tasks. This team drafted an operational strategy for the Human Rights Division that focused on the following core human rights tasks: (i) monitoring and reporting; (ii) investigating specific violations of human rights; (iii) intervening with responsible authorities to address specific violations; (iv) training OSCE-KVM personnel for human rights tasks; and (v) adopting confidence-building measures (working with local authorities and civil society, and 9 local human rights capacity building). http://www.osce.org/kosovo/documents/reports/hr/part1/ch2.htm (2 of 16)12/5/2003 11:48:40 AM