ANNUAL REPORT OF NPM 2019 _______________________________________________________________________________________ On this occasion, based on the experts' assessment, the project on strengthening NPM's monitoring capacities was closed with the ascertainment of Council of Europe’s officials that the NPM, among others, is the best preventive mechanism of human rights violation in the Republic of Kosovo, the NPM of the Republic of Kosovo is the leading NPM in the Western Balkans. Signing a Memorandum of Understanding with the Swiss National Commission on Prevention of Torture on common monitoring of forced return operations of citizens of the Republic of Kosovo through airlines constitutes also a significant achievement for the NPM and the Ombudsperson Institution. On this occasion, I was pleased to sign the abovementioned Memo of Understanding with his Excellency, the Ambassador of Switzerland in the Republic of Kosovo. On this occasion, I would also like to express my appreciations to responsible institutions of Republic of Kosovo, to international organizations, Council of Europe, as well as IPA Project for Strengthening the Ombudsperson and local Non-Governmental Organizations, with whom we have had productive cooperation during this period. Hilmi Jashari Ombudsperson 4