12.06.2018. » 16:53 | ACDC

ACDC Conference "OmbudsWatch - Promoting the role of the Ombudsman in Kosovo"

As part of the project "OmbudsWatch - Promoting the role of the Ombudsman in Kosovo" conducted by the NGO ACDC, today a conference on human rights and Ombudsman functionality was held in Kosovska Mitrovica

As part of the project "OmbudsWatch - Promoting the role of the Ombudsman in Kosovo" conducted by the NGO Center for the Advocacy of Democratic Culture - ACDC, today a conference on human rights and Ombudsman functionality was held in Kosovska Mitrovica, as well as activities aimed at respecting human rights.

ACDC Executive Director Dusan Radakovic says that citizens in the north of Kosovo do not know that there is an ombudsman office in the municipality of North Mitrovica.

"All citizens who have problems with institutions, government, ministries, offices or Kosovo institutions can contact the ombudsman, it's completely free, as the name itself says, it's a protector of citizens who can help them," said Radakovic .

"The ACDC project funded by the Dutch Embassy" Ombudswatch ", observing the ombudsman is such a project that we are in cooperation with it, and for 3 years we have a memorandum of cooperation where we inform citizens on the one hand about the ombudsman institution, and on the other hand, the ombudsman be as presentable, visible and help the citizens, and we are trying to continue to work in that direction "- said Radakovic.

The Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Kosovo, Gerrie Willems, noted that, as in the Netherlands, the Ombudsman institution is one of the key institutions that represent a legal mechanism for the protection, observation and promotion of human rights and fundamental freedoms.

With this project, the Dutch ambassador pointed out, we are striving to improve human rights in Kosovo through public education.

Deputy Ombudsman Mehdi Geci said that the basis of this year's report is an increase in the number of cases by more than 2 percent compared to last year, especially by the Serbian community.

"The bulk of citizens' complaints relate to usurped property and too long the length of court proceedings," Geci said.

He added that until now there was not enough promotion of the ombudsman in the north of Kosovo, but since this year, five deputy ombudsmen were appointed, among them one from the Serbian community, they will work on this, in order to make people more informed about the work of this ombudsman. institutions, and good co-operation with the UN has been established, which will help promote the Ombudsman's activities through the media.

Tatjana Lazarević, editor of the KoSSev portal, said, among other things, that almost on the Ombudsman's website almost nothing but half information in the Serbian language could not be found, but that the situation was somewhat improved now.

"I almost managed to find almost everything I asked for, I read the reports, for our standards they were written quite fairly, what is the appearance of the Serbian language “massacre” when it comes to other institutions and I salute every kind of progress, I cannot determine precisely at what point, but until a couple of months ago, it was very difficult for me to find any information in the Serbian language on this site, without being mixed with Albanian information," said Lazarevic.

TV Most link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rctjudywPSE