§ Lord Lester of Herne Hillasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will seek to ensure that the United Nations Mission in Kosovo and KFOR and their personnel are required by law to comply with the international human rights standards prescribed by the European Convention on Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights in discharging their functions in Kosovo, and that there are effective legal remedies for breaches of those standards; and [HL4602]
What legal remedies are available for victims of abuses of the international human rights standards prescribed by the European Convention on Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights by the United Nations Mission in Kosovo and KFOR and their personnel arising in connection with the discharge of their functions in Kosovo. [HL4603]
§ The Minister for Trade (Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean)Under Article 2 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights each state party to the covenant undertakes to respect and ensure to all individuals within its territory and subject to its jurisdiction the rights recognised in the covenant. The European Convention on Human Rights requires the parties to secure to everyone within their jurisdiction the rights and freedoms set out in the convention.
The UN Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) and the NATO-led Kosovo Force (KFOR) operate in accordance with the terms of UN Security Council Resolution 1244. In the case of KFOR, the military technical agreement signed at the end of the Kosovo 16WA conflict, decisions of the North Atlantic Council and national regulations are also relevant. As with all international operations, instructions to personnel will have regard to international human rights standards.