§ Mr. WrayTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent assessment has been made of the human rights situation in Kosovo; what plans he has with European colleagues to address abuses in the region; and if he will make a statement. [132941]
Mr. Gareth ThomasThe Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), which forms part of the United Nations Interim Administrative Mission in Kosovo, is the lead agency responsible for the monitoring and protection of human rights in Kosovo. OSCE reports regularly on human rights concerns with regard to. For example, property rights, ethnic minorities and the judicial system.
DFID engages with these assessments to ensure that our activities consider important human rights issues. In particular, we share the OSCE's view that the development of an effective justice system that operates in accordance with international standards is an essential step in improving the human rights situation in 606W Kosovo. We are funding two major programmes, one on justice-sector policymaking and another on community policing, to help improve the safety, security and access to justice of the people of Kosovo, through the inter-ministerial Global Conflict Prevention Pool.
In addition, our contributions through the European Commission are also being used to strengthen justice systems in Kosovo. The European Agency for Reconstruction is supporting the improvement of court administration, and is also funding a highly successful civil legal aid programme that has so far assisted some 11,000 vulnerable people.