OSCE Mission in Kosovo

Throughout two weeks, supported the Emergency Management Agency in delivering exercises in Gjilan/Gnjilane, Rahovec/Orahovac and Prizren.

Bringing together 56 participants from municipalities, emergency services, the Kosovo Police and other partners, the exercises tested community risk assessments and realistic disaster scenarios to strengthen co-ordination, decision-making and preparedness.

Building on three years of joint work, these exercises will help shape the emergency management system and strengthen institutions' ability to protect lives, property, and communities when disasters occur.

📝 had the pleasure to present the Mission’s work to young professionals from EULEX Kosovo (Official).

Our organizations share a commitment to support and promote the rule of law and human rights for all communities in Kosovo, and it was great to jointly assess the progress achieved as well as the challenges that remain.

🤝Happy to share our perspective as well as opportunities in the Mission – best of luck for your future careers!

📸OSCE/Leurina Mehmeti

😊Happy to support Balkan Sunflowers Kosova in organizing a fun and enriching activity for children!🌞

The story of the Kosovo Correctional Service (KCS) is one of dedication and progress. From its early beginnings to becoming a key pillar of the justice system, the KCS has continuously evolved, strengthening its capacities, modernizing its practices, and embracing international standards.

🤝Throughout this journey, has been proud to partner with the KCS through professional development, leadership enhancement, promotion of human rights standards, and rehabilitation-focused approaches. To mark the completion of Mission support to correctional institutions, the Mission and KCS organized a workshop to acknowledge these achievements.

💬“Strong institutions are built day by day by people who choose professionalism, responsibility, and dignity in their work”, said Head of Mission, Ambassador Gerard McGurk. “Continue strengthening what has already been achieved. Deepen your institutional ownership, and ensure that professionalism, rehabilitation, and respect for human rights remain at the centre of your work.”

With phasing out its support from this area, the KCS remains committed to continuous improvement through its dedicated professionals who will continue building its future.

🎉The OSCE Mission in Kosovo warmly congratulates the Kosovo Egyptian community on their community day.

To mark the occasion, together with NGO Vizioni 02, we supported a vibrant cultural event in Gurakoc/Đurakovac, Istog/Istok municipality, in which Kosovo Egyptian and Kosovo Albanian communities came together through music, traditional dances, cultural performances, and an exhibition on their rich heritage.

We are proud to support initiatives that celebrate diversity, strengthen community ties, and promote inclusive education. We encourage institutions at all levels to continue their efforts to ensure equal opportunities for all communities and to actively support the preservation and promotion of their cultural identities.

We wish the Kosovo Egyptian community a joyful celebration!

Ambassador Gerard McGurk: “It was a pleasure to meet with the Kosovo Police General Director, Gazmend Hoxha, and senior KP leadership to discuss our continued co-operation in support of democratic policing, public safety, and community trust.

I welcomed the professional and orderly conduct of the recent electoral process and thanked Kosovo Police for its continued partnership with the OSCE Mission. As we launch consultations for the 2027 needs assessment process, we agreed on the importance of focusing future co-operation on sustainable reforms, institutional development, and initiatives that deliver long-term impact.

The OSCE Mission remains committed to supporting professional, accountable, and community-oriented policing, and to advancing reforms that strengthen public trust and security for all communities.”

📷 OSCE / Bylent Ribari

hosted a workshop for members of the newly established Communities Committees (CCs) across the Prizren region, in order to provide a comprehensive overview of the members’ roles and responsibilities during their mandate.

CC members, representatives of municipal offices for communities and returns and Deputy Mayors for Communities discussed the legal framework, roles and responsibilities of CCs, as well as key challenges, opportunities and OSCE Mission’s observations on recent CC performance. A presentation on gender mainstreaming was also delivered.

The event reflects the Mission’s continued commitment to supporting municipal-level institutions and strengthening the representation and inclusion of non-majority communities in Kosovo.

💬🏘️Reintegration of survivors of domestic violence and violence against women was the topic of our latest dialogue session, which took us to Skënderaj/Srbica municipality.

Officials from the municipal departments of education, health, and social welfare, the Municipal Officer for Gender Equality and Protection from Non-Discrimination, as well as representatives of Kosovo Police and the Free Legal Aid Agency, talked about the importance of sustainable reintegration and support for survivors of violence against women.

With rehabilitation and reintegration starting at the first encounter with the Kosovo Police👮‍♀️, the need for a victim-friendly interview room at the Police station and emergency fund stood out as key points - both currently lacking in Skënderaj/Srbica.

Other key highlights from the dialogue discussion included:
💰 The need for additional financial support for victims beyond regular social assistance;
🏠 The need for perpetrators, rather than victims, to leave the family home, and for a reintegration centre for perpetrators.

The main takeaway from the discussion was clear: financial wellbeing, women’s economic empowerment and sustainable psychological support are essential for enabling survivors to leave abusive environments and preventing recurrence of violence.



📸OSCE/Leurina Mehmeti

🕊️Marking the International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict, the OSCE Mission in Kosovo supported the Association of Women in Kosovo Police in organizing a roundtable on gender equality, women’s leadership, and Femicide Watch.

🤝Experts and practitioners from the UK, Germany, the Netherlands, Montenegro, and Albania exchanged experiences on advancing women’s leadership, strengthening institutional accountability, and improving responses to gender-based violence.

💬Head of the OSCE Mission in Kosovo, Ambassador Gerard McGurk, noted: “When women are empowered to lead, institutions become stronger.”

Together, participants identified recommendations to strengthen institutional accountability, promote women’s participation in decision-making, and advance more inclusive and gender-responsive security institutions.

More on the event👉 https://omik.osce.org/news/mission-kosovo/665899

📸OSCE/Jonida Gërguri, Bylent Ribari

🌐Artificial Intelligence (AI) is reshaping our everyday life and the social environment, including how law enforcement works and how security challenges are addressed.

To respond to these ongoing changes, together with the Kosovo Police, we trained analysts from the Directorate of Intelligence and Analysis and other analytical units, strengthening their skills in assessing AI-generated information and using AI tools responsibly in their work.
The training placed strong emphasis on human rights-compliant use, including:
✅privacy,
✅transparency,
✅accountability,
✅non-discrimination, and
✅human oversight.

🤝This support helps advance more effective, intelligence-led, and evidence-based policing, ensuring that innovation goes hand in hand with trust and fundamental rights.