Pristina, April 19, 2023
The Governmental Commission on Missing Persons of the Republic of Kosovo (KQPZh) was the host of the coordinating meeting of the project “Continuous support of ICMP in handling cases of missing persons in Kosovo”.
Current efforts to identify missing persons were discussed in the presence of representatives of associations of family members of missing persons, the Office of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Kosovo, the Swedish Ambassador in Kosovo, the Deputy Ambassador of Italy, the Head of Mission of the International Committee of Red Cross, representatives of the British embassy, as well as other competent institutions, such as the Institute of Forensic Medicine, the Forensic Agency and the Police Directorate for the Investigation of War Crimes.
The focus of the meeting was the institutional engagement with the support of international partners in the “process of inventorying unidentified mortal remains” that continue to be under the care of the Institute of Forensic Medicine, the strengthening of the capacities of the Kosovo Forensic Agency, as well as the continuous support for family members of missing persons and family associations.
The leader of the KQPZh Unit, Kushtrim Gara, thanking the international partners for their support, as well as presenting the commitment of the institutions of the Republic of Kosovo, emphasized that the lack of reliable information about the fate and location of forcibly disappeared persons and the non-cooperation of Serbia constitute a major obstacle in clarifying the fate of missing persons. Since January 2022, 3 people have been identified (two new identifications that were on the Missing Persons List and one confirmation case), while in the following days, other DNA reports are expected that will enable new identifications of at least 4 people, victims of the war. Also, in the following days, it is expected to continue with excavations in the locations for which the ordinances have already been secured by the competent courts, with the commitment of the Police Directorate for the Investigation of War Crimes and the Institute of Forensic Medicine.
Evaluating the achievements so far, the representatives of the family members of the persons who forcibly disappeared during the war, requested more commitment and support for the families, as the category most affected by the war.
Director of the Europe Program of the International Commission on Missing Persons (ICMP), Matthew Holliday presented the results so far during the project period and emphasized ICMP’s readiness to support the Republic of Kosovo. Thanking ICMP for hosting this meeting, Mr. Holliday emphasized that ICMP continues to treat the issue of missing persons as a matter of rule of law and respect for human rights and accountability.
In the meeting, the commitment and dedication of the Government of the Republic of Kosovo, KQPZh and relevant institutions to fulfill the duties and obligations in accordance with the legislation in force of the Republic of Kosovo, in respect of the right of family members to know about the fate and the location of their loved ones, forcibly disappeared during the war in Kosovo, was emphasized.
The Swedish Ambassador, Jonas Westerlund, the Italian Deputy Ambassador, Ugo Ferrero, the ICRC Chief of Mission, Agim Gashi, and the Secretary of the British Embassy, Edward Lister also spoke about the commitment and continuous support of the international community in the process of clarifying the fate of the missing persons during the war in Kosovo, especially in this important phase of the process.
The project “Continuous support of ICMP in the handling of cases of missing persons in Kosovo” is supported by the Swedish Embassy in the Republic of Kosovo and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Italy, while it is implemented by the International Commission on Missing Persons in cooperation with the KQPZh and other competent institutions of the Republic of Kosovo.
Last modified: April 24, 2023