AI: Kosovo Constitution Needs Full Consultation

13 February 2008

Amnesty International calls on the Kosovo authorities to make the draft Constitution available for public consultation without delay.

In 2007, the President of Kosovo established a working group charged with compiling the first draft of the Constitution of Kosovo. The working group is mandated to draft a Constitution that `represents the best interests of all people of Kosovo`.

�The new Constitution should set a framework for respect and protection of human rights and the rule of law in Kosovo. That is why the people of Kosovo must be consulted and provided with sufficient time and opportunity to make comments,� said Sian Jones, Amnesty International`s researcher on Kosovo.

�Those leading the consultation process must ensure that it includes all communities, women, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and other representatives of civil society.�

Several domestic human rights NGOs and civil society representatives have told Amnesty International that they have not been consulted during the writing of the current draft of the Constitution.

Furthermore, Amnesty International notes that while the authorities have created a website as a vehicle for the public to comment on the Constitution, as of today that website does not actually include a copy of the draft Constitution.

For a list of specific notes on what Amnesty International believes should be obligatory aspects of the constitution, see AI Press Release.