J U R I S D I C T I O N S
Pursuant to Kosovo Government Decree no. 05/2020 of 19 February 2020, the Ministry for Communities and Return has the following competencies:
- Preparespublic policies, draftslegal acts, adoptssublegal actsand definesmandatory standards in the field of promoting and protecting the rights of communities and their members, including the right to return, in accordance with the Constitution of the Republic of Kosovo;
- Promotes and implements legislation to promote and protect the rights of communities and their members, including the right to return;
- Promotes the creation of appropriate conditions for return and provides a rights-based approach to return;
- Provides leadership in confidence building, in activities for dialogue and reconciliation between communities,and supports implementation of these activities;
- Develops and oversees the implementation of a government assistance strategy targeting communities and supports the development and implementation of these strategies in all municipalities;
- Develops or manages programs and mechanisms to help the integration on an equal conditions of allcommunities and their members currently residing in the Republic of Kosovo, as well as to ensure the sustainable return of internally displaced persons and refugees;
- Ensures that policies at central and municipal level include provisions for the protection of the rights of communities and the interests of returnees, including the areas of freedom of movement, use of languages, freedom of expression, equitable representation, education, employment and equal access to justice, housing and public servicesand utilities;
- Makes recommendations and coordinates activities with ministries, municipalities and other authorities concerning the promotionand protectionof the rights and interests of communities and their members, including the right to return;
- Supports the activities of municipalities in dealing with issues of communities and returns, ensuring the sustainable return of internally displaced persons and refugees,including the work of commissions for mediation, commissions for communities, Municipal Commission on Return, Central Review Commission, municipal offices for communities and the development and implementation of municipal strategies for return;
- Reviews and provides assistance to other ministries regarding existing procedures and activities, as well as proposed policies and draft laws, to ensure full respect forrights and interests of communities and their members and internally displaced persons and refugees in accordance with the legislative acts of the institutions of the Republic of Kosovo and the regulations of municipalities with important international standards and with the provisions of the Constitution of the Republic of Kosovo;
- Coordinates work (activities) with ministries, municipalities and other authorities in order to find a sustainable solution for internally displaced persons and refugees and the humanitarian needs of communities and their members;
- Coordinates with relevant ministries, municipalities and other institutions the implementation of a strategy for community rights in order to ensure the promotion and protection of the rights of members of all communities, internally displaced persons and refugees, paying particular attention to the needs of women, children, the elderly and other vulnerable groups;
- Oversees and supports the operational framework for return to ensure an approach that is supported or based on rights and that responds to the needs of internally displaced persons and refugees,and cooperates with other ministries, agencies, international mechanisms and various NGOs during this process;
- Assists in the development and implementation of measures in the field of public information and other promotional projects to raise public awareness concerning the rights and interests of communities and their members, including the right to return,and
- Performs other duties assigned to the Ministry according to the relevant legislation in force.
