OSCE: Compliance with language law must improve in Kosovo

PRISTINA - Kosovo's municipalities must further improve compliance with the law on use of languages, the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) mission in Pristina has concluded in a report.

The report, presented on Monday, expresses concern over written translations of documents from public meetings, inconsistent signage on public buildings and roads, and inconsistencies in hiring civil servants, who should be proficient in the two official languages - Serbian and Albanian.

On the other hand, the report gives a positive assessment of general compliance with recommendations regarding oral interpretation during municipal meetings.

Also, while municipalities have adopted regulations on the official languages, the Romani language s still not recognised or protected, the report says.

“Equal use of the two official languages, and the languages in official use at the municipal level, must be ensured as a prerequisite for the delivery of services, and to enable the effective participation of all communities in public life,” said the head of the OSCE mission in Kosovo, Ambassador Jean-Claude Schlumberger.

“Furthermore, full respect for language rights is crucial to the preservation of different cultures and the multi-ethnic character of Kosovo society,” he noted.

The report covers the period from June 2011 to February 2014, and is based on the mission's regular monitoring activities.

Photo Tanjug/S. Radovanovic (Archive, illustration)