As delivered by Chargé d’Affaires Katherine Brucker
to the Permanent Council, Vienna
October 17, 2024
Ms. Taylor, welcome to the Permanent Council and to the OSCE. Thank you for your report on the OSCE Mission in Kosovo’s activities to strengthen institutions and promote stability and security in Kosovo. We deeply appreciate the field mission’s partnerships with Kosovo’s 38 municipalities and with civil society organizations to improve human rights, democratization, and security and public safety.
Response to the Report by the Head of the OSCE Mission in Kosovo
The United States supports Kosovo as a sovereign, multi-ethnic democracy and urges its leaders to promote a rights-respecting and inclusive society for all those living in Kosovo. Normalizing relations between Kosovo and Serbia through the EU-facilitated Dialogue, as agreed by both countries, is essential to regional stability and prosperity. Ultimately, the United States believes normalization should end with the mutual recognition between Kosovo and Serbia as both seek to realize their EU aspirations.
Ms. Taylor, we recognize your team’s efforts to improve inter-ethnic relations at the local level through dialogue and engagements that promote tolerance, inter-community, and interfaith understanding. The impressive Dialogue Academy Alumnae Network continues to build trust between young women from Belgrade and Pristina, and the Mission’s software and training for the Central Election Commission will enhance the efficiency, integrity, and transparency of future Kosovo elections.
Unfortunately, the OSCE Mission in Kosovo – like all other field missions, the Secretariat, and the independent institutions – faces significant operational difficulties due to severe financial constraints. The inability of participating States to reach consensus on a Unified Budget has placed undue strain on all field missions’ abilities to effectively carry out their mandates, hurting everything from staffing and resources to program implementation. We urge all participating States to adopt the Unified Budget as soon as possible. And I simply like to note here that we have a golden opportunity in the next two months to adopt both the 2024 and 2025 Unified Budgets, and in doing so to put the OSCE on sound footing.
Ms. Taylor, thank you for so ably stepping into the Acting Head of Mission role. I want to thank you and your strong team for your dedication to helping Kosovo implement necessary reforms and contribute to regional stability. We remain of the strong belief that it is unfortunate that Kosovo is not a participating State of this body and therefore remains unable to speak for itself before this body. We look forward to the day when that can happen.