EULEX Special Report on the Impact of Covid-19 on the Rule of Law in Kosovo is presented
Pristina, 18 May 2021 - The European Union Rule of Law Mission (EULEX) has organized a conference, in which it presented its special report on the impact of COVID-19 on the rule of law in Kosovo. Among the participants were the head of this mission, Lars-Gunnar Wigemark, the Chairman of the Kosovo Prosecutorial Council, Jetish Maloku, and the Chairman of the Kosovo Judicial Council, Skender Çoçaj, as well as other representatives of local and international mechanisms in Kosovo.
Initially, the Head of EULEX, Lars Gunnar Wigemark, expressed his appreciation for the good management of the pandemic by the institutions of the justice system in Kosovo. "The extent of the pandemic has surprised us all, but I am surprised how Kosovo institutions are acclimated to this situation, treating the pandemic seriously," he said.
Whereas, the Chairman of the Kosovo Prosecutorial Council, Jetish Maloku, during his speech, said that he welcomes this valuable report, emphasizing that COVID-19 continues to have an impact on the functioning of rule of law institutions. "The COVID-19 pandemic, as well as in every sphere of life, in the prosecutorial system of Kosovo, has had negative effects. This report on the impact of COVID-19 on the rule of law in Kosovo is very important for us and is published at the right time ", said Chairman Maloku, Continuing further that the "Prosecutorial Council and the Office of the Chief State Prosecutor, in cooperation with the British project" Strengthening the justice system in Kosovo ", have drafted a Crisis Management Plan in the prosecutorial system and have prepared an Interim Guide for protection against COVID 19 virus in the Kosovo prosecutorial system”.
In conclusion, other participants in this event said that the report consequently provides concrete and workable recommendations for the rule of law system in Kosovo to respond as well as possible to the ongoing health crisis, In this case, it is especially worth mentioning one of the main recommendations in this important report, which underlines that the Kosovo justice authorities in Kosovo must react accordingly, balancing the impact of restrictive measures on other human rights, and rule of law in general.
