Fostering Human Rights Accountability: An Ombudsperson for the United Nations?

Privatization in Kosovo: ‘Liberal Peace’ in Practice

“…2 This article prefers to describe international statebuilding's economic postulates as 'neoliberal' rather than, as sometimes favoured, 'liberal' in order not to confuse its economic orientation with that of classical liberalism (see Chandler 2010, Roberts 2011 In international statebuilding's own parlance, 'accountability' refers to accountability of targets (see e.g. UN Peacebuilding Commission 2007, p. 2), as international statebuilding staff is immune from legal process (UN General Assembly 1946; see also The International Law Association 2000, Hoffmann and Mégret 2005, Morimov 2005, Cameron 2006, Chandler 2006, Everly 2006. 4 Interviews with officials active in the international statebuilding project in Kosovo, conducted during research trips undertaken between 2006 and 2010.…”

‘Kosovanizing’ the Ombudsperson: Implications for Kosovo and Peacekeeping

“…Remarkably, the independent ombudsperson was, as recently as 2005, referred to in one academic article as the 'OSCE Ombudsperson', 11 and in another as an institution 'managed by the OSCE and not by the UN'. 12 What seems to have been largely forgotten by academic observers is that the idea of an ombudsperson for Kosovo predated UNMIK and the OSCE Mission in Kosovo (OMIK), and was always intended to be an 'independent' post. This is not merely a matter of historical interest but also an aspect of the institution's legitimacy as an entity separate from UNMIK, and indeed an institution with legitimacy in a post-UNMIK, independent or quasi-independent Kosovo.…”

An Assessment of UN Efforts to Address Sexual Misconduct by Peacekeeping Personnel

“…31 Complaints emanated from Cambodia, Bosnia, Macedonia, Mozambique, West Africa, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eritrea and Kosovo. Following the publication of several reports, it has emerged that sexual exploitation, rape and trafficking in persons are a common consequence of the deployment of peacekeeping troops SE XUAL MISCONDUCT B Y PE ACE KEEPING PERS ONNEL 537 and civilian police forces.…”