Haradinaj: Let us not allow violence to befall our mother, sister, or respected lady of our country

“calls on all law and law mechanisms, all citizens of Kosovo dare to report domestic violence, violence against women, and I also invite all of us to be together and not allow Kosovo, ahead of all, to suffer violence, mother, sister or a respected lady of our country, regardless of where they come from and belonging to”, so said Kosovo Republic of Kosovo Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj, at the regional conference <x2QE) in justice for victims of domestic violence and violence in the gender base. 

Prime Minister Haradinaj thanked all those who have worked intensively to achieve its weight, saying that to help address this subject, the Commission for Recognising the status of violent persons has been functional during the war, the application of pension scheme, pension sharing, which is a new development in Kosovo, and also in the Criminal Violence Code in the family has been defined as a special criminal act, the criteria of the Istanbul Convention.

Citing other achievements, Prime Minister Haradinaj said security and justice institutions have increased capacities for dealing with this topic, co-ordinators have been appointed for cases of domestic violence in all Constitutional Courts and Prosecutors, police officers dealing with domestic violence cases at police stations have been trained, and actions have been taken to compensate for crime victims who have victims of domestic violence.

Also, Prime Minister Haradinaj said that in co-operation with UNWomen, the first state database for the survivors of violence, financial means have been set aside to cover the work of housing of victims of domestic violence and are making efforts to resolve a sustainable financing.

“We have supported Administrative Guide to register joint property on behalf of two free mates and have supported projects that are led by women. We have continued the awareness campaign in the country's schools and institutions and are aiming to engage professors and psychologists in Kosovo schools”, Prime Minister Haradinaj said.

Prime Minister Haradinaj said there are challenges on this topic, such as inter-institutional co-operation, women's economic empowerment, saying that what in certain cases is experienced as bad news, which is increasing the number of reports of domestic violence, in fact shows a higher awareness, a courage to report cases of violence.

Abelard Tahiri, minister of justice, said that with the Code of Justice to Mitur sponsored by the Ministry of Justice and that it has also been adopted, high standards have been set for children under no circumstances to be victims of neither society, institutions or individuals.

Alia El Yassir, regional director for UNWomen's office for Europe and Central Asia, said this day marks the end of the campaign, but not the end of all work fighting violence against women, hoping this event will contribute to the discussion on access to justice for gender-based violence survivors.

Naim Celaj, National Co-ordinator for Protection of Violence in Family and Violence on the Gender Base, said that Prime Minister Haradinaj's support to move forward to complete many remaining topics, past years, for empowering the legal state, was a motive for their work. He said he has worked hard at realising institutional mechanisms that strengthen and increase efficiency in law enforcement.

Also present at this conference were Natalia Apostolova, chief of the EU in Kosovo, Colleen Hyland, deputy ambassador of the US in Kosovo, Jan Braathu, O'S chief The SEU in Kosovo, accredited ambassadors in Kosovo and other institutional representatives.