BRUSSELS – On 22 January, the Chief Negotiators of Kosovo and Serbia, Besnik Bislimi and Petar Petković, together with the European Union Special Representative for the Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue Peter Sørensen, convened, for the first time in a trilateral format, the Joint Commission on Missing Persons.
“The EU attaches great expectations to the Joint Commission making a significant contribution to clarifying the fate of the missing and to helping close a painful chapter for the families, who have waited far too long for answers”, the statement of the Special Representative, released today, says.
The establishment of this Commission was agreed by the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, and the Prime Minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, in their Declaration on Missing Persons on 2 May 2023 during a High-Level Meeting facilitated by the High Representative of the Union (then Josep Borrell).
“The objective of the Joint Commission is to oversee the implementation of the Declaration on Missing Persons, which aims to contribute to shedding light on the fate of the remaining missing persons, which includes persons forcibly disappeared, provide closure to their families and foster lasting reconciliation and peace”, the statement says.
In accordance with the agreed Terms of Reference, The Joint Commission shall support the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)-chaired Working Group on Missing Persons efforts by facilitating the Parties’ implementation activities, resolution of any disagreements and by reviewing progress.
The EU Facilitator, Kosovo, Serbia or the ICRC may each refer to the Joint Commission any issue relating to the implementation, application and interpretation of the Declaration on Missing Persons, as well as any disputed issue arising within the ICRC-chaired Working Group, including the issue of reviewing and updating the Terms of Reference and General Framework of the ICRC-chaired Working Group on Missing Persons, should the latter fail to reach consensus on this matter.
The Joint Commission shall deliberate on issues within its mandate under the agreed Terms of Reference. Any decision on disputed issues referred to the Joint Commission by the ICRC chaired Working Group will be referred back to the ICRC-led Working Group for adoption and implementation.
On 17 December 2024, the Chief Negotiators of Kosovo and Serbia agreed in Brussels on the Terms of Reference for the Joint Commission on Missing Persons to be established under the Declaration on Missing Persons agreed by President Aleksandar Vučić of Serbia and Prime Minister Albin Kurti of Kosovo on 2 May 2023.
