The National Council on Survivors of Sexual Violence during the War held a three-day workshop during which a Government Working Group drafted and finalized the necessary bylaws for recognition and verification of the status of victims of sexual violence during the war.

     Representatives of the Office of the President of the Republic of Kosovo, the Legal Office in the Office of the Prime Minister, the Kosovo Rehabilitation Centre for Torture Victims (KRCT), the Kosovo Women’s Network, and other institutions responsible for implementing this law participated.

   The workshop supported the preparation documents that will enable persons who suffered sexual violence during the war to apply for assistance as foreseen by the Law for Status and the Rights of Status and the Rights of Martyrs, Invalids, Veterans, Member of Kosova Liberation Army, Persons Raped during the War and their Families. This included identifying reference mechanisms for the recognition and verification of the status of survivors of sexual violence based on the International Protocol Documentation and Investigation as well as best practices from the region. Under the law, they shall have access to personal pensions among other benefits.

   During this workshop, actors emphasized that this process must involve a professional approach that safeguards the dignity of beneficiaries.

   The documentation and recommendations resulting from this workshop will support the finalization of bylaws necessary for implementing the aforementioned Law, which states the legal rights of sexual violence survivors. This workshop was supported by the British Embassy.