To become a member state of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), the consensus of all participating states is needed.

The largest regional security organization in the world currently has 57 member countries spanning three continents: Europe, North America, and Asia.

Among them are the Western Balkan states: Albania, Montenegro, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, but not Kosovo.

Serbia does not recognize Kosovo’s independence, declared in 2008, and opposes its participation in regional and international organizations.

Furthermore, Serbia has the support of Russia, which is also a member of the OSCE.

Within this organization are also Greece, Cyprus, Romania, Slovakia, and Spain – five EU countries that do not recognize Kosovo – as well as other non-recognizing states.

Radio Free Europe asked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora in Kosovo if it plans to apply for membership in the OSCE and where it sees the main obstacle in this process, but received no response.

Similarly, the OSCE mission in Kosovo did not respond to RFE’s request for comment on this matter, although it confirmed receiving the questions.

What does the OSCE do in Kosovo?

The Permanent Council of the OSCE decided to establish the OSCE Mission in Kosovo in July 1999 – a few weeks after the end of the war in Kosovo.

The mission was given a leading role in matters related to institution-building, democracy, and human rights.

It is the largest OSCE field mission, and its mandate is defined in UN Security Council Resolution 1244 and OSCE Permanent Council Decision 305.

The mission currently has five regional centers – in Pristina, Prizren, Peja, Mitrovica, and Gjilan.

On its website, it is stated that it is particularly engaged in protecting the rights of communities, safeguarding cultural and religious heritage, monitoring the judiciary, promoting media freedom and development, promoting mechanisms against discrimination, improving youth participation in political and public life, among other activities.

The OSCE mission also collaborates with and supports the Central Election Commission and the Election Complaints and Appeals Panel to strengthen their capacities in line with international standards and good practices.

The mission also supports the implementation of agreements resulting from the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia, mediated by the European Union.

Currently, Ambassador Michael Davenport, a British career diplomat, heads the mission.

Kosovo does not participate in the summit in Skopje

As a non-member of the OSCE, Kosovo does not participate in the ministerial meeting of this organization taking place today and tomorrow in Skopje, North Macedonia – the country currently leading the OSCE.

The summit gathers 76 delegations from 57 OSCE member countries and partner states.

Among the attendees is also the U.S. Secretary of State, Antony Blinken.

However, the presence of the Russian Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov, attracted media attention.

Despite being sanctioned by the West due to Russia’s war in Ukraine, North Macedonia allowed his participation in the summit.

As a result, the Foreign Minister of Ukraine, Dmytro Kuleba, announced that he would not be present.

Kosovo’s participation in international organizations

Last year, Kosovo applied for membership in the Council of Europe and the European Union.

In nearly 16 years of independence, the country has managed to join several international organizations, including the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the Olympic Committee, the European Football Federation, and the World Football Federation.

However, Kosovo is not yet a member of the United Nations, the World Trade Organization, the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL), and others.

The independence of Kosovo is recognized by 117 states.

In some cases, Serbia has campaigned against recognition or for the withdrawal of recognition of Kosovo, despite the International Court of Justice’s ruling in 2010 that Kosovo’s independence “does not violate international law”.