The Committee of Ministers agreed on 9 April 1999 that the CAHAR should organise an extraordinary meeting on Kosovo at short notice. The meeting was convened for 26-27 April 1999 in Strasbourg and was chaired by the CAHAR’s Chairman, Mr Vassilios PATRONAS (Greece). The participants held a tour de table concerning the humanitarian situation relating to Kosovo and exchanged experience on the sudden and massive arrival of refugees from there. Recognising the unique position of the Council of Europe as a pan-European organisation with a mandate to promote democracy, the rule of law and human rights, including, among others, the provision that no one shall be expelled, by means either of an individual or collective measure, from the territory of the State of which he or she is a national, they agreed on the following conclusions :

1. International protection

Refugees and other persons in need of international protection fleeing from Kosovo should be granted immediate protection, either according to the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees and its 1967 Protocol or, wherever this is not possible and legislation or practice is so established, through other protection measures of temporary nature. Individual claims for refugee status should be examined, at the latest, when protection measures of temporary nature cease to apply.

Minimum standards of treatment for these persons in case of protection measures of temporary nature are :

- admission to safety and non-refoulement,

- respect for basic human rights and dignity, including access to means of subsistence and possibility for families to stay together or re-unite and

- no return measures applied without internationally verified conditions of safety and dignity in the country of origin.

2. Protection in the region

Refugees and other persons in need of international protection, fleeing from Kosovo, should be provided with protection as close to their country of origin as is safely possible.This would facilitate their future return in safety and dignity, as soon as such conditions allow. Consequently, refugee settlements should be located at a safe distance from the border with their country of origin. Refugees should be consulted and encouraged to participate, as far as possible, in the management of their settlements.

3. International solidarity

In such a mass influx situation, international solidarity, through assistance to the most affected countries and to the refugees and other persons in need of international protection who are being hosted by these countries, is indispensable and most appreciated. Such assistance, governmental or non-governmental, should be coordinated by the lead agency of the humanitarian operations relating to Kosovo, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

4. Humanitarian evacuation

As a special form of international solidarity, humanitarian evacuation has been, and might continue to be, a means of temporarily sharing the responsibilities by third countries for refugees and other persons in need of international protection. Such evacuation should be done

- with the informed consent of those to be evacuated,

- after, at least, a basic registration of these persons and the provision for them of basic identity documents,

- taking into account respect for family unity, in particular, not separating family members from each other against their will,

- by prioritising departure for vulnerable persons with special protection needs, where humanitarian evacuation is an approriate response, and only such persons who are medically fit to travel.

Humanitarian evacuation programmes should be implemented in cooperation with the UNHCR.

5. Registration and documentation

No state shall arbitrarily deprive its nationals of the records and documents of identity, nationality or legitimate property. Re-establishment of the identity of refugees and other persons in need of international protection who have no documents will contribute to the feasibility of future return programmes, once conditions allow return. The Council of Europe has joined the immediate efforts of the international community to complete the task of registration and granting identity documents to persons fleeing from Kosovo. Such registration should be coordinated and compatible, when it is done by authorities in different receiving countries, also taking into account European standards of data protection.

6. Groups with special protection needs

Special protection needs of refugees and other persons in need of international protection fleeing from Kosovo should be met. Such groups include, in particular, victims of torture, abuse or sexual violence, single heads of households, the unaccompanied elderly and the seriously ill or injured. Particular attention is needed for unaccompanied or separated children in tracing parents or other close relatives, in recreational activities, education and psychological assistance, where appropriate.

7. Right to return

Refugees and other persons in need of international protection, fleeing from Kosovo, have the right to return to their country of origin. A soon as circumstances allow, host countries should facilitate return in safety and dignity, through all appropriate means, including visits to the country of origin.

AGENDA/ORDRE DU JOUR

1.    Opening by the Chairman of the CAHAR/Ouverture par le Président du CAHAR

2.    Adoption of the agenda /Adoption de l’ordre du jour

3.    Introduction by the Director of Legal Affairs/Introduction par le Directeur des Affaires Juridiques

4.    Introduction by the Representative of the Social Development Fund of the Council of Europe/Introduction par le Représentant du Fonds de Développement Social du Conseil de l’Europe

5.    Introduction by the Representative of the UNHCR/Introduction par le Représentant du HCR

6.    Main issues concerning the humanitarian situation related to Kosovo – tour de table/Principaux sujets concernant la situation humanitaire liée au Kosovo-tour de table

7.    Discussion on conclusions of the extraordinary meeting/Discussion concernant des conclusions de la réunion extraordinaire

8.    Closing/Clôture

 

Ms Anila PREMTI, Specialist, Legal and Treaties Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, TIRANA

M. Charles DEHEM, Conseiller adjoint, Office des Etrangers, Ministère de l'Intérieur,, BRUXELLES

M. Filip DAMJANOVIC Chef du Département des affaires administratives, Ministère des Affaires Intérieures, ZAGREB

M. Josip PARADZIIK, Chef du Département des Migrations et Etrangères auprès du Ministère des Affaires Intérieures, ZAGREB

Mme Marija MATIC RADOŠ, interprète

Mr Michael RAFTOPOULOS, Counsel of the Republic A’, Law Office, NICOSIA

Ms. Andrea BARSOVA, Counsellor, Office of Government, Human Rights Department, PRAHA

Mr KOFOD Jens, Deputy Head of Division, Juridisk kontor, Danish Immigration Section, COPENHAGEN Ø

ESTONIE/ESTONIA (Apologised/Excusé)

FINLANDE/FINLAND

Ms. Tuula GOTTLEBEN, Senior Adviser, Ministry of the Interior, Immigration Department, HELSINKI

M. Pierre BRETHES, Adjoint au Sous-Directeur des Réfugiés et Apatrides, Direction des Français à l’Etranger et des Etrangers en France, Représentation Permanente de la France auprès du Conseil de l’Europe, STRASBOURG

Mr. Frank HÜBSCHMANN, Oberregierungsrat, Federal Ministry of the Interior, BONN

Mr. Vassilios PATRONAS (Chairman), Special Legal Adviser, Head of the Special Legal Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, ATHENS

Mr. Istvan DOBÓ, Director General, Office of Refugee and Migration Affairs, BUDAPEST

M. Marino FLERI, Ministère des Affaires Etrangères, DGEAS, ROME

Mr. Vaidotas VERBA, Head of Division, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, VILNIUS

Mr. Anthony BARBARA, Assistant Attorney General, Office of the Attorney General, VALLETTA

Mr Lilian MORARU, Chief of the General Consular Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, CHISINAU

Mr. Bertil NIEHOFF, Senior Policy Officer, Immigration Policy Directorate, Ministry of Justice, Dept; DVB, THE HAGUE

Mrs Ingun HALLE, Advicer, Ministry of Justice and Police, Immigration Department, OSLO

M. Marcin RYBICKI, Permanent Representative of Poland to the Council of Europe, STRASBOURG

M. Jorge PORTAS, Chef de la Division des Réfugiés, 40 rua Passos Manuel, LISBONNE

Mlle Lavinia ZLOTEA, Attachée, Direction des Droits de l’Homme et Conseil de l’Europe, Ministère des Affaires Etrangères, BUCAREST

M. Andrei POPYKINE, Adjoint au Représentant Permanent, STRASBOURG

M. Guido CECCOLI, Représentant Permanent auprès du Conseil de l’Europe, Strasbourg

Mr Ivan SLEZAK, Migration Office, Ministry of the Interior, BRATISLAVA

Mr Stefan CALTIK, Migration Office, Ministry of the Interior, BRATISLAVA

Mr Ja’n MICHALKO, Chef de l’Office du Ministère de l’Intérieur, BRATISLAVA

M. José LOPEZ LOPEZ, Directeur de la section visas, Direction Générale des affaires consulaires, Ministère des Affaires Etrangères, MADRID (Excusé-Apologised

SUEDE/SWEDEN

Mr. Christer NORLING, Head of Section, Division for Migration Policy, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, STOCKHOLM

Mme Caroline BRÜESCH, Division des affaires juridiques et internationales, Office fédéral des réfugiés, Département fédéral de justice et police, BERNE

EX-REPUBLIQUE YOUGSLAVE DE MACEDOINE / FORMER YUGOSLAV REPUBLIC OF MACEDONIA

Mr. Blagoja STOJKOVSKI, Chief Inspector for Foreigners, Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Macedonia, SKOPJE

M. Bahadir KALELI, Représentant Permanent Adjoint, STRASBOURG

M. Ihor MYSYK, Représentant Permanent Adjoint de l'Ukraine auprès du Conseil de l'Europe, STRASBOURG

Mrs Hilary TARRANT, Deputy Head, Asylum Policy Unit, Asylum and Appeal Policy Directorate, CROYDON

Mme Muriel GUIN, Administrateur, Secrétariat Général, Task Force Justice/Affaires intérieures, BRUXELLES

M. John H. SIMS, Assistant Deputy Minister, Department of Justice, OTTAWA

M. Akira ANDO, Consul, Consulat Général du Japon, STRASBOURG

Mr. Mario GATTIKER, Head of the Legal Department c/o Caritas-Suisse, LUCERNE

Ms Janice MARSHALL, Senior Legal Adviser at the Division of International Protection, UNHCR Headquarters Geneva, GENEVE

Ms Ida HUUSEN, Legal Assistant, UNHCR, Liaison Office in Strasbourg,

M. Guy DE VEL, Directeur des Affaires Juridiques

Mme Marie-Odile WIEDERKEHR, Directrice Adjointe des Affaires Juridiques

M. Constantinos N. PILAVACHI, Directeur du Fonds de Développement Social

M. Géza TESSÉNYI, Secrétaire du Comité/Secretary of the Committee

Mme Judy LEDOUX, Division du Droit Public et International, Direction des Affaires Juridiques

M. Humbert de BIOLLEY, Conseiller de Programme, Direction des Affaires Juridiques

Mlle Karla CHARRETON, Assistante

Mlle Susanne BOLZ, Stagiaire

Mr Robert SZYMANSKI

Mr William VALK

Mme Bettina LUDEWIG

Mme Ulrike AMMICHT