Yugoslavia

[YU] Code of Conduct for the Broadcasting Media in Kosovo

IRIS 2000-10:1/15

Dusan Babic

Media Analyst, Sarajevo

The UN Civil Administrator, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG), for Kosovo has issued Regulation No. 2000/36 on the Licensing and the Regulation of the Broadcast Media in Kosovo, which came into effect on 17 June 2000. By this regulation, the SRSG appointed a Temporary Media Commissioner (TMC), who is responsible for the implementation of a temporary regulatory regime for all media in Kosovo, pending the creation of a licensing and regulatory authority in Kosovo.

A Code of Conduct for the Broadcast Media has been issued by the TMC on 8 September 2000, according to Section 1 of UNMIK Regulation No. 2000/36 on the Licensing and Regulation of the Broadcast Media in Kosovo (17 June 2000 ).

Apart from the Preamble, which cites cornerstone articles of main international instruments dealing with human rights and press freedom, the Code of Conduct comprises the following 12 Sections: Application, Provocative Statements, Privacy, Fairness and Impartiality, Applicable Law, Separation of News and Opinion, False and Deceptive Material, Language, Right of Reply, Complaints by the Public, Archives and Undertaking.

A Temporary Code of Conduct for the Print Media in Kosovo has also been issued by the TMC, pursuant to Section 1 of UNMIK Regulation No. 2000/37 on the Conduct of the Print Media in Kosovo (17 June 2000 ).

With a Preamble almost identical to that of the Broadcasting Code, the Print Media Code of Conduct comprises 10 Sections: Application, Provocative Statements, Privacy, Applicable Law, Separation of News and Opinion, False and Deceptive Material, Right of Reply, Complaints by the Public, Archives and Termination.

Sanctions for breaches of the two Codes are similarranging from a warning, the requirements to publish a reply, correction or apology, to financial penalties, to seizure of equipment and/or printed material, to suspension or closedown of operation.

As is the case in Bosnia-Herzegovina, all media laws and regulations in Kosovo that were issued by the international community (i.e. the UN administration and independent bodies established by the relevant instruments) take precedence over domestic legislative.


References

  • UNMIK Regulation No. 2000/36 on the Licensing and Regulation of the Broadcast Media in Kosovo of 17 June 2000
  • http://www.osce.org/kosovo




This article has been published in IRIS Legal Observations of the European Audiovisual Observatory.