almanac on security sector oversight in the Western Balkans

Kosovo
has the authority to declare a state of emergency and consequently chairs the Kosovo
Security Council during states of emergency.
2.3. Government
The prime minister chairs the Kosovo Security Council 61 ; appoints the general director
of Kosovo Police; consults with the president on matters of intelligence; and, in conjunction
with the president, appoints the director, the deputy director and the inspector
general of the Kosovo Intelligence Agency.
There are two ministries which directly cover the security sector in Kosovo. The first
is the Ministry for Internal Affairs (MoIA), which is responsible for implementing the
internal public safety policies. The MoIA oversees the Kosovo Police (KP), Police Inspectorate
of Kosovo (PIK), Civil Registration Office, and the Department for Public Safety,
and others. 62 Secondly, the Ministry for Kosovo Security Force (MKSF) is responsible
for managing the Kosovo Security Force (KSF), and this institution is currently given a
mandate for disaster relief and response. The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) also contributes
to governing the security sector by administering the judiciary and penitentiary systems
in Kosovo. Additionally, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Integration
play indirect roles in the security sector. Both coordinate the process of integration
to NATO and the EU, consequently requiring a set of standards for the military,
police and other institutions.
Although the Ministry of Finance (MoF) is not directly related to the security sector,
the development of the security sector relies heavily on this ministry. The MoF is responsible
for planning the budget and allocating the expenditures for each of the
ministries, institutions and other expenditure agencies, including those operating in
the security sector. The Kosovo Customs Agency is also part of the MoF.
The Kosovo Security Council is a body led by the prime minister and has a deliberative
and advisory role for issues related to Kosovo’s security sector and regional stability.
The KSC is to provide advice and comments on draft legislations and strategies that
are related to the security sector (Law on Kosovo Security Council, 2008). The role of
the KSC is secondary compared to the executive and its importance can be measured
only when analysing its strategic importance.
The role of the KSC, however, expands if the president were to declare a state of emergency.
During these periods, the chair passes from the prime minister to the president
(Ibid, 2008). In addition, during a state of emergency the advisors become regular
members of the Council (Ibid, 2008).
61 Apart from states of emergency, when the president takes over the chair of Kosovo Security Council
from the prime minister.
62 For more details, please see the Figure 1.
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Almanac on Security Sector Oversight in the Western Balkans