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UN enacts regulation to monitor property sales in mixed neighbourhoods in Kosovo

UN enacts regulation to monitor property sales in mixed neighbourhoods in Kosovo

The head of the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), Hans Haekkerup, has signed a new regulation to ensure that all proposed contracts for property sales in certain mixed neighbourhoods in Kosovo would be thoroughly reviewed by a municipal administrator before being approved.

The measure is intended to monitor inter-ethnic property sales in areas where minorities have been fleeing, UNMIK said, and not to prevent property exchange, but to ensure that irregular sales that are detrimental to minority rights or Kosovo's multiethnic character are not validated by the courts.

To designate areas where proposed sales should be reviewed, Mr. Haekkerup will take into consideration security concerns that could arise from the sale of the property, evidence of a systematic pattern of sales of minority properties at unrealistic prices and areas specifically designated for the early return of minorities.

The regulation also establishes a regional review committee for consistent implementation and calls for Mr. Haekkerup to review it every six months to see if it is still needed.