Cultural Heritage in Kosovo: strengthening exclusion through inclusive legislation

Abstract

Since the Declaration of Independence, Kosovo has made significant progress in the protection of minority rights. The progress however, refers specifically to the passing of favorable legislation, while problems in the legislation’s implementation persist. Kosovo struggles with widespread violations of minority rights and high inter-ethnic tensions ( OSCE 2014 , UN Security Council 2014 ). Much of the relevant literature has focused on Kosovo’s institutional framework for the protection of minority rights,1 but has ignored issues of its implementation. This chapter suggests that we should look into the legislative process, but also the representations of the issues on the agenda and actors involved. The way legislation is framed and justified may help explain the rupture between legal obligations for minority protection and implementation of such laws...