The Conflict Did Not Bring Us Flowers: The Need for Comprehensive Reparations for Conflict-Related Sexual Violence in Kosovo

Reparations for conflict-related sexual violence remain a pressing issue in many parts of the world. Sexual violence has been a feature of almost all, if not all, conflicts to date, yet remains under-reported and under-acknowledged. In recent years, increased emphasis has been placed on the issue, paving the way for prevention and accountability mechanisms, along with increased attention to the needs and rights of survivors of sexual violence.

In Kosovo, significant efforts have been undertaken to enact a legal framework to provide comprehensive reparations to survivors of sexual violence in the lead up to, during and immediately after the 1998-1999 armed conflict. However, survivors remain in difficult circumstances as the legal framework required to enable them to obtain reparations has yet to be implemented.

With the financial support of the European Union, UN Women Kosovo commissioned this study to complement existing initiatives in Kosovo with updated research that will bring survivor voices and perspectives to the forefront of future policy and programme design. It brings together best practices in the design and implementation of reparations, including those outlined in the 2014 UN SG's Guidance Note on Reparations for Conflict-Related Sexual Violence; international law on the right to reparation; and the views, expectations and needs of survivors of conflict-related sexual violence in Kosovo. The report aims to complement efforts to date and ensure survivors of conflict-related sexual violence the right to victim-centric, gender-sensitive and transformative reparations.