Kosovo community leaders
sign joint declaration against terrorism
JUNE 30 -- Kosovo community leaders yesterday signed a joint declaration
condemning all acts of violence and terrorism directed against
any inhabitants of the Gnjilane municipality in the south-eastern
part of the territory.
The declaration, "Building peace and prosperity", was
signed by leaders of political parties representing Albanian,
Serb and Turkish communities.
A statement by the United Nations Interim Administration
Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) said Gnjilane is the second municipality
to issue such a declaration. Last week, Pristina issued a similar
declaration.
The declaration, which UNMIK spokeswoman Nadia
Younes described as a "very heartening development",
supports the detention, prosecution and indictment of all criminals
and terrorists without exception.
It was signed by the leaders of the Democratic
League of Kosovo, the Serbian National Church Council, the Turkish
Democratic Union, the Centre Liberal Party of Kosovo and the Social
Democratic Party of Kosovo.
UN mission in Kosovo to
launch project to strengthen local government
JUNE 30 -- The United Nations Interim Administration Mission in
Kosovo (UNMIK) is launching a project to promote greater participation
of the people of Kosovo in local administration.
The project, to be funded by Norway, aims to promote local self-government
and people's participation in the management of public affairs,
as well as decentralizing and empowering local authorities to
fully respond to the needs of people.
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
will execute the project to be launched next month. Known as "Building
the Capacities of Municipalities in Development Management",
the project will be launched in a pilot phase in the ethnically
diverse municipalities of Kamenica in the Gnjilane region and
Dragash in the Prizren region. Based on the experiences gained
from the the two municipalities, the project will be expanded
to all other municipalities.
At the end of the project, the Department of
Local Administration will have reliable municipal development
information data; mechanisms for consultative and participatory
process of planning, management and coordination of development
activities; trained municipal staff and local trainers; as well
as municipal development plans based on community priorities.
UN mission signs compact
with Kosovo Serbs
JUNE 29 --The United Nations Interim Administration Mission in
Kosovo (UNMIK) today signed a compact with Kosovo Serbs on additional
measures to protect the freedom, security and fundamental rights
of the community.
The head of UNMIK, Dr. Bernard Kouchner, and the leader of the
Serb National Council (SNC), Bishop Artemije, signed the Joint
UNMIK-SNC Understanding which lays down the "concrete steps"
to be taken. On the basis of the Understanding, the SNC agreed
to participate in the Joint Interim Administration Structure as
observers for another three months.
Describing the occasion as "an important
moment" for Kosovo, Dr. Kouchner said UNMIK was determined
to improve the level of security for all communities in Kosovo,
especially the Serb community.
The understanding foresees eight specific measures
to be taken by UNMIK, including the development of a Special Security
Task Force to protect Serbs and the deployment in Serb areas of
a greater number of Serb members of the Kosovo Police Service.
Other measures include the appointment of one
international prosecutor and two international judges in each
district court across Kosovo; the safe and orderly returns of
Serbs back to their homes in Kosovo; finding and freeing all missing
persons in Kosovo; the delivery of essential public services to
Serbs; and the protection of the Serbian religious and cultural
heritage.
UN mission in Kosovo seeks
over $23 million in additional funding
JUNE 29 -- The United Nations Interim Administration Mission in
Kosovo (UNMIK) is seeking additional funding of 25 million euro
($23.76 million) for the Kosovo budget.
The head of UNMIK, Dr. Bernard Kouchner, who had just returned
to Kosovo from visiting the European Union and France, told a
meeting of the Kosovo Transitional Council (KTC) yesterday that
it was not easy to secure extra funding for Kosovo because of
continuing violence and because Kosovars "were not forthcoming
on registration and elections."
Dr. Kouchner also said that France had agreed
to provide extra financial support to aid the return of displaced
persons and refugees and he was hopeful that other nations would
follow that initiative.
Also briefing the KTC was the Deputy Special
Representative of the Secretary-General, Mr. Tom Koenigs, who
said that it was estimated that 1.3 million people would register
by 15 July, the close of the civil registration period. Over 700,000
people had already registered.
UN refugee agency resumes
operations in Kosovo town
JUNE 28 -- The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner
for Refugees (UNHCR) this morning resumed its humanitarian activities
in northern Mitrovica in Kosovo.
The decision followed "positive statements" made by
Yugoslav Foreign Minister Zivadin Jovanovic, who assured UNHCR
that those responsible for the violence that led to the suspension
of activities last Thursday would be brought to justice, a UN
spokesman said in New York.
Other humanitarian agencies have also resumed
their operations in the Serb-dominated part of the town.
The suspension of humanitarian work followed
a riot in northern Mitrovica last week in which a crowd of Serbs
torched and stoned dozens of UN and humanitarian vehicles and
scuffled with police.
Following a meeting yesterday with humanitarian
agencies, the Serb political leader in Mitrovica, Mr. Oliver Ivanovic,
publicly declared that the Serb National Council would work closely
with UNMIK Police and the international peacekeeping force, KFOR,
to improve the security for the humanitarian workers in northern
Mitrovica and would provide all measures for their protection,
the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK)
reported today.
Mr. Ivanovic also declared his support for the
arrest of the perpetrators of the violence and pledged not to
hide them, UNMIK spokeswoman Nadia Younes said.
Kosovo's Interim Administrative
Council discusses regulation on municipalities
JUNE 27 - Kosovo's Interim Administrative Council (IAC) today
opened discussions on an important draft regulation on municipalities.
The regulation lays out the number of municipalities and assembly
members, their competencies, as well as that of president and
chief executive officer. The regulation also spells out the competencies
of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and the
municipal administrators being his representatives.
Based on wide consultations with international
organizations, the draft regulation could serve as a permanent
legal framework, the Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General,
Mr. Tom Koenigs, told the IAC.
IAC members raised a number of questions and
objections, especially regarding the role of the local community
offices, as well as presenting written comments, according to
a statement issued by the United Nations Interim Administration
Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK).
The IAC also established a group of experts,
who will meet tomorrow to continue discussions on the draft regulation
at a technical level.
In addition, the Council endorsed the regulation
establishing the Department of Sports, which brings to 13 the
number of departments that have been formally set up under the
Joint Interim Administrative Structure.
UN envoy condemns attack
on UNMIK offices in Kosovo
JUNE 26 -- The head of the United Nations Interim Administration
Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), Dr. Bernard Kouchner, today strongly
condemned another outbreak of violence which destroyed the UN
offices in Strpce, in the southern part of the territory.
The incident occurred Friday night, when a large crowd of Kosovar
Serbs stormed the UNMIK offices in the town, destroying everything
inside, including computers, files, windows, doors and furniture.
The offices of local Serb employees, except for that of a Serb
viewed as being a "moderate," were left untouched.
In a statement, Dr. Kouchner said the events
in Strpce were "well coordinated and organized by persons
not from the area." These acts of vandalism, he said, were
"unacceptable and must stop." The attack followed the
disappearance of a Kosovar Serb shepherd from the area.
In another incident yesterday, one Kosovo Serb
was killed and one injured by gunfire in the town of Kosovo Polje.
The ethnicity or motive of the attacker is unknown.
Meanwhile, Dr. Kouchner, yesterday welcomed
the decision taken by the Serb National Council (SNC) to rejoin
the Interim Administrative Council and the Kosovo Transitional
Council as observers after a temporary suspension two weeks ago.
"This courageous action will allow the
Kosovo Serb representatives once again to play their rightful
role in building a democratic, peaceful and tolerant Kosovo,"
he said.
Following talks on additional measures on security
and freedom of movement, UNMIK and the SNC are expected to sign
an "Understanding" later this week containing concrete
steps to improve the life of the Serb community, according to
an UNMIK statement.
UN refugee agency suspends
operations in north of Kosovo's town of Mitrovica
JUNE 23 -- Following renewed attacks against international humanitarian
staff and vehicles in Kosovo's divided town of Mitrovica, the
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) announced
today an initial 48-hour suspension of all humanitarian activities
in the northern part of the city.
"Over the past months, the level and frequency of attacks
on humanitarian staff, damage to vehicles, and threat to humanitarian
operations in north Mitrovica has been totally unacceptable."
Dennis McNamara, UNHCR Special Envoy said in a statement released
today in Kosovo's capital Pristina. "As we made clear last
month, we are not prepared to continue to have the safety of our
own staff and our agency partners put in constant jeopardy."
The initial 48-hour suspension period began
at midnight on Thursday, 22 June. All UNHCR staff and vehicles
have been relocated to the south and the UNHCR office closed in
northern Mitrovica. The suspension will be reviewed after the
initial 48-hour period following assessments of the security situation
on the ground with the UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo
(UNMIK), UN Police, the KFOR security force and field staff. UNHCR
is also requesting that Mr. Oliver Ivanovic, self-proclaimed leader
of northern Mitrovica, publicly denounce this violence and to
take more vigorous action to prevent it from recurring.
Since 2 February, when a clearly-marked UNHCR
bus was attacked by a rocket-propelled grenade, five UNHCR vehicles
have been burned and two others badly damaged. UNHCR and international
and local staff of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have
been threatened and in some cases had to be evacuated from extremely
dangerous, life-threatening situations. Yesterday, these attacks
continued despite a well-coordinated response by both KFOR and
UNMIK, with at least five vehicles totally destroyed, over 20
vehicles damaged, six separate reported attacks on UN international
residences in north Mitrovica and the physical assault of an international
aid worker.
UNHCR, with implementing partner NGOs, provides
food and non-food aid in the area of north Mitrovica, both to
the larger displaced Serb population and the isolated ethnic-Albanian
population who make up a small minority in the divided municipality.
Additionally, UNHCR has built a camp for the displaced Roma community
living in the north Mitrovica, managed by Norwegian Church Aid.
These vulnerable populations will not be affected by the initial
suspension because they recently received assistance, the agency
said.
UN Kosovo mission launches
probe into yesterday's rioting in Mitrovica
JUNE 22 -- The United Nations Interim Administration Mission in
Kosovo (UNMIK) said today it was pursuing an investigation into
yesterday's rioting in northern Mitrovica, where a crowd of Serbs
had stoned and set fire to UN police vehicles and scuffled with
the police.
According to UNMIK, the riot followed an effort by a UN patrol
to arrest a group of Serbs who had been throwing stones at police
cars. In response, a crowd of some 300 to 400 Serbs turned violent
and torched a UN police car, prompting UN police and members of
the KFOR security force to fire warning shots. The UN police reported
that shots had been also fired by unidentified persons.
The crowd then began to throw stones and set
fire to other vehicles, and then moved on to the Albanian enclave
in northern Mitrovica, UNMIK said. Before calm was finally restored,
five vehicles, including two police cars, were completely destroyed,
and ten other police cars damaged. Nine UN police officers received
minor injuries.
Kosovo authorities deny
reports of crop contamination
JUNE 22 -- Authorities in Kosovo today strongly denied reports
that the first wheat crops since last year's conflict have been
contaminated or poisoned.
Amidst reports that farmers plan to destroy their crops instead
of harvesting the wheat in the coming days, the administrative
departments of agriculture, forestry and rural development and
environmental protection have declared that the crops are safe,
according to a statement released today by the United Nations
Interim Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK).
Urging farmers to harvest the wheat, the co-head
of the Department of Agriculture, Maurizio Fairinelli, explained
that the crop had been grown from seeds imported from abroad,
and there was no truth in reports of contamination, which come
mainly from Klina, Malishevo, Skendraj and Glogovac.
UN mission condemns shooting
of two Kosovo Serbs in Pristina
JUNE 21-- The shooting of two Kosovo Serbs on a Pristina street
yesterday evening received wide condemnation in the province's
capital, where senior United Nations officials, along with the
members of the Kosovo Transitional Council (KTC), laid a wreath
today on the spot where a man and a woman had been seriously wounded
by unidentified suspects.
The head of the UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK),
Dr. Bernard Kouchner, who led the KTC members through Mother Teresa
Street where the shooting occurred, told the people gathered there
that "all of us, members of the KTC, are here to express
our outrage and our determined opposition to the continued violence
in Kosovo."
"Stop the violence," Dr. Kouchner
said, as he expressed his sympathy for the victims of the brutal
attack. "Let us work towards a Kosovo based on justice, tolerance,
freedom and democracy."
Also taking part in the ceremony was Carla del
Ponte, the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Tribunal for
the former Yugoslavia, Carla del Ponte, who is visiting several
areas in the region. Mrs, del Ponte told the Transitional Council
today that her investigators would continue their forensic work
in Kosovo to gather additional evidence on indictments, including
that of Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic. She told reporters
in Pristina that she had "no intention" to withdraw
that indictment.
UN envoy condemns attack
on Kosovo Serbs
JUNE 16 -- The head of the United Nations Interim Administration
Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), Dr. Bernard Kouchner, today condemned
yesterday's tragic incident in which two Kosovo Serbs were killed
and another injured in a mine attack.
In a statement issued by UNMIK, Dr. Kouchner said this was the
second incident in which Kosovo Serbs have been killed by mines.
The latest incident occured near the village of Lepina, south-west
of Pristina. On 2 June, outside the village of Preoce, also south-west
of Pristina, two Kosovo Serbs were killed and three others injured.
Dr. Kouchner expressed his satisfaction that
the presidents of both the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK),
Mr. Ibrahim Rugova, and the Peoples Democratic Party of Kosovo
(PDK), Mr. Hashim Thaci, had visited the scene of the incident
and condemned the crime.
Meanwhile, the Interim Administrative Council
agreed to a draft Press Code of Practice for Kosovo. The temporary
code follows concerns over the performance of some newspapers
in Kosovo. In the latest incident, Dr. Kouchner on 3 June ordered
the temporary closure of a newspaper which had published an article
that had put at risk the life of a Serb UNMIK staff member, who
was subsequently founded murdered. Petar Topoljski was murdered
not long after the publication of his address and photograph together
with an article accusing him of crimes against Albanians in the
newspaper 'Dita.'
The code, based on existing European standards
of journalistic practice, is intended to become the foundation
of a system of self-regulation for the print media in Kosovo.
UN official in Kosovo
says more Serb judges will "balance the scales of justice"
JUNE 14 -- The United Nations regional administrator in Mitrovica
today underlined the need for more Serb judges to step forward
and participate in efforts to establish the rule of law in the
divided city in northern Kosovo.
William L. Nash stressed that while he recently had sworn in one
Serb municipal judge and three lay judges, many more were needed
to help "balance the scales of justice." In past weeks
more than 50 Albanian lay judges had been sworn in for duty in
Mitrovica.
At present, 66 detainees -- 38 of them Serbs
-- are being held in the Mitrovica Detention Centre awaiting trial.
Many have been in jail for months while investigations continued
into charges against them. Efforts to begin trials have been delayed,
however, because of the need for Serbs to serve in the judicial
process.
"It is imperative for the judiciary to
have the resources available so that everyone is assured of a
fair and just hearing," Mr. Nash said. "For this to
happen, there is a need for all qualified citizens from all communities
to be involved."
The first trial in Mitrovica of two Serbs facing
charges of genocide, which began 6 June, will resume 3 July and
"with Serb participation, we can soon begin more trials,"
Mr. Nash said.
UN mission in Kosovo puts
off visit of former Albanian president for security reasons
JUNE 14 -- The head of the UN Interim Administration in Kosovo,
Dr. Bernard Kouchner, today said he stopped former Albanian president
and leader of the opposition from visiting Kosovo for security
reasons. Mr. Sali Berisha's proposed visit was to start today.
"I prefer that his visit be postponed in this period of tension
with some particular threats," her told journalists in Pristina.
He said he had written to Mr. Berisha to come in "good conditions."
Dr. Kouchner said he had sent the UN representative
in Albania to meet Mr. Berisha. He also wrote to him yesterday,
requesting him to postpone his visit as it could pose a threat
to public peace and order because of the volatile security situation
in the territory.
Dr. Kouchner also disclosed that he had invited
Czech President Vaclav Havel, whom he described as "one of
my most important role models," to visit Kosovo "to
see our work."
"You of all people may be able to appreciate
the difficulties of our challenging job and to understand, as
a fellow human rights campaigner, the painstaking road to progress
in restoring tolerance and peaceful co-existence," Dr. Kouchner
said in an open letter.
UN prosecutor releases
report on NATO air raids against Yugoslavia
JUNE 13 -- The Prosecutor for the International Criminal Tribunal
for the former Yugoslavia took an unusual step today by making
public the report that led to her recent decision not to open
a criminal probe into any aspect of NATO's 1999 air campaign against
the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.
The decision to release the report, which is now posted on the
Tribunal's Internet site, follows Prosecutor Carla Del Ponte's
announcement earlier this month that after examining all available
material she had found no basis for opening an investigation into
any of the allegations that NATO personnel and leaders may have
committed war crimes during the air raids.
The statement issued today by the Hague-based
UN tribunal said that it was not the Prosecutor's normal practice
to make public the details about allegations received but not
investigated -- a policy designed to protect innocent persons
whose good reputation could be damaged by public disclosure that
they are being investigated for serious crimes.
The NATO air campaign, however, did not raise
such considerations, the Tribunal said, adding that there had
already been considerable public debate about the allegations.
Under such circumstances, unforeseen when the Tribunal had first
come into existence, the Prosecutor took the unusual step of making
her reasoning public.
The decision not to open a probe was announced
by Ms. Del Ponte in her address to the Security Council on 2 June.
Her conclusion was based on a months-long analysis of various
complaints, allegations and information received by the Prosecutor's
Office from various sources, including academic writers, lawyers
acting on behalf of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, and a
Russian Parliamentary Commission. In addition, a number of reports
and commentaries on the bombing campaign have been published by
human rights organizations and others, including a recent Amnesty
International report.
The allegations and supporting material were
examined by a group of military and legal experts, according to
the Tribunal. As part of the assessment, the Prosecutor's team
also conducted an extensive review of all information released
by NATO on a broad range of attacks on targets in Kosovo and throughout
Serbia, as well as additional material provided by NATO about
specific incidents.
The resulting body of information was then collated,
allowing each incident or allegation to be analyzed in terms of
international humanitarian law, particularly the requirements
of the law concerning modern air warfare, the Tribunal said. That
analysis led the Prosecutor to the conclusion that although some
mistakes had been made by NATO, she was satisfied that there was
no deliberate targeting of civilians or unlawful military targets
by NATO during the campaign.
Kosovo administrative
body discusses electoral rules
JUNE 13 -- Kosovo's Interim Administrative Council (IAC) today
discussed the upcoming municipal elections, as the territory marked
the first anniversary of the arrival of the UN mission.
Noting that the draft regulation on municipalities was being finalized
and would be introduced to the IAC in the near future, the head
of UN Interim Administration Mission for Kosovo (UNMIK), Dr Bernard
Kouchner, said the municipal bodies would be the first interim
institutions to be established by the elections.
The IAC was also briefed by the Deputy Special
Representative of the Secretary-General, Mr. Daan Everts, on the
latest discussions in the Central Election Commission and Political
Parties Consultative Forum. Mr. Everts said the Commission and
the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe had recommended
a proportional, rather than majority system, as it would enable
the participation of a greater number of political and minority
parties to be represented in the municipal assemblies.
Mr. Everts distributed the draft Code of Conduct
for print media, which the IAC will discuss at its meeting on
Friday.
Earlier, Dr Kouchner briefed the IAC on his
recent discussions with the UN Security Council and proposed that
the IAC go to New York for the next Security Council session on
Kosovo.
Dr. Kouchner also thanked the Kosovo Albanian
IAC members for their strong statements issued last week on the
recent violence against Serbs. He reminded them that their continued
leadership was needed to break the cycle of violence.
Security Council meets
to debate progress of UN mission in Kosovo
JUNE 9 -- The United Nations mission in Kosovo had made significant
headway in its first twelve months of operations, but the task
of building a society based on tolerance and democracy would take
years to complete, the head of the UN mission told the Security
Council today.
Dr. Bernard Kouchner, the head of the UN Interim Administration
Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), briefed the Council this morning at
the start of an extensive debate, in which all 15 Council members
took part.
While UNMIK could not yet be called a triumph
for the UN, the Mission was able to make real advances as it worked
hard in an inhospitable environment, Dr. Kouchner stressed. Health
care had improved, housing units were being built, and infrastructure
rehabilitated and created. Five thousand children were now attending
school, which they had not done for years, and universities and
colleges were operating.
All parties, religions and minorities were represented
in the Kosovo Transitional Council, Dr. Kouchner said. A "confidence
zone" in Mitrovica had been established. More than 400,000
people had already registered for the October municipal elections,
although the Kosovo Serbs as well as Kosovars in Serbia must still
be convinced to register, he noted. For its part, Belgrade had
not responded positively to requests for assistance with this
process.
Nor was Belgrade cooperating with UNMIK in the
search for missing persons, estimated at anywhere from 3,000 to
three times that figure, Dr. Kouchner said. However, UNMIK was
in regular contact with the Belgrade authorities, and a new joint
consultative committee had been proposed recently to deal with
issues of mutual interest.
Regarding the large numbers of people returning
to Kosovo, Dr. Kouchner said this was a positive trend but it
also imposed a heavy burden, as the unemployment rate was already
high. At some point, it might be necessary to impose a moratorium,
he said.
UNMIK also faced hurdles including the weak
judiciary and crime rates that were still too high, particularly
against the Serbs, the head of UNMIK said, underscoring the precarious
security situation for non-Albanian people, particularly returnees.
He called on Member States to provide international judges and
prosecutors, well-trained international police and experts on
investigations. Referring to the underlying Security Council resolution
1244 that had established UNMIK on 10 June 1999, Dr. Kouchner
stressed that its language concerning the future status of Kosovo
needed explanation and that the resolution's phrase "substantial
autonomy" lacked clarity.
Secretary-General's report
reviews year of UN in Kosovo
JUNE 9 -- Although reconciliation is far from a reality, Kosovo
today is a far better place than the international community found
it 12 months ago, according to Secretary-General Kofi Annan's
latest report that marks the first anniversary of the establishment
of the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo
(UNMIK).
Twelve months ago, Kosovo had been "a scene of chaos, economic
ruin, extensive destruction, lawlessness, widespread retribution
and in many parts largely empty of its population," says
the report released today at UN Headquarters in New York.
Today, the economy was remarkably vibrant, with
70 per cent of private enterprises now restarted, and the construction
sector booming. Essential infrastructure such as the water system
and electricity had been maintained, and 841,000 refugees had
returned to Kosovo.
However, some aspects of Kosovo society had
not changed, the Secretary-General said. Kosovo Serbs and other
minorities continued to be attacked and murdered, and ethnic hatred
had also led to the murder of UNMIK staff members. An upsurge
of vicious attacks on Kosovo Serbs, which "appear to be part
of an orchestrated campaign," marks a deterioration in the
security situation and has undermined the confidence of Kosovar
Serbs in the future, he said.
The international community's continued support
for Kosovo was conditional on the full cooperation of all Kosovar
political parties, he warned. "The international community
did not intervene in Kosovo to make it a haven for revenge and
crime," Mr. Annan states.
In Kosovo today, the leaders of the three main
Kosovar Albanian political parties issued "very strong"
statements denouncing the recent violence, a UN spokesperson in
Pristina said.
The challenges in Kosovo were still immense,
and "while much has been done, much remains to be done,"
the Secretary-General's report said. Unemployment remained at
around 50 per cent, and all aspects of law and order needed to
be urgently addressed. In order to remedy the partiality of the
judicial system, more international judges and prosecutors were
required. UNMIK's police needed to be reinforced, and the police
training programme accelerated so that responsibility for law
and order rested on the local population.
Greater efforts were needed to resolve the fate
of missing persons and the detention of people from Kosovo in
prisons in Serbia. The appointment of a Special Envoy for missing
persons, detainees and prisoners was "under active consideration,"
the Secretary-General said. He also noted the importance of the
upcoming municipal elections and urged the people of Kosovo to
register and to vote.
The Secretary-General encouraged Member States
to ensure that UNMIK was supplied with the necessary resources
to meet the enormous challenges it faced.
Kosovo minorities continue
to face lack of security, restricted movement, UN report
JUNE 9 -- Lack of security and restrictions on freedom of movement
remain the overriding problems for minorities in Kosovo, says
a report released today.
To rectify this situation, the report, Update on the Situation
of Ethnic Minorities in Kosovo, produced jointly by the United
Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the Organization
for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), urges giving priority
to strengthening the police force and improving the judiciary.
Although there had been notable progress in
the functioning of the Kosovo Police School and in the recruitment
of ethnic minorities to the police service, the service still
lacked sufficient personnel to carry out its duties, the report
said. It also noted that the quality of police was as important
as the quantity, and that the investigative department particularly
needed strengthening.
The report welcomed moves to increase the size
and ethnic composition of the judiciary, as well as the introduction
of more international judges and prosecutors. Nevertheless, it
identified the flawed judicial system as a major obstacle to the
rule of law and the protection of minorities.
UNHCR and OSCE asked donors to recognize that
costly measures were needed to ensure that minorities had full
access to public services while their freedom of movement was
constrained. Minorities should be not be expected to adapt to
public service systems designed to function under normal circumstances,
the report said.
Other measures called for in the report include:
a common policy on official languages, with penalties for failure
to comply; efforts to get enterprises to employ acceptable numbers
from minorities; a common curriculum for all schools encompassing
aspects of tolerance, peace and human rights; ethnically mixed
schools wherever possible; more teacher training facilities; increased
education for Roma, Egyptian and Ashkaelia communities; and priority
for telephone improvements in minority areas so as to improve
security and reduce isolation.
The report said that the degree to which minorities could exercise
their rights was the primary measure of success for the international
stewardship in Kosovo. Kosovo was an opportunity for the United
Nations to set an example for governments around the world by
giving human rights top priority in all aspects of the administration.
www.unhcr.ch/news/media/kosovo/0005min.pdf
Kosovo trial postponed
due to technical problems
JUNE 7 -- The first trial at the Mitrovica District Court in Kosovo,
due to start yesterday, was adjourned soon after it began because
of technical difficulties involving translators.
All parties had brought independent translators, which resulted
in confusion, said Susan Manuel, spokeswoman for of the United
Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK). The
court decided it would need its own coordinated translation service,
and proceedings were adjourned until Monday, Ms. Manuel said.
Serb prisoners awaiting trial in Mitrovica went
on a hunger strike for more than three weeks in May to protest
against trial delays. They ended their strike after meeting with
Dr. Bernard Kouchner, the head of UNMIK, who told them that trials
would begin in the District Court on 6 June, and in the Municipal
Court by 26 May. Proceedings in the Municipal Court began as scheduled.
Kosovo leaders condemn
violence against Serbs
JUNE 6 -- The Kosovo Interim Administrative Council (IAC) today
issued a statement condemning "in the strongest possible
terms" the recent spate of violence against Serbs in the
territory, which it said was playing into the hands of extremists
on all sides.
"The IAC calls upon the people of Kosovo to contribute actively
to the co-existence of communities and support the investigations
of the police and KFOR [the international security force],"
the statement said.
The Serb National Council (SNC), Gracanica,
which normally participate as observers in the IAC, as well as
in the Kosovo Transitional Council, are boycotting this week's
meetings in protest at the violence. However, representatives
of the SNC plan to travel to New York with the head of the United
Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), Dr.
Bernard Kouchner. Dr. Kouchner will be addressing the Security
Council on Friday, the anniversary of resolution 1244, by which
UNMIK was established. The Serb delegation will also get the chance
to meet with members of the Security Council.
In the latest incident of violence, a grenade
was thrown from a car in the town of Gracanica. A number of Serbs
were injured in an ensuing melee.
Kouchner regrets Serb
boycott of Kosovo councils
JUN 5 -- Dr. Bernard Kouchner, head of the United Nations Interim
Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), yesterday expressed
his regret over the decision by the Serb National Council (SNC)
to boycott this week's meeting of Kosovo's premier administrative
and advisory councils.
The SNC said Sunday that it would absent itself from this week's
meetings of the Interim Administrative Council and the Kosovo
Transitional Council in protest at the recent spate of violence
against Serbs in Kosovo which has resulted in a number of deaths.
While regretting their absence, Dr Kouchner said he understood
the decision as a protest and a sign of outrage, and himself condemned
the violence.
"We anticipated a possible increase in
tension at this particular period, which coincides with the anniversary
of our arrival in Kosovo. Yet we cannot let this throw us off
course," Dr Kouchner said in the statement released yesterday.
He also said he would facilitate the efforts of the SNC to present
their case at UN headquarters in New York.
In a related development, Dr. Kouchner ordered
the temporary closure of a newspaper which had published an article
that had put at risk the life of a Serb UNMIK staff member, who
was subsequently founded murdered.
Petar Topoljski was murdered not long after
the publication of his address and photograph together with an
article accusing him of crimes against Albanians in the newspaper
'Dita'. UNMIK spokeswoman, Nadia Younes, told journalists in Pristina
today that UNMIK police had closed down the newspaper's offices
on Saturday, and it would remain closed for a total of eight days.
Ms. Younes said that the newspaper's editor
had said in an open letter to Dr. Kouchner on 19 May that his
paper would continue to publish the names of those it considered
to be "involved against Albanians," a threat which he
had since repeated. Dr. Kouchner had concluded that this was a
violation of Security Council resolution 1244, and ordered the
temporary closure of the newspaper, Ms. Younes said.
Resolution 1244 gives Dr. Kouchner, as the head
of UNMIK, the power and a duty to maintain civil law and order,
and to protect human rights, including the right to life, Ms.
Younes said.
"Our rationale for invoking resolution
1244, was that there was no legislation available in the books
specifically dealing with this sort of case," said Ms. Younes.
She said that UNMIK was in the process of finalizing some limited
and temporary emergency legislation to ensure that the media refrain
from publishing details that could put people at serious risk
from vigilante violence.
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