UN reiterates less than
45,000 Kosovars voted in Yugoslav elections
29 SEPTEMBER -- The head of the United Nations mission in Kosovo
again said today that based on the mission's estimates that less
than 45,000 Kosovars voted in last Sunday's Federal Republic of
Yugoslavia (FRY) presidential elections.
Dr. Bernard Kouchner was responding to press reports that the
opposition candidate, Vojislav Kostunica, had today filed a formal
complaint in Belgrade accusing President Milosevic of "stealing"
140,000 votes from Kosovo, thereby reducing the opposition leader's
share of the total to under 50 per cent.
"I would like to make it very clear today
that based on UNMIK's witnessing of the voting in Kosovo the figure
of 140,000 Kosovo voters is absolutely a lie and a manipulation,"
he said. "The maximum number of people who visited the polling
stations is less than 45,000 and in all probability the numbers
of those who actually voted in Kosovo is much lower," he
added in a statement.
At the close of the polling stations in Kosovo,
Dr. Kouchner announced that 44,167 people had entered polling
stations, all of them in predominantly Serb areas. In today's
statement he also pointed out that he had said that any claim
of massive participation by Kosovo Albanians in the FRY election
was a fiction and a manipulation. "There were approximately
five polling stations in predominantly Albanian areas, which were
visited by at most some dozen potential voters," he said.
Situation of minorities
biggest problem in Kosovo, UN envoy tells Security Council
27 SEPTEMBER -- The situation of non-Albanian communities is the
biggest problem in Kosovo, the head of the UN Interim Administration
Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), Dr. Bernard Kouchner told the Security
Council today in an open meeting.
"Serbs and Roma, in particular, are often still excluded
from daily life and are under great personal security risks,"
he said.
He said UNMIK has tried to counter "this
truly deplorable situation" with a multitude of initiatives
such as the "Agenda for Coexistence", which includes
special assistance programmes for the Serbs and the establishment
of specialized local community offices to facilitate the access
to services for the minorities and to increase their protection.
Dr. Kouchner said the fate of the missing persons
and detainees was another key problem that is "still very
bad". He was "extremely concerned" that the remaining
prisoners held in Serbia may be forgotten by the world during
this time of political turbulence in Serbia proper.
Dr. Kouchner outlined the achievements of UNMIK
since it was established 15 months ago, but admitted that it had
also made some mistakes. One key mistake was that UNMIK often
tried to implement unrealistic policy programs, "instead
of taking the still existing conflict circumstances into account."
Dr. Kouchner said the non-participation of members
of the Kosovo Serb minority in the coming municipal elections
was a political mistake. However, the Kosovo Serbs are willing
to participate in the elected municipal structures and that the
Albanians have already accepted such a process.
He said ambiguous as the UN mandate in Kosovo
is, it gives UNMIK a very clear line to take -- to develop interim
institutions of self-government. Without such a roadmap, UNMIK
cannot succeed in reducing ethnic violence, developing the economy,
and fulfilling its mandate, he said, warning of some violent reactions
in the future if UNMIK is perceived as an "occupation force".
Dr. Kouchner also underlined the need for UNMIK
to develop an interim constitutional framework to define substantial
autonomy and protect the rights of minority communities.
UN envoy signs new law
on illegal construction in Kosovo
26 SEPTEMBER --The head of the United Nations Interim Administration
Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), Dr. Bernard Kouchner, yesterday signed
a new law regulating the construction and alteration of all property
in Kosovo.
The "Rexhep Luci Regulation" also requires municipal
permits for all building construction, including that begun after
10 June 1999. The law is named after Rexhep Luci, a well-known
Kosovo architect recently murdered while working on a project
to demolish illegal constructions.
The permits will specify the technical, safety
and environmental requirements, as well as those for water, electricity
and sewage connections for the proposed construction, UNMIK said
in a statement issued today.
Applicants are required to provide municipal
authorities with a construction plan, which will be reviewed for
compliance with municipal urban plans. The regulation empowers
municipal authorities to take such action as is necessary, including
the demolition of a building or structure, to protect health,
safety or security.
With new data, experts advice UN to study bombed sites in Kosovo
26 SEPTEMBER -- A team of experts has advised the United Nations
and its partners to conduct field studies of sites in Kosovo that
were struck by ordnance containing depleted uranium (DU) during
last year's Balkan conflict.
The team based its recommendation on new data supplied by the
North Atlantic Treasty Organizatyion (NATO,) which led the bombing
campaign against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.
The UN Balkans Task Force (BTF) -- set up in
May 1999 to assess the environmental impacts of the Balkans conflict
-- last year advised that there was insufficient data available
to comprehensively address the issue. BTF is led by the United
Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the UN United Nations
Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat).
"Now that we have better information on
the location of DU sites, I will be consulting with out UN partners
over the coming days to determine whether and how to proceed with
a scientific field assessment of a representative sample of DU
sites," UNEP Executive Director Klaus Toepfer said today.
Known as the Depleted Uranium Assessment Group,
the team of scientific experts met in Geneva last week as part
of the BTF. The meeting was attended by experts from a range of
organizations including the International Atomic Energy Agency,
the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, the UN Department for Disarmament
Affairs, UNEP, the Royal Society of London, the UN Medical Service,
the UN Mission in Kosovo, and the Swedish Radiation Protection
Institute.
In Kosovo, no more than 45,000 voted in
Yugoslav elections: UN mission
25 SEPTEMBER -- In Kosovo no more than 45,000 voters participated
in Sunday's Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY) elections, the
head of the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo
(UNMIK), Dr. Bernard Kouchner told a press briefing in Pristina
yesterday.
There was no significant voting outside predominantly Serb areas,
Dr. Kouchner added. "We know that the maximum number of voters
as witnessed by UNMIK can be no more than 45,000. It may be less,
" he said.
UNMIK mobilized close to 300 teams throughout
the day to witness what happened at the 260 polling stations in
Kosovo, all but five in Serb areas and well down on the 460 sites
claimed by both Belgrade and Yugoslav opposition. UNMIK did not
organize, support, assist or monitor the FRY elections "which
failed to meet international standards in their preparation, "
Dr. Kouchner emphasized.
"We acted in order to avoid any exaggerated
claims or manipulation and to establish a maximum number of possible
voters inside Kosovo or crossing from Kosovo today," he said.
"Our figures are neither scientific, nor
completely exact figures. We were witnesses, not observes. We
were not part of these particular so-called elections," he
said.
The teams witnessed a total of 44,167 people
visiting polling sites in Serb areas. Just under 2,700 people
crossed out of Kosovo into Serbia or Montenegro. Dr. Kouchner
stressed that this figure is the maxim possible, given UNMIK only
witnessed people going in and out, not actual voting.
Dr. Kouchner said UNMIK police and the international
peacekeeping force (KFOR) took full responsibility for providing
security. "We can report that the day was calm with no major
incidents," he said.
UN envoy hails tolerance
among Albanian and Goran communities in Kosovo
25 SEPTEMBER -- The head of the United Nations Interim Administration
Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), Dr. Bernard Kouchner, has hailed the
atmosphere of tolerance and co-existence in which the Albanian
and Goran communities had continued to live together in the Dragash
municipality, in the southern part of the country.
Visiting the two communities as part of his outreach activities,
he told a town hall meeting Sunday that the people of Dragash
symbolized the future of Kosovo. Despite the conflict, the two
communities had kept their long tradition of tolerance, he said,
adding that Dragash had remained a mixed town where children went
to a mixed school and where both communities could speak their
language and keep their traditional culture without fear.
Dr. Kouchner also visited the Goran village
of Krushevo and the Albanian village of Pllava, where he met the
mayor and other officials. In both villages, people expressed
concern about severe under-employment, saying that most people
who could work had been forced to go abroad to make their living.
In Pllava, Dr. Kouchner announced three projects
for improving the sewerage, water and electrical systems worth
nearly 600,000 deutsche marks ($268,512) for the village. He also
promised to look into the medical needs of the people who were
living in mountain villages where mobility becomes a problem during
winter.
Kosovo's transition to
self-governance in danger of being derailed, Annan warns
22 SEPTEMBER -- Kosovo's transition to self-governance could be
in danger of being derailed by hard-line, principally Kosovo Albanian,
elements who seek to use violence to undermine confidence in the
democratic process, Secretary-General Kofi Annan says in his latest
report to the Security Council released today.
The Secretary-General stresses however, that the UN Interim Administration
Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) will not tolerate such acts which, if
unchecked, could narrow the opportunity for mass participation
in the 28 October municipal elections, he says, adding that UNMIK
intends to use all its resources, with the assistance of KFOR
(international peacekeeping force), to create an environment in
which the people of Kosovo can vote freely and without fear.
At the same time, the Secretary-General emphasizes
that final responsibility for deterring political violence rests
squarely on the shoulders of local leaders. "A resurgence
of violence risks jeopardizing international support and crippling
Kosovo's economic and political development," he writes.
According to the report, the timely completion
of the initial phase of the civil registration process marked
an important milestone, but only the first step, on the province's
path to self-governance. Noting that UNMIK will continue its preparations
for holding free and fair municipal elections, Mr. Annan says
that during this period, the international community "must
remain focussed on the political process in Kosovo. But the real
key to success on 28 October lies with the people of Kosovo,"
he says.
The Secretary-General goes on to call upon all
registered voters to take part in the election process. "Their
continued support in the coming weeks and participation on the
day of the vote itself is a crucial element in Kosovo's transition
to authentic autonomy and self-governance."
UN mission will "witness"
Belgrade elections in Kosovo
21 SEPTEMBER -- The United Nations will "witness and watch"
the "so-called" elections of the Federal Republic of
Yugoslavia (FRY) in Kosovo this Sunday so that it can counter
any unfounded and exaggerated claims.
A spokesman of the United Nations Interim Administrative Mission
in Kosovo (UNMIK), Nadia Younes, told journalists in Pristina
today that UNMIK did not consider the FRY elections in Kosovo
legal but decided to "witness" the elections.
Although UNMIK will not officially monitor any
political facility, the UN Mission and the international peacekeeping
force (KFOR), will "be in a position to assess the approximate
magnitude of the activity in Kosovo."
" We will witness and watch what is happening
at the polling stations and will be in a position at one point
on Sunday to report on what happened during the day in Kosovo,"
she said.
UNMIK is present in all the municipalities in
Kosovo. "We will be witnessing pretty much everything that
is happening here in Kosovo," Ms. Younes said.
She said UNMIK will follow "very carefully"
all possible activities on Sunday connected with the FRY elections
in Kosovo and take necessary measures to prevent any security
incidents.
Ensuring security and maintaining law and order
in Kosovo will be "our guiding criteria" and security
measures will be beefed up in high-risk areas, she said.
UN waives immunity of
international staff member in Kosovo
22 SEPTEMBER -- The United Nations Headquarters in New York has
waived the immunity of an international staff member so that the
can be tried in a Kosovo court on allegations of indecent exposure.
Formal charges have been prepared against the employee by the
UN and a UN police investigation will proceed with a view to being
handed over to the local justice system, a spokesperson of the
UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), Nadia Younes,
said today.
She said UNMIK has recommended the strongest
possible actions be taken against the staff member, and that he
be summarily dismissed. In the meantime, the staff member has
tendered his resignation, which has been accepted by UNMIK.
UN mission in Kosovo mounts
operation to correct errors in voters' list
21 SEPTEMBER -- The UN mission in Kosovo has mounted an operation
to find and correct errors in the provisional civil and voter
registers in readiness for the municipal elections on 28 October.
Refuting allegations in the Kosovo media, which it said undermined
the civil and voter registration process, the UN Interim Administration
Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) today said in a statement that no one
disputed there were errors in the provisional civil and voter
registers. However, it said, work was now under way in cleaning
up those mistakes in order for the voters' list to be ready for
the elections.
The statement went on to say that the majority
of the remaining errors would not be relevant to the voting process.
If a person's name is misspelled on the list, it would not affect
their right to vote. If their name did not appear on the list,
they would still be able to cast their vote by a conditional ballot,
it said.
In addition, the statement said difficulties
had been encountered in putting together identity cards because
of problems with the information and with the technology being
used. However, a team was being hired to work on them and every
application will be reviewed for accuracy.
"UNMIK is striving with the Kosovars to
build a civil society. The restoration of personal identity is
a critical part of this. UNMIK is committed to providing accurate
identity cards as soon as possible."
UN in Kosovo appoints
British prosecutor for Gracanica raid case
20 SEPTEMBER -- A British prosecutor, Mr. Gary Garland, has been
appointed to the case of the three people detained following the
raid in Gracanica on Monday in which illegal weapons and explosives
were seized, the United Nations mission in Kosovo said today.
An international judge is yet to be appointed, Claire Trevena,
spokeswoman of the UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo
(UNMIK) told a press briefing in Pristina.
The three men are suspected of planning to undermine
security and the 28 October municipal elections in Kosovo on orders
from Belgrade.
The men, believed to have been operating in
Kosovo for some time, were arrested as part of an ongoing intelligence
gathering operation, which culminated in the search of a house
and their detention, KFOR spokesman Major Scott Slaten told journalists
in Pristina today.
"Investigation is still being conducted
into the situation," he said, adding that KFOR was targeting
and hunting down extremists of all ethnicities that want to undermine
the democratic system that is being developed in the region.
UNMIK police, who can detain suspects for 72
hours, are holding the suspects in Pristina. Some 300 KFOR British
and Swedish troops and UNMIK police were involved in the search
operation that led to their arrest.
UN holds suspects following seizure of
illegal weapons, explosives in Kosovo
19 SEPTEMBER -- In a joint operation, the international peacekeeping
forces in Kosovo and United Nations police have seized illegal
weapons and explosives and arrested six suspects in a search mounted
shortly before midnight on Monday in the Serb-dominated town of
Gracanica.
The head of the United Nations Interim Administration Mission
in Kosovo (UNMIK), Dr. Bernard Kouchner, told a press briefing
in Pristina today that two of the six individuals arrested in
connection with the illegal explosives -- which included bomb-making
equipment and detonators --were believed to be serving or former
members of the Yugoslav Special Forces.
"This is very serious. It is an obvious
attempt to destabilize Kosovo and to target democracy, peace and
the security of Kosovo," Dr. Kouchner said. The operation,
which he described as "brilliant", involved some 300
troops.
He told journalists that there was a plan not
only to undermine the municipal elections planned by UNMIK for
28 October but also to keep Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic
in power by manipulating the elections Belgrade plans to hold
on Sunday, including in Kosovo.
Dr. Kouchner described "the so-called FRY
elections in Kosovo" as a provocation and promised to heighten
security measures in high-risk areas.
Security at Mitrovica
detention centre in Kosovo tightened
18 SEPTEMBER -- Security measures at the Mitrovica detention centre
in Kosovo have been tightened, following the escape of 13 detainees
earlier this month, the United Nations Interim Administration
Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) said today.
At the time of the escape, "the inmates were not properly
monitored, the security systems were not properly established,
the control and management were breaking down," said Dr Bernard
Kouchner, the head of UNMIK.
Extra guards have now been placed inside and
outside the centre and there is increased surveillance within
the prison, with checks every quarter of an hour, and daily inspections
of the cells. The 32 detainees at present in the jail are now
wearing uniforms and are subject to searches after they have received
visitors.
The security measures include extra bars and
security gates and a new management structure. The Mitrovica Regional
Commander now has two new deputies including one for administration
who will be personally responsible for the security of the detention
facility until it is handed over in the coming weeks to the Kosovo
Correctional Service, UNMIK said.
UN in Kosovo completing
clean up of Mitrovica acid spill
18 SEPTEMBER -- The clean up of sulphuric acid at the Trepca complex
in southern Mitrovica is expected to be completed tomorrow, the
United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK)
said today.
As a next step, UNMIK is working on removing the acid from the
site, UNMIK spokeswoman Claire Trevena told a press briefing in
Pristina.
The acid spill begun last week when a tank at
the battery factory ruptured, forming a stream that reached the
Ibar River, despite efforts to pump the acid from the leaking
tank to other tanks. Acidity levels in the river, however are
reported to be near normal, Ms. Trevena said.
Deadly acid leak reaches
River Ibar in Kosovo
15 SEPTEMBER -- There has been "a significant leak"
of the deadly acid spilling out of the Trepca industrial plant
in southern Mitrovica in Kosovo, which has now reached the Ibar
River, the United Nations mission in Kosovo said today.
A German team was pumping the acid from the leaking tank into
other tanks but it the leak is "continuing to cause serious
problems", said Claire Trevena, a spokeswoman of the UN Interim
Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK). "We have warned
the international bodies dealing with water pollution and river
pollution, " she said.
The acid started leaking on Tuesday, prompting
UNMIK emergency personnel, troops of the international peacekeeping
force in Kosovo (KFOR) and the Kosovo Protection Corps to truck
over 150 tons of lime to neutralize the acid that was being contained
in a large catch basin
Local elections planned
for October crucial test for Kosovars, says UN envoy
15 SEPTEMBER -- The most important event facing the people of
Kosovo in the near future was the local elections planned by the
United Nations on 28 October, the UN envoy in Kosovo said yesterday.
Speaking during one of his series of town hall meetings, Dr. Bernard
Kouchner said in Obilic, north-west of Pristina, that building
a democratic Kosovo without fear and discrimination must be their
main objective, in order to show the world that they are ready
for self-governance.
"If you succeed to have local elections
freely, openly and without violence, UNMIK (the United Nations
Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo) will help you to go
to the next step of self-governance," he said.
He told the crowd that they "were brave
enough to fight for freedom, and you will be brave enough to fight
for peace and democracy."
Unfortunately, he noted, events of the past
few days showed that violence had spread from inter-ethnic crime
to violence between Albanians, referring to the murder two days
ago of the Pristina architect Rexhep Luci.
Earlier, Dr. Kouchner met with Kosovo Serb representatives
and discussed security and employment issues in the three predominantly
Serb communities of Plementina, Babin Most and Crkvena.
Kosovo needs to establish
democracy to attract investors, says UN envoy
14 SEPTEMBER -- The international community needs to see tolerance
and democracy established in Kosovo in order to invest in the
province, the head of the United Nations Interim Administration
Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) said yesterday.
Talking to a crowd of more than 1,000 people in Skenderaj, in
north central Kosovo, at his fifth town hall meeting, Dr. Bernard
Kouchner stressed that free and fair elections as a result of
political dialogue were the most important test for the future
of a peaceful Kosovo without violence.
Local participants told Dr. Kouchner that their
main concerns were the reconstruction of the economy and improvement
of their living conditions. The reconstruction programme was slow
to start although Skenderaj was one of the most destroyed parts
of Kosovo.
Dr. Kouchner promised to call a meeting of partners
working in Skenderaj to discuss how to accelerate reconstruction
activities in order to prepare for winter.
He also met Serb representatives in Devic monastery
who expressed their concerns about living totally isolated with
no freedom of movement, no jobs and no access to the surrounding
lands they used to cultivate.
UN to launch competition
to instil human rights values in Kosovo
14 SEPTEMBER -- The United Nations Interim Administrative Mission
in Kosovo (UNMIK) will tomorrow launch a Kosovo-wide school competition
aimed at instilling human rights values in the province.
The competition called "Living Together in Kosovo, In Europe",
will promote human rights values such as tolerance and reconciliation,
respect for others, democratic rule and a system of justice rather
than revenge, according to a UNMIK statement issued today.
"The peace process is impossible without
the involvement of children," said Dr. Bernard Kouchner,
the head of UNMIK, who will preside over a ceremony to launch
the competition involving 300 students and various community leaders.
Children attending primary and special needs
schools will compete in designing a poster, while secondary school
students will be asked to compose and record a song, or write
a scenario for theatre, radio or film.
The winner in each category will announced after
13 January.
UN personnel in Kosovo
battles deadly acid leak at Trepca complex
13 SEPTEMBER -- More than 130 United Nations personnel and international
peacekeeping (KFOR) troops in Kosovo battled through the night
to contain a deadly acid leak at the Trepca industrial plant in
south Mitrovica.
The operation began on Tuesday when a ruptured inlet pipe to a
tank containing 600,000 litres of sulphuric acid began to leak
at the rate of about 100 litres per minute, the UN Interim Administration
Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) said in a statement issued today.
UNMIK said the personnel had to don protective
clothing and gas masks to guard against the effects of the fumes
from the spill as they spread lime to neutralize the acid stream,
which extends about 300 metres from the source of the leak.
Despite the use of nearly 50 tons of lime and
additional cement and sand brought in from all over Kosovo, some
acid was reaching the nearby Sitnica River. Further supplies of
lime are being trucked to the plant today and UNMIK has warned
local residents to keep away from the water near the Trepca complex.
The area, known as the "industrial park,"
housed a battery factory and zinc and cadmium production facilities
but is virtually derelict through poor maintenance and a disastrous
fire that swept the battery facility earlier this year.
UNMIK has drawn up contingency plans to deal
with emergencies in the complex and, ironically, an emergency
exercise involving the effects of an acid leak was scheduled for
today.
Kosovo Transitional Council
joins UN envoy in condemning murder of Rexhep Luci
13 SEPTEMBER -- The Kosovo Transitional Council (KTC) today joined
the United Nations envoy Bernard Kouchner in condemning the killing
of Rexhep Luci, the respected Kosovo Albanian architect who wrote
the Pristina city urban plan.
"We must all condemn this senseless murder, " Dr. Kouchner
said, adding that the murder had struck a serious blow to civil
society in Kosovo. "And we must take up the challenge left
by Rexhep Luci, to build a democratic, humane and well-planned
Kosovo."
Mr. Luci, who was murdered on Monday, worked
as the director of the Department of Planning, Reconstruction
and Development and was responsible for implementing the rules
against illegal construction, a job which Dr. Kouchner said "demanded
great courage in the face of a lethal form of greed."
Dr. Kouchner said he was about to sign an order
regulating all construction in Kosovo and it would be the first
UNMIK regulation bearing someone's name -- that of Rexhep Luci.
The KTC condemned "in the strongest possible
terms" the killing of Mr. Luci, as well as the murder on
Sunday of Shefki Popova, a Rilindja journalist, and the disappearance
of Marjan Melonashi, a journalist working for Radio Television
Kosovo (RTK), who was reported missing since he left work last
Saturday.
The KTC reaffirmed its "absolute determination"
that these acts of violence and intimidation of journalists, political
actors, and civil servants will not be accepted.
It also strongly supported the resolve of the
municipal authorities to continue fighting illegal construction
and called upon the free media to continue to strive for independent
reporting and on all segments of society to contribute in the
fight against violence.
In its meeting today, the Interim Administrative
Council also discussed the murders.
UN condemns murder of
leading architect in Kosovo
12 SEPTEMBER -- The United Nations mission in Kosovo today strongly
condemned the murder last night of Rexhep Luci, a respected Kosovar
Albanian architect and former director of the Department of Urban
Development, Planning and Reconstruction of Pristina municipality.
Mr. Luci, who was shot six times in the chest by unknown assailants,
was recently working on a project to demolish illegally built
buildings in Pristina.
The United Nations Interim Administration Mission
in Kosovo (UNMIK) said in a statement that Mr Luci, along with
other local national colleagues, recognized the importance of
taking on certain difficult challenges for the future of Kosovo.
"Putting a stop to illegal construction
was one of these. It is a tragedy that his bravery and courage
resulted in his death," said the statement issued jointly
by the Pristina Regional Administrator, Jean Guinard, and the
Pristina Municipal Administrator, Siegfried Brenke.
UN sends team to assess
damage by Kosovo conflict on two neighbouring nations
11 SEPTEMBER -- An international team of experts will spend the
next two weeks assessing the environmental damage caused by the
Kosovo conflict in Albania and The former Yugoslav Republic of
Macedonia, the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) announced today.
The team of experts, assembled by UNEP, will map out pollution
sources and contaminated sites that may require urgent attention.
It will also determine the capacity of the two countries to address
the environmental problems.
The experts arrived today in The FYR of Macedonia
where they will meet with local experts and authorities, visit
sites and take soil, water and air samples. They will also assess
environmental pre-conflict "hot spots" of industrial
pollution, as well as refugee camps. They will start work in Albania
on 17 September.
While the two countries were not the focus of
fighting during the conflict, UNEP said their environment was
stressed by the hundreds of thousands of fleeing Kosovo civilians
who crowded into refugee camps on their territory. In addition,
there may also be industrial pollution not receiving attention
because the governments are confronted with the enormous social
and economic problems created by the conflict and its aftermath.
UNEP Executive Director Klaus Toepfer said Albania
and The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, like many countries
in the world, must confront significant threats to the environment
and public health with limited resources. "We are pleased
to deploy UNEP's tools to analyze the conditions of these two
nations, so that we will all have a better understanding of the
challenges ahead."
Kosovo's Interim Administrative
Council issues statement against violence
8 SEPTEMBER -- Kosovo's Interim Administrative Council (IAC),
today issued a statement reiterating its abhorrence of any kind
of violence. The statement comes on the eve of a 'Day Against
Violence' to be observed tomorrow throughout Kosovo.
The IAC called upon all citizens of Kosovo to refrain from violence
and intimidation of fellow residents and demonstrate their determination
to this end through their participation in the Day and through
a peaceful election campaign period.
"The IAC particularly underlines the responsibility
of the media. It deplores press articles, as recently published
in Bota Sot and Dita, inciting violence, and calls on the media
to refrain from unfounded allegations against political opponents,
such as masterminding political violence."
In other business, the IAC Kosovo Albanian members
reaffirmed their opposition to the agreement regarding electricity
imports concluded between KEK, the Kosovo power company and EPS,
its Serbian counterpart. The head of UNMIK, Dr. Bernard Kouchner,
said the agreement might be necessary to guarantee sufficient
power for the coming winter.
Briefing the IAC, the co-heads of the Department
of Education, Michael Daxner and Naim Rrustemaj said that 1.8
million textbooks have been printed and distributed to students
of all ethnic communities after being screened for appropriate
content. They also told the Council that a school-rehabilitation
unit has also been established to oversee rebuilding, and a model
technical school has opened in Pec. Pilot centres for vocational
training will be opened soon.
UN to fly out 35 Kosovo
children for specialized medical treatment
8 SEPTEMBER -- The head of the United Nations mission in Kosovo,
Dr. Bernard Kouchner, will tomorrow accompany 35 local children
travelling for specialized medical treatment in France.
In a statement issued in Pristina today, the UN Interim Administration
Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) said the children, suffering from serious
cardiac illness, eye diseases, orthopedic or visceral problems,
include 24 Albanians and 11 Serbs. The trip is a joint operation
by various humanitarian organizations, the French Ministry of
Defence and UNMIK.
Dr. Kouchner described the operation as a symbol
of what Kosovo will be tomorrow --a peaceful and prosperous land
where all Kosovo people of all communities can live together.
"These children represent hope of a better Kosovo to which
the international community is fully committed, " he said.
The children will be treated in specialized
hospitals in France, the United Kingdom and Monaco.
Kosovo swears in new international
prosecutor and judge
8 SEPTEMBER -- The United Nations mission in Kosovo today swore
in Gary Garland of the United Kingdom as a new international prosecutor
for Pristina and Ingo Risch of Germany as an international judge
for Prizren.
A spokeswoman for the United Nations Interim Administration Mission
in Kosovo (UNMIK) said this brings the total to seven international
judges and three prosecutors in the province.
Last month, UNMIK appointed an additional 139
local judges and prosecutors, bringing the total of local judges
and prosecutors in Kosovo to 405.
UN mission rejects Belgrade-organized
elections in Kosovo as "farce"
6 SEPTEMBER-- The United Nations Interim Administration Mission
in Kosovo (UNMIK) will not participate in, support, organize,
or in any other way condone or legitimize the elections organized
by Belgrade in Kosovo, the head of the UN Mission said today.
Dr. Bernard Kouchner said in a statement that the effort to stage
the 24 September elections within Kosovo without any formal discussion
with UNMIK amounted to nothing more than "a farce" and
"a crude attempt" to disrupt the municipal elections
organized by UNMIK on 28 October.
He said the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY)
elections would not meet any reasonable international standards
as they disregarded the most elementary democratic rules, including
adopted electoral lists or international supervision. In addition,
the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia
has indicted a leading candidate in the elections.
Dr. Kouchner said under Security Council resolution
1244 UNMIK bears "the sole responsibility" for interim
administration in Kosovo. In order to administer any elections
within Kosovo, UNMIK must ensure that fundamental international
standards are met, he added.
He said the municipal elections "is the
only election which will be properly internationally monitored
by international observers, and which meets international democratic
standards."
UNMIK and the international peacekeeping force,
KFOR, have the responsibility of ensuring a secure environment
as well as law and order in Kosovo. "UNMIK and KFOR will
consider, on a case by case basis, how to respond to any specific
activities associated with the so-called election of 24 September,
and a joint coordination committee has already been specially
established for this purpose, " Dr Kouchner said. "Our
policies will be guided by security criteria alone, since our
highest priority must be to ensure safety, a secure environment,
and to protect life. "
UN in Kosovo dismisses
director of detention centre following escape of prisoners
5 SEPTEMBER -- The United Nations Interim Administration Mission
in Kosovo (UNMIK) has dismissed the director of the Mitrovica
Detention Centre from where 15 Kosovo Serbs, most of them charged
with war crimes, escaped over the weekend, UN spokesman Fred Eckhard
said today in New York.
The Mitrovica Detention Centre will be closed and the remaining
prisoners will be relocated to a more secure site. Two of the
detainees who escaped were recaptured but 13 are still at large,
he said.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the head of
UNMIK, Dr. Bernard Kouchner, vowed to bring to justice both the
fugitives and anyone found to have been involved in their flight.
"UNMIK is taking its responsibility very seriously in this
incident," he said, promising "a full and vigorous investigation"
and an intensive search for the escapees by UNMIK police and KFOR,
the international peacekeeping force.
Earlier on Monday, UNMIK attempts to move the
remaining prisoners to a more secure location was blocked by 300-500
people who gathered in front of the northern Mitrovica detention
facility. KFOR spokesman Major Scott Slaten said families of the
detainees were concerned about the transfer and blocked access
roads out of the immediate area surrounding the facility.
Kosovo hosts seminar on
international humanitarian law
5 SEPTEMBER -- A two-day seminar opened in Pristina today to introduce
the Kosovo judiciary to international humanitarian law, the United
Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) said
in a press statement.
Legal experts from the International Criminal Tribunal for the
former Yugoslavia (ICTY) have been invited to lead the sessions
and impart their knowledge on international humanitarian law,
which is also known as the law of war. The participants will focus
on the legal concepts of war crimes, crimes against humanity,
genocide and individual criminal responsibility.
The seminar, organized by the Kosovo Judicial
Institute (KJI), is considered important as cases pertaining to
humanitarian law are coming before the judiciary, UNMIK said in
the statement.
In addition to 44 participants, the meeting
is also attended by 5 experts and 20 observers, including local
judges, public prosecutors and defence counsel, as well as representatives
of the Organization for Security and Cooperation (OSCE), which
runs the KJL. Representatives of the ICTY and the American Bar
Association/Central and Eastern Europe Law Initiative are also
attending.
The KJI was set up by the OSCE to provide legal
education for judges and prosecutors and plays an important role
in strengthening the independence of the judiciary and rule of
law in Kosovo.
UN appoints special envoy
for persons deprived of liberty in Kosovo
1 SEPTEMBER -- The United Nations High Commissioner for Human
Rights, Mary Robinson, has appointed Ambassador Henrik Amneus
of Sweden as her Special Envoy on persons deprived of liberty
in connection with the Kosovo crisis.
The Special Envoy, appointed initially for six months, will focus
mainly on addressing the nature of the problem and seeking comprehensive
solutions, rather than intervening on individual cases, the High
Commissioner said in a statement issued today.
He will support the work of the main international
actors concerned with these issues, including the International
Committee of the Red Cross and the Special Rapporteur of the Commission
on Human Rights.
The Special Envoy will seek to facilitate communication
among all parties and thereby contribute toward a reduction of
tensions in Kosovo and elsewhere in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia,
the statement said.
The head of the United Nations Interim Administration
Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), Dr. Bernard Kouchner, welcomed the
appointment. "We hope that Ambassador Amneus will tackle
the issues which have devastated the lives of so many families
in Kosovo and which have been a serious stumbling block on Kosovo's
road to democracy," he said.
Ambassador Amneus has been working in the diplomatic
service of Sweden since 1961. In the early 1990's, he served as
Ambassador for Human Rights based in Stockholm. In 1996 and 1997,
he was Chairman of the Joint Implementation Committee on Human
Rights with United Nations Transitional Administration for Eastern
Slavonia, Baranja and Western Sirmium (UNTAES) in Vukovar, Croatia.
Kosovo's Interim Administrative
Council supports "Day Against Violence"
1 SEPTEMBER--The Interim Administrative Council (IAC) today agreed
to support events around Kosovo which are being planned as part
of the "Day Against Violence" proposed by local leaders,
the UN mission in Kosovo said today in a press statement.
The "Day Against Violence" is a follow-up to the "Pact
Against Violence" adopted by 40 representatives of Kosovo
Serb and Albanian communities who met 21-23 July in Airlie, Virginia,
at a conference convened by the United States Institute of Peace.
The press statement issued by the United Nations
Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) said the IAC
members also agreed to visit Pec on Monday as part of the "Roma
Platform for Action", a programme for raising awareness of
issues affecting the Roma minorities. They will be accompanied
by the head of UNMIK, Dr. Bernard Kouchner, the commander of the
international peacekeeping force (KFOR), Lieutenant General Juan
Ortuño, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
special envoy, Mr. Eric Morris and the publisher of a local newspaper,
Koha Ditore, Mr.Veton Surroi.
Acting Deputy Special Representative for Reconstruction
Alan Pearson briefed the IAC on the fiscal outlook for the year
2001. He stressed the need for a speedy endorsement of the regulation
establishing the Department of Trade and Industry.
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