Kosovo's police key to preserving democracy
and human rights – UN official
30 October 2004 – Addressing the
latest graduating class of Kosovo's multiethnic police force,
a senior United Nations official there today said they are responsible
for advancing the goals of peace and democracy.
“There is no profession more noble,
or more necessary, than the police to the preservation and maintenance
of human rights principles and basic democratic freedoms,”
said Lawrence G. Rossin.
He said the chief task of the new recruits
will be “upholding and enforcing the laws of Kosovo equally
for all, for the benefit of all, for the benefit of this great
Kosovo itself.”
The police must be trusted and respected
by those they serve, he said, in contrast to past practice in
Kosovo. “I remember visiting Kosovo in 1998, and seeing
a different cadre of police officers standing on corners, stopping
cars, stealing money from ordinary people like yourselves and
your neighbours,” he said. “They are long gone.
You represent a new start, a different model of policing, a
model of service to the people.”
He stressed that the graduates must never
hold themselves above the law. “You must have the courage
to stand up against those officers who by their actions might
damage the reputation and character of the Kosovo Police Service,”
he said. “A police service that tolerates officers who
are corrupt and dishonest will never gain that trust or respect.”
“The people of Kosovo expect
the best, and you can fulfil their expectation,” he said.
Outgoing Deputy UN Kosovo chief says recent
gains need global support to hold
29 October 2004 – On the eve of
his retirement after three years of serving as the deputy head
of the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo
(UNMIK), Charles Brayshaw says nascent democratic institutions
in the province will need continued international support to
flourish.
In an interview with the UN News Service on
Thursday, Mr. Brayshaw, who arrived in Kosovo in November 2001,
detailed numerous successes for UNMIK and said the key task
ahead is to involve the Serb community more in the democratization
process.
"One of the greatest triumphs we had
in that period of time was the establishment of a democratic
government in the province for the first time in its history,"
he said. "The people of Kosovo have responded very, very
positively to that opportunity."
Mr. Brayshaw said last weekend's elections
saw a "relatively good" turnout from the majority
Albanian and other ethnic communities, while he acknowledged
that the turnout of the Serb community had been "disappointing."
He blamed this on "guidance they received
from political leaders in Belgrade" as well as "intimidation
of people who would have wanted to vote but were fearful of
the consequences."
Mr. Brayshaw added that leaders of the Serb
community still have opportunities to participate in the political
process in Kosovo. "Bringing them into that picture is
going to be one of the major challenges of the coming months."
Offering a historical perspective, he recalled
that in the 1990s, as a result of oppression by former Yugoslav
leader Slobodan Miloševic, Albanians were marginalized
and Serb elements were supported through a skewed legal system.
"Since that time, we have established a judiciary which
is multi-ethnic," he said. The UN has vetted and trained
some 300 judges and prosecutors in local judiciary, while 30
international judges and prosecutors are on hand to handle the
most sensitive cases.
This, coupled with UNMIK's establishment of
a multi-ethnic police force, has resulted in a dramatic decline
in Kosovo's crime rates. "I consider that to be a very,
very important success for the international community as well,
and one that holds out a great deal of promise for the people
of Kosovo."
Kosovo's future permanent status - the key
challenge ahead - must be defined "in the context of ensuring
that there is peace and stability for the long-term for all
the communities."
Another major challenge is to foster the development
of a market economy that will encourage growth. "We have
seen a very, very significant recovery in Kosovo from the devastated
conditions that existed in 1999 at the end of the conflict,
and there's been great progress in that regard, but we still
haven't seen the generation of a vibrant new economy."
Referring to the return of Kosovo Serbs, Mr.
Brayshaw said attention must focus on reassuring them that conditions
are safe. "Although crime rates have gone down significantly,
there have been some dramatic criminal events in which Serbs
have been victims."
The lack of economic opportunity is also a
hindrance to returns, he noted, calling for donor support to
help those going back to rebuild their homes and have a basis
for restarting their productive lives.
Mr. Brayshaw, who served under four successive
senior UN envoys to Kosovo and himself acted as head of mission
in between their assignments, said, "It has been a great,
personally rewarding experience for me and I'm happy to have
other opportunities." In the meantime, he said he was looking
forward to spending time with family in Wyoming in the United
States.
Drawing lessons for future situations, he
said Kosovo benefited from strong cooperation between the UN
and other organizations, notably NATO and the Organisation for
Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).
"We've also been able to mobilize the
support of key countries in the Security Council, plus some
other European countries that have a strong interest in Kosovo
to provide us direct political support in the various problems
that we faced on the ground," he said. Those countries
have also been "very important donors to the redevelopment
of Kosovo after the destruction of the conflict period,"
he added.
Clear mandates, a defined goal and end, and
pro-active measures to guard against corruption are also crucial,
he said.
Finally, he emphasized the "supreme
importance of having strong security programmes" to protect
UN staff members working in dangerous circumstances on behalf
of the international community.
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Miloševic lawyers ask to be removed from
his trial at UN war crimes tribunal
28 October 2004 – The lawyers appointed
by a United Nations war crimes tribunal to represent former
Yugoslav President Slobodan Miloševic against genocide
charges have asked to withdraw from the case because the defendant
is uncooperative.
Steven Kay and Gillian Higgins, who were appointed
to the posts last month by the International Criminal Tribunal
for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), said this week that Mr. Miloševic's
refusal to cooperate with them meant they could not do their
job nor meet the ICTY's own code of conduct.
"The accused has consistently refused
to see us or speak with us. In these circumstances, we have
conducted his case in the best way we could until the appeal
against our assignment could be heard," they said in a
letter submitted to the Tribunal on Tuesday. "We had hoped
that in the meantime we might be able to generate cooperation
between the accused and ourselves. This has not succeeded."
Mr. Kay and Ms. Higgins said it was impossible
for them to know their client's "objectives of representation,"
a requirement of the code of conduct.
The two lawyers, both from the United Kingdom,
were assigned to their roles by the ICTY in a bid to ease the
workload of Mr. Miloševic, who is suffering from heart
problems and had been representing himself. The appointment
was also designed to reduce the chance of further delays in
the already long-running trial.
But Mr. Kay and Ms. Higgins said their first
task as assigned counsel was to appeal against the ICTY's decision
to appoint them, "having heard the accused's wish to challenge
that matter." A ruling on that question is expected within
the next two weeks.
Mr. Miloševic is facing charges
of genocide, crimes against humanity and other war crimes for
his role in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and Kosovo during
the 1990s. His trial is due to resume on 9 November.
Improving ethnic relations in Kosovo must be
post-election priority - UN envoy
25 October 2004 – On the heels
of this weekend's assembly elections in Kosovo, the senior United
Nations envoy there called for the swift formation of a new
government once the polling results are finalized.
Søren Jessen-Petersen, the Secretary-General's
Special Representative, described the election of lawmakers
to the 120-member Kosovo Assembly as "a turning point"
for the province, which has been under UN administration since
June 1999.
"We must listen to the voices of those
who voted, and respect their verdict. Kosovo and its people
are the winners, and no one who wants a better future for Kosovo
should consider himself or herself a loser," he said in
a statement issued in Pristina.
The Organisation for Security and Cooperation
in Europe (OSCE) has announced preliminary results from the
election, with final results expected to be certified shortly.
Calling for the establishment of a new government
once the final results are released, Mr. Jessen-Petersen said
one of its priorities must be to implement the Standards, a
series of eight UN-set benchmarks that include upholding the
rule of law and encouraging greater dialogue and better relations
with Belgrade.
Voter turnout among the province's Serb population
was comparatively low, and the envoy stressed that more harmonious
ethnic relations must be a key goal.
"We must now work with the legitimate
representatives of all communities, and we must also reach out
to those who decided not to vote or who felt intimidated not
to cast their ballots," he said.
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Annan and UN envoy hail success of weekend
elections for Kosovo Assembly
24 October 2004 – Secretary-General
Kofi Annan and his senior envoy to Kosovo today hailed elections
for the province's assembly, saying the high and peaceful voter
turnout Saturday showed the public wanted to participate despite
pressure from some quarters to stay home.
"The Secretary-General calls on all of
Kosovo's political leaders to respect the result of the election,"
his spokesman said in a
statement issued in New York after the poll for the 120-member
Assembly.
"The turnout and good management of the
electoral process, for the first time by Kosovans themselves,
demonstrate their understanding of the importance of making
their voices heard and taking a direct hand in shaping Kosovo's
future."
Mr. Annan said he expected a new government
would be formed quickly and would cooperate closely with the
UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), which has
been in charge of the province since June 1999.
The statement stressed the importance of the
incoming government working "for the benefit of all,"
including Kosovo's ethnic minorities.
While noting the low turnout among Kosovo
Serbs, Mr. Annan praised "those who voted and those who
stood as candidates for their courage in the face of severe
contrary pressure."
The Secretary-General's Special Representative
Søren Jessen-Petersen, who spent Saturday touring polling
stations across the province, described the election as peaceful,
well-organized and a success.
Acknowledging that many Kosovo Serbs who would
have liked to vote did not because they were afraid, he pointed
out that there were those who did vote, including some in areas
where not a single party had campaigned, and this meant that
there would be Kosovo Serb representatives in the Assembly.
"This is the important thing: there
will be representatives who will be part of the dialogue, and
we will now reach out not only to all voters in all communities
who did vote, but also to those who wanted to vote but were
afraid, because they also share a common interest in the future
of Kosovo."
Annan urges all communities in Kosovo to vote
in Saturday’s elections
21 October 2004 – With the people
of Kosovo heading to the polls this weekend for legislative
elections, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan called
on all communities in the province to exercise their right to
vote.
“I urge members of the Kosovo Serb community
to participate in the election and in this way to ensure that
their interests and concerns are represented and promoted within
Kosovo’s provisional institutions,” said a statement
issued by a spokesperson for Mr. Annan.
“Kosovo’s leaders should do their
utmost to encourage Kosovo’s voters to engage in the democratic
process.”
Balloting on Saturday will be for representatives
to the Kosovo Assembly, part of the Provisional Institutions
of Self-Government, and are the first largely organized and
run by the people of Kosovo themselves.
Mr. Annan voiced confidence that the elections
“will prove to be yet another significant step in the
consolidation of Kosovo’s representative and democratic
provisional institutions of self-government and a further demonstration
of Kosovo’s progress on the path of normalization and
stability,” the statement said.
Meanwhile, the Secretary-General’s Special
Representative for Kosovo, Søren Jessen-Petersen, also
urged the province’s Serb community to take part in Saturday’s
elections.
Speaking during a visit this afternoon to
Shtërpcë/Štrpce town, he said he understood that
people were disappointed with progress so far but stressed that
they had every reason to vote. “Elections are not about
the past, they are about the future. The fact that there hasn’t
been much progress is reason to participate, to look ahead and
be part of the future,” he said.
Mr. Jessen-Petersen also praised town, with
its integrated multi-ethnic assembly, as a model for other municipalities.
“You represent in many ways the kind of municipality we
want to see throughout Kosovo,” he said, congratulating
Assembly President Sladjan Ilic for being a “wise and
responsible political leader” who, by encouraging people
to vote despite the unhappiness many Kosovo Serbs felt with
their present condition, decided to give Kosovo a chance to
move forward.
He pointed out that it was clear that if Kosovo
wanted to move forward and become part of Europe there must
be “significant, demonstrable” progress in the implementation
of standards, especially in security, the rule of law, the protection
of minorities, freedom of movement, the return of displaced
persons and decentralization “with true and real local
self-government.”
He was confident, he said, that Kosovo
authorities understood that, and added that those who go out
and vote would have every right to hold not only the international
community but also those politicians that get elected accountable
for results.
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UN envoy expresses dismay at attempts to dissuade
Kosovo Serbs from voting
18 October 2004 – Voicing deep
concern at attempts to dissuade Kosovo’s ethnic Serb population
from participating in this Saturday’s elections, the senior
United Nations envoy there today urged all Serbs to vote so
they can play their part in rebuilding the troubled province.
“Only those who take action to overcome
isolation can change the present to a better future,”
Søren Jessen-Petersen, the Secretary-General’s
Special Representative and the head of the UN Interim Administration
Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), said in a statement issued in Pristina.
“Voting on Saturday means becoming an
active part of the institutional life in Kosovo,” he said.
“It means standing up for your interests, rights and concerns.
Those urging Kosovo Serbs not to vote simply do not have in
mind the interest of their own people.”
The envoy’s comments came in reaction
to recent statements and actions aimed at persuading Serbs to
stay away from the polls for the Kosovo Assembly, a legislative
body which has power to pass laws in certain areas.
Mr. Jessen-Petersen also said that UNMIK
and the Kosovo Force (KFOR) – which is responsible for
maintaining security in the province – were working hard
to ensure that election day is safe and quiet.
UN envoy to Kosovo finds mixed progress on
Serbs returns
9 October 2004 – Visiting areas
where Serbs have returned to Kosovo, the senior United Nations
envoy to the troubled province today observed minority populations
facing an uphill climb on the road to integration.
Søren Jessen-Petersen expressed
dissatisfaction at the situation in Bica, where Kosovo Serb
villagers are protected by barbed wire barricades and the 24-hour
presence of peacekeeping troops. He pledged to work with the
local community and municipal authorities to find more sustainable
solutions to the current problems.
“In Kosovo in October 2004, a Kosovo
that is determined to move towards review of standards and status
talks, there should and must be no places where people are forced
to live behind barbed wires and protected by KFOR,” he
stressed, referring to the multinational Kosovo Force.
KFOR Commander Yves de Kermabon accompanied
the UN envoy during the trip, which also took them to the village
of Vidanje, where they found measurable progress Mr. Jessen-Petersen
said the situation for Serbs there “is the way forward
for Kosovo,” noting that local authorities are providing
“all the necessary facilities that will allow the returnees
and the community to integrate.”
In the first phase of a project funded by
the Kosovo Government and implemented by the Danish Refugee
Council, 33 Serbs have returned to Vidanje to begin reconstructing
their homes before bringing the rest of their family members
back to the village. The ?970,000 project involves reconstructing
25 homes, repairing infrastructure like the village's water
supply, and providing assistance to needy families in the community.
KFOR Commander de Kermabon praised the progress
in Vidanje and pledged that KFOR would work with UNMIK and the
local representatives in Bica to restore trust between the people
there.
“The future of Kosovo is in this
confidence, confidence between the inhabitants and confidence
between the two ethnicities,” Gen. de Kermabon said.
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UN envoy welcomes call
for Kosovo Serbs to participate in Assembly elections
6 October 2004 – Welcoming the Serbian President's call
to ethnic Serbs to take part in elections later this month to
the Kosovo Assembly, the senior United Nations envoy to the
province said such participation will allow the minority community
to have its voice heard.
Søren Jessen-Petersen, the Secretary-General's
Special Representative and the head of the UN Interim Administration
Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), issued a statement hailing the comments
of Serbian President Boris Tadic, who has encouraged ethnic
Serbs to vote in the polls scheduled for 23 October.
"There is no substitute for direct participation
in democratic institutions which make decisions affecting the
lives of everyone in Kosovo," he said, adding that "participation
by Kosovo Serbs paves the way for their representation in local
institutions and will enable a constructive dialogue to address
their concerns…at both the central and local levels."
Mr. Jessen-Petersen called on the Government
of Serbia and Montenegro to conduct the practical requirements
so that displaced Serbs now living outside Kosovo are able to
cast their ballots.
He also urged the majority ethnic Albanian
community to reach out to Kosovo's more vulnerable communities
ahead of the election.
The Kosovo Assembly is a legislative
body that has the power to pass laws in certain areas. The UN
retains overall administration of the province, which it assumed
in June 1999 after fighting ended there.
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