Kosovo Albanians must provide Serbs with sense
of security – UN envoy
29 November 2004 – Although security
has improved significantly in Kosovo since March's deadly violence,
the worst in the five years since the United Nations took over
administering the ethnically-divided province, much work remains
to be done to achieve the goals needed to settle its final status,
the top UN envoy there said today.
“One can expect and must demand real
progress in the implementation of those standards that together
contribute most to the establishment of a multi-ethnic Kosovo,”
Secretary-General Kofi Annan’s Special Representative
Søren Jessen-Petersen told the Security Council of the
eight necessary goals.
These include freedom of movement, rule of
law, functioning local institutions, and the return and protection
of the rights of minorities, particularly Serbs, in the province
that has been under UN administration since 1999 when the North
Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) drove Yugoslav troops out
amid Albanian-Serb fighting.
Mr. Jessen-Petersen noted in his briefing
to the Council that the UN Interim Administration Mission in
Kosovo (UNMIK) and KFOR, the multinational security force, are
now better positioned to provide such protection than they were
in March when an onslaught by extremists among the Albanian
majority against the Serb, Roma and Askhali communities led
to 19 people being killed, nearly 1,000 injured and hundreds
of homes and centuries-old Serbian cultural sites razed or burned.
“But only Kosovo Albanian leaders and
society can and must effectively dispel the need for such protection
and create true security,” he added, presenting Mr. Annan’s
latest report on Kosovo. “The authorities must ensure
that all communities feel safe and secure and are able to live
normal lives, free of fear and intimidation.”
He urged the Serbs to rejoin the Kosovo Security
Advisory Group, set up to bring together representatives of
all communities to build confidence, and the working group on
decentralization. He regretted that very few Serbs took part
in last month’s elections and stressed that once a new
government is formed “its first act must be to reach out
to improve the living conditions of the Kosovo Serbs.”
He cited the bad economic situation as “possibly
the biggest threat to stability and reconciliation,” threatened
to take unspecified sanctions against officials both at the
central and municipal level who blocked attempts to make improvements
in the area of the standards, but also held out the prospect
that a final resolution might be moving into view.
“After almost five years of managing
a holding operation in Kosovo, we may be moving towards the
end game – talks on final status,” he declared.
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Despite progress, more action needed to bridge
ethnic divide in Kosovo - UN
24 November 2004 – Although there
has been progress in reconstruction and reform in Kosovo since
March's deadly violence, the worst in the five years since the
United Nations took over administering the ethnically-divided
province, key areas such as reconciliation and the return of
minorities remain cause for concern, according to a new report
released today.
While measures and mechanisms have been established
for moving forward towards reconciliation between the Albanian
majority and minorities, in particular the Serbs, "more
action is required to translate these into concrete and sustainable
results," Secretary-General Kofi Annan writes in his latest
report on the issue.
"I call upon the leadership of the (Albanian
majority) Provisional Institutions and of the Kosovo Serb community
to work together in the interest of the people of Kosovo with
the aim of creating the conditions for their normal life,"
he adds of the province that has been under UN administration
since June 1999 after the North Atlantic Treaty Organization
(NATO) drove Yugoslav troops out amid Albanian-Serb fighting.
On the credit side Mr. Annan cites evidence
that Kosovo is getting back on track towards fulfilling the
necessary standards for deciding its final status after the
onslaught by Albanian extremists to drive out Serb, Roma and
Askhali communities led to 19 people being killed, nearly 1,000
injured and hundreds of homes and centuries-old Serbian cultural
sites razed or burned in March.
Progress in some areas has been "tangible
and encouraging," with many damaged homes and schools rebuilt
or under reconstruction and advances in reforming local government,
of major importance in safeguarding the vital interests of minority
communities, particularly Serbs, he says.
He calls last month's elections for the Kosovo
Assembly "an important further step…in the process
of stabilization and normalization."
But in the debit column Mr. Annan lists the
failure to establish "a systematic, properly resourced
programme for outreach, including mid- and long-term reconciliation
and inter-ethnic dialogue," a significant drop in the rate
of Serbs returning, Serb non-participation in the elections
and the continuing precarious security of minority groups.
"There continue to be substantial limitations
on their freedom of movement. In some regions, Kosovo Serbs
travel through areas in which there is a Kosovo Albanian majority
only with escorts," he writes.
"Because of the March events, more members
of minority communities have been displaced in 2004 than have
been able to return to their homes."
Outlining a set of priorities in the months
to come, Mr. Annan says the UN Interim Administration Mission
in Kosovo (UNMIK) will seek to advance the eight so-called standards
that set specific goals in such areas as building democratic
institutions, enforcing minority rights, creating a functioning
economy and establishing an impartial legal system.
UNMIK will also work in close coordination
with KFOR, the multinational security force in the province,
to improve security and freedom of movement, "key factors
needed to consolidate the presence of minority communities and
to accelerate the return of displaced persons."
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Freed UN electoral workers in Afghanistan look forward to resuming
their work
24 November 2004 – Three United
Nations election workers freed yesterday nearly a month after
being abducted in Afghanistan today thanked the Afghan people
for the support shown during their ordeal and said they were
looking forward to getting back to work.
“Since we were released we have learned
of the many statements of support and expressions of solidarity
by Afghan personalities and ordinary men and women, some of
whom even offered to take our place as hostages,” Shqipe
Hebibi, Annetta Flanigan and Angelito Nayan declared in a statement
issued in Kabul, the Afghan capital.
“We are humbled and very, very grateful
for this,” the three – from Kosovo, Northern Ireland
and the Philippines, respectively – added.
“During our many months of work here
in Afghanistan we have learned to love Afghanistan, its people,
its culture and traditions. The awful experience we went through
does not change our feelings for the Afghan people and the solidarity
they have shown during the 27 days of our captivity just strengthens
our commitment to support Afghanistan in its transition to peace
and democracy,” they said.
The trio also expressed gratitude to the many
people and institutions that worked together to secure their
release.
“We are looking forward to joining our
families and to returning to our work,” they concluded.
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Afghanistan: Annan delighted at release
of three abducted UN election workers
23 November 2004 – Secretary-General
Kofi Annan today voiced his “delight” at the release
of three United Nations election workers abducted last month
in Afghanistan and pledged the world body’s commitment
to help promote peace, reconstruction and democracy in the war-torn
country.
Mr. Annan spoke by phone to all three –
Shqipe Hebibi, Annetta Flanigan and Angelito Nayan – who
were seized by gunmen from their UN vehicle on 28 October in
the Afghan capital of Kabul, where they had been working on
the country’s first-ever presidential election under contract
to the UN Development Programme (UNDP).
“He is profoundly relieved that their
ordeal and the anxiety of their families and friends are now
ended,” his spokesman said in a statement issued in Sharm
el-Sheikh, Egypt, where the Secretary-General is attending an
international conference on Iraq.
The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA)
reported that the three - from Kosovo, Northern Ireland and
the Philippines, respectively - seemed fine, were in good spirits
and would join family members soon.
Mr. Annan also phoned Afghan President Hamid
Karzai to thank him for the crucial role his Government played
in securing the release of the three, voiced gratitude to the
people of Afghanistan for their outpouring of sympathy and support,
and praised the “courage, dedication and solidarity”
of the UN family in a call to his Special Representative, Jean
Arnault.
“The Afghan people have high expectations
and hopes with regard to the role of the United Nations,”
the statement concluded. “The United Nations system will
continue to work to strengthen the security of its staff in
order to enable it to fulfil the organization’s mandate
to further peace, reconstruction and democracy in Afghanistan.”
In Kosovo, Mr. Annan's Special Representative
in the UN-administered province, Søren Jessen-Petersen,
and Prime Minister Bajram Rexhepi visited Ms. Hebibi's family,
who thanked the Kosovo Government and UN for their efforts in
the case.
"This is a very happy day for the
family of Ms. Hebibi, for Kosovo and for the UN and UNMIK (UN
Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo)," Mr. Jessen-Petersen
said. "We wanted to come over here to share the joy and
happiness of the family. We are so delighted that they will
soon have her back in Kosovo."
UN envoy welcomes agreement on coalition in
Kosovo following elections
17 November 2004 – The top United
Nations envoy for Kosovo today welcomed an agreement on the
formation of a coalition following last month's elections in
the ethnically-divided province which the world body has administered
for the past five years.
Secretary-General Kofi Annan's Special Representative
Søren Jessen-Petersen said in a statement that he trusted
"that the new custodians of the provisional institutions
will honour their commitment to work closely with the representatives
of minority communities, and towards our common goal of building
a stable multiethnic society."
Last week Mr. Jessen-Petersen appealed to
all parties to heed the concerns of minorities, particularly
the Serbs.
Kosovo has been under UN administration
since 1999 when NATO forced the withdrawal of Yugoslav troops
after fighting between Albanians and Serbs. Under its mandate
the UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) is seeking
to promote the establishment of substantial autonomy and self-government
and to facilitate a political process to determine the province's
future status.
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UN envoy calls on NATO security force to stay
the course in Kosovo
10 November 2004 – The top United
Nations envoy for Kosovo today appealed to North Atlantic Treaty
Organization (NATO) members providing the troops that keep the
peace in the ethnically-divided province to "stay the course"
and maintain adequate force levels to ensure the establishment
of a stable multiethnic society.
"If we cannot contain such potential
threats to order and security in Kosovo, we will fail in our
goal to create a stable multiethnic society in the foreseeable
future," Secretary-General Kofi Annan's Special Representative
Søren Jessen-Petersen told the North Atlantic Council
of the situation in the province, where 22 people were killed
and 500 injured in fighting in March between majority Albanians
and minority Serbs.
In an address to the Council in Brussels,
he underlined the excellent cooperation between the UN Interim
Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), which has steered
the province since 1999 when NATO forced the withdrawal of Yugoslav
troops after fighting between Albanians and Serbs, and the NATO-led
international Kosovo Force (KFOR) that provides security.
Mr. Jessen-Petersen stressed that security
throughout the recent election campaign and on election day
itself had been very satisfactory. "Since March UNMIK and
KFOR have worked together to improve the security environment
in Kosovo with particular regard to the minority population,"
he said, adding that all communities of Kosovo had an obligation
to contribute to a secure environment.
"It is vitally important that the Kosovo
Serbs participate in processes, including the working group
on decentralization, that provide them with the opportunity
to address issues of direct concern to them," he declared,
reiterating his recent call to all parties to heed the concerns
of minorities.
"The new government must reach out to
the minority communities and make rapid progress on the implementation
of standards, in particular in areas such as security, returns,
freedom of movement, decentralization, and rule of law,"
he said, calling for the prompt formation of a government following
the 23 October elections, in which Serb turnout was low.
Mr. Jessen-Petersen said at the time
that many Kosovo Serbs who would have liked to vote did not
because they were afraid.
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UN envoy certifies Kosovo election results
with call to heed Serb minority
9 November 2004 – The top United
Nations envoy for Kosovo today certified the results of last
month's elections in the ethnically-divided province which the
world body has administered for the past five years, appealing
to all parties to heed the concerns of minorities, particularly
the Serbs.
"They have some very real concerns, they
also expect better living conditions, better security, freedom
of movement and return of the displaced," Secretary-General
Kofi Annan's Special Representative Søren Jessen-Petersen
said at the ceremony in Pristina, the capital of Kosovo, whose
population is mainly Albanian.
"We, the international community, must
redouble our efforts. We most work even harder with the legitimate
representatives of all communities in order to build a better
future for all citizens of Kosovo," he added.
Kosovo has been under UN administration since
1999 when NATO forced the withdrawal of Yugoslav troops following
fighting between Albanians and Serbs. Under its mandate the
UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) is seeking
to promote the establishment of substantial autonomy and self-government
and to facilitate a political process to determine the province's
future status.
Mr. Jessen-Petersen called for the prompt
formation of a new government following the 23 October elections
to the 120-member Assembly. Election turnout among Kosovo Serbs
was low.
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UN hands over more power to Kosovo government
8 November 2004 – The top United
Nations envoy for Kosovo has decided to hand over more power
to the province’s government with the creation of new
ministries dealing with energy, local self-government, and returns
and communities, the UN mission there said today.
Søren Jessen-Petersen, chief of the
UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), was meeting
with political leaders in Pristina to inform them of the decision,
and to tell them of his endorsement of their proposal to establish
posts for a Deputy Prime Minister and Deputy Ministers.
A statement released by UNMIK in Pristina
said Mr. Jessen-Petersen stressed that the new and existing
competences of the Provisional Institutions of Self Government
(PISG) must be exercised in a fully responsible and accountable
manner. He also made it clear that a commitment from the government
to do so was “an integral part of the transfer.”
He reiterated that the transfer of competences
would have to be accompanied by comprehensive capacity-building
of the PISG, adding that improved government accountability
and capacity would be an important step forward in enabling
Kosovo to meet the priority standards ahead of the planned mid-2005
review.
During his meeting with political leaders,
Mr. Jessen-Petersen was also to discuss the possibility of further
transfer of competencies, particularly in the area of the economy,
after the formation of the new government.
The UN envoy underscored that a strong
partnership would continue in the non-transferred areas to ensure
further full engagement of the PISG.
Miloševic can defend himself but must
accept court lawyers, UN tribunal rules
1 November 2004 – Slobodan Miloševic
can go back to representing himself in his ongoing genocide
trial but must let his court-appointed lawyers assist him if
his health threatens to interfere with the case, a United Nations
tribunal ruled today.
Mr. Miloševic can take the lead in presenting
his case “when he is physically capable of doing so,”
the appeals chamber of the UN International Criminal Tribunal
for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) ruled.
Should the former Yugoslav President’s
health problems resurface “with sufficient gravity,”
however, “the presence of assigned counsel will enable
the trial to continue” even if he is temporarily unable
to participate, the court said.
Mr. Miloševic had been representing himself
since the start of his trial in February 2002 for his role in
genocide, crimes against humanity and other war crimes during
the conflicts in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and Kosovo
in the 1990s.
The proceedings have been delayed repeatedly
due to his ill health, leading the Tribunal in September to
appoint a team of lawyers to help ease his workload and reduce
the chance of further stoppages. But Mr. Miloševic –
who is suffering from heart problems – appealed the move.
Last week two members of the team, Steven
Kay and Gillian Higgins, said Mr. Miloševic’s refusal
to cooperate with them meant they could not do their job nor
meet the ICTY's own code of conduct and asked the withdraw from
the case.
The Tribunal has yet to rule on their
request. Mr. Miloševic’s trial is scheduled to resume
on 9 November.
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