Top leaders of the Kosovo Protection Corps (KPC) were sworn in during a ceremony at UNMIK Headquarters on 21 January. The 44 former Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) fighters took a pledge of honour committing themselves to serving Kosovo as a civilian emergency response agency.

"There is a time for everything. A time for arms and a time for tools. This is the time to build. You are now a civilian corps, proud and ready for all challenges," the Head of UNMIK, Dr. Bernard Kouchner, told the new leaders.

The Commander of KFOR, General Klaus Reinhardt, and the European High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy, Mr. Javier Solana, also attended the KPC inaugural ceremony.

The KPC will consist of 3,000 active members and up to 2,000 reservists. The remaining KPC members will be selected in the coming weeks and the agency is expected to be fully operational by September 2000. The KPC was established on 20 September 1999 as part of KLA transformation programme.

Briefs . . . .

UNHCR Chief dies: The Chief of Mission for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Kosovo, Mr. David Riley, died during the night of 19 January of what appear to be natural causes. He was 50 years old and is survived by his wife and child, who reside in Geneva. "David Riley was an exceptional human being, much loved and respected by his colleagues, who distinguished himself in a number of emergency missions around the world," said UNHCR Special Envoy Dennis McNamara. "He was instrumental in planning UNHCR. s assistance programme for the Kosovar refugees, and led UNHCR. s emergency response upon their rapid return home to Kosovo." A memorial service was held for Mr. Riley on 23 January.

Tax inspectors graduate: About 30 tax inspectors have completed a one-week training course for tax administrators that began on 17 January in Pristina. After their graduation ceremony on 25 January, the graduates will be integrated into the Central Fiscal Authority. The course was held under the auspices of the European Union, which will soon select a second group of candidates.

KFOR soldier charged with murder: An American KFOR soldier was formally charged in connection with the murder of an 11-year-old Kosovo girl, whose body was found on 13 January in the town of Vitina. Staff Sergeant Frank Ronghi was charged on 16 January with "murder and indecent acts with a child". He is currently being held in the detention facility in Camp Bondsteel but will soon be transferred to the Mannheim confinement facility in Germany. In a statement KFOR Commander General Klaus Reinhardt offered his "sincerest condolences" to the girl. s family and to all the people of Kosovo. "The very reason KFOR came here was to stop violence," he said. "To discover that one of our own members may have been involved in the ultimate act of violence. murder. fills me with horror and anger."

First bank opens: The first licensed bank in post-conflict Kosovo, the Micro Enterprise Bank, opened on 24 January. The bank will provide basic bank services to private persons and small businesses. Branches of the Micro Enterprise Bank are expected to open throughout the province in the near future.

Level of violence "unacceptable": The Head of UNMIK, Dr. Kouchner, on 18 January told the Interim Administrative Council that the level of violence in the province continues to be "unacceptable". Briefing the Council on the security situation, he said that despite the cold weather, which normally decreases crime rates, the past ten days had seen several violent incidents, especially targeting minorities.

Budget for 2000: A budget of 562 million deutsche mark in expenditures and revenues has been set for the calendar year 2000, the chief of Kosovo. s Central Fiscal Authority, Mr. Alan Pearson, announced on 21 January. The Kosovo Consolidated Budget for 2000 will cover the costs of general administration, municipalities and subsidies UNMIK is making to public enterprises. Investment requirements and the costs of reconstruction are not included. Domestic revenues of 362 million deutsche mark and a donor contribution of 200 million deutsche mark will finance the budget.

New Administrative Board: The new Administrative Board of Vucitrn was appointed at the Field Office of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe on 20 January. Vucitrn is thus one of the first municipalities in Kosovo in which the new Joint Interim Administrative Structure is implemented.

Reconstruction efforts aligned: UNMIK has strongly urged donors and agencies involved in the reconstruction of houses in Kosovo to adopt a common approach in order to make the best use of limited resources. In a statement dated 18 January, UNMIK calls for need assessments of individual homes and urges accountable local structures to participate in the selection of beneficiaries.

Kosovo's power back

Kosovo's power situation improved drastically with the restarting of Kosovo B's Unit One on 19 January. The unit is producing 250 megawatts of power and the total amount of electricity is currently 510 to 540 megawatts.

Kosovo's electricity supply dropped to 205 megawatts. just over a third of minimum requirements. on 16 January, following a power cut by Serbia. The cut lasted only two hours but affected local production of electricity. Kosovo is importing 30 megawatts from Albania and 30 megawatts from the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.

On 17 January electricity production in Kosovo fell to 110 megawatts, following a fire that stopped production at Kosovo B, the main power plant. A team of experts from Croatia has arrived in Pristina to assess the damage.

Joint administration established

The Head of UNMIK, Dr. Kouchner, on 17 January signed a regulation on the Kosovo Joint Interim Administrative Structure (JIAS). The JIAS will assist in administering Kosovo until the establishment of genuine Kosovo institutions, according to the regulation.

Representatives of political forces of Kosovo will share provisional administrative management with UNMIK. The Head of UNMIK retains legislative and executive authority.

All Kosovo structures of an executive, legislative or judicial nature will be transformed and progressively integrated into the JIAS and will cease to exist by 31 January 2000, when the JIAS is to become operational.

The consultative role of the Kosovo Transitional Council (KTC) will be maintained, but its membership will be enlarged to better reflect the pluralistic composition of Kosovo. The Kosovo members of the Interim Administrative Council (IAC) are also members of the KTC.

The IAC will make recommendations to the Head of UNMIK for amendments to applicable laws and for new regulations. It will also propose policy guidelines for Administrative Departments in applying the applicable law.

IAC allocates nine more departments

The Interim Administrative Council (IAC) on 18 January allocated an additional nine administrative departments to political parties and independents. Fifteen out of the 19 proposed departments have now been allocated.

Each of the three political parties is being allocated two departments and three departments are reserved for independents.

The Kosovo Democratic League (LDK) will co-head General Public Services and Post and Telecommunications. The Democratic Progress Party of Kosovo (PPDK) will co-head Health and Social Security and Civil Security and Emergency Preparedness. The United Democratic League (LBD) will co-head Utilities and Non-Resident Affairs.

Democratization and Civil Society, Culture, and Youth and Sports were allocated to independents, while the four remaining departments of Labour and Employment, Transport and Infrastructure, Agriculture and Environment will be allocated to the representatives of non-Albanian communities.

In addition, the IAC appointed Professor Musa Limani (PPDK) and Mr. Ian Fletcher, deputy to Head of the European Union and Director General of Customs, to co-head the department of Trade and Industry. Co-heads have been named for six departments so far.

What's on in the regions

Mitrovica

A group of journalists from Mitrovica on 21 January signed a document on improving their hometown working environment. The signing took place at a seminar organized by the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe for journalists in Rome, Italy. The seminar, hosted by the National Order of Italian Journalists, succeeded in bringing together journalists from different Kosovo nationalities: 5 Albanians, 4 Serbs and 1 Turk. In the agreement, the journalists pledge to jointly improve the exchange of information between the communities in Mitrovica and not to let the journalistic profession be caught up in political disputes.

Gnjilane

The Roma community and UNMIK signed a memorandum of understanding last week that will ensure that 47 Roma children will start attending classes under safe conditions. Security concerns had until now forced these children to stay at home. The agreement ensures that necessary conditions be provided until the children can join either Serbian or Albanian language schools during the 2000. 2001 academic year. KFOR, several international agencies and non-governmental organizations have offered to supply necessary equipment and teaching aids. The Gnjilane Municipality today counts 315 Roma out of a pre-war figure of nearly 3,500.

Pristina

The Norwegian KFOR Battalion began demining operations on 15 January to make possible a new 7.5 km-long pipeline from the water reservoir at Badovac, near Gracanica, to Pristina. The project is funded by the Norwegian Government and is expected to cost nearly 6 million deutsche mark. The demining operations should be completed by mid-March, after which the new pipeline and a new pumping station will be installed at Badovac.

Prizren

The Municipal Administrator of Suhareka, Mr. Roberto Valent, was assaulted on 18 January in the municipality building by the former self-appointed "vice-president" of the so-called municipal government of Suhareka, Mr. Illiaz Kadolli. UNMIK Police and Dutch KFOR troops later arrested Mr. Kadolli. In a court hearing on 22 January the municipal investigating judge of Suhareka ordered that the suspect be detained for 30 days.

Pec

UNMIK Police took over the responsibility for law and order in the Pec Municipality from KFOR on 19 January. While KFOR is going to concentrate on providing an overall framework of security, UNMIK Police will now start receiving criminal complaints, conduct criminal investigations and make arrests.

In other events in Pec, the municipality, KFOR, UNMIK traffic police and the Kosovo Protection Corps began a joint road repair programme on 20 January. Temporary road repairs have begun in order to ensure safe conditions for drivers and pedestrians. Repairs of a more permanent nature will be carried out in the spring, when weather conditions are more favourable.

UNMIK Police Facts*

Authorized strength: 3,155 Deployed: 1,971

Pristina: 624 Main Headquarters: 191

Pec: 101 Border police: 202

Prizren: 311 Training staff: 30

Mitrovica: 257 Kosovo Police Service: 69

Gnjilane: 181 At training centre: 0**