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| United Nations Interim
Administration Mission in Kosovo |
UNMIK news No. 97 |
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| UNMIK at two years
Way forward only through mutual toleran-ce, urges SRSG Hans
Haekkerup
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Mapping the way forward on the occasion
of UNMIK's second anniversary, SRSG Hans Haekkerup said last week
that if all Kosovo rejected violence and took part in elections and
later in the self-governing institutions, equilibrium and stability
would be reached in Kosovo and in the region. Only then, he
believed, would the world agree that Kosovo was ready to move ahead,
and the process for discussing Kosovo's final status come
closer.
Meanwhile, the Constitutional Framework
set the way ahead. Elections in November should show that all parts
of Kosovo were ready for democracy. The next important phase would
be setting up of institutions of self-government, and it had to
include all communities, he added.
There
was no reason, in his view, for any community to fear a loss of
protection: participation would guarantee that their interests would
be taken in to account. The task now was to concentrate on internal
stabilization in the interests of the young people who should be
liberated from the vicious circle of ethnic hatred and
violence. The way to Europe was not through ethnic separation,
Haekkerup emphasized, "It is only, and I repeat only, through
mutual tolerance."
For Tom Koenigs,
UNMIK's Deputy SRSG for Civil Administration, the message was that
the concept of civic responsibility had to be enhanced if democracy
was to succeed. This meant UNMIK had to focus on delivering services
to all communities. It has to ensure that all communities. It
had to ensure that all communities actively participated and have a
viable voice in the government structures. Those democratic
structures, jointly created by the people of Kosovo and UNMIK, had
to become deeply rooted in society and remain sustainable even after
UNMIK is gone.
OSCE's Daan Everts, head of UNMIK's
Institution-Bulding Pillar, highlighted the joint challenge of
building an independent, non-political public service in order to
serve Kosovo society at large. Establishing a civil service that was
not an instrument of politics and of political interest, but rather
one that would serve the public interest, would be a fantastic
achievement Everts said.
Referring to Kosovo's still unacceptably
high unemploy-ment levels, Andy Bearpark (the EU DSRSG for Economic
Development) had three words to describe the outcome of sustainable
economic development: "Jobs, jobs and jobs". UNMIK, he said, was in
the business of creating jobs, enabling people to earn money
themselves and to enable the economy of Kosovo to grow and be truly
self-sustaining.
Eric Morris, head of
UNHCR (UNMIK's original Pillar I) urged that the second anniversary
be a day of recommitment to the principle of Security Council
Resolution 1244 calling for the safe and free return of all refugees
and displaced persons. "The Security Council did not say 'some, it
said 'all'", he reminded listeners, "UNHCR will stand by that
right."
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Secretary-General
urges active engagement by Kosovo Serbs in Kosovo's
future.
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The Constitutional Framework represents a
"balanced elaboration of the concept of substantial autonomy"
envisaged by the Security Council, and benefits all communities,
Secretary-General Kofi Annan reported to the Security Council last
week.
Engaging all communities in the institutions of
self-government was the only way to ensure the success of the
process of returning stability to the region, Mr. Annan told the
Security Council, which saw the situation here for themselves when
they visited Kosovo this past weekend (see box).
A major
challenge was securing the participation of the Kosovo Serb
community, which should realize that it could not hold itself
outside of the process. "The benefits of cooperation are preferable
to marginalization," Annan urged. Kosovo Serb participation would
determine whether that community could be fully integrated into
Kosovo society-a factor that would pave the way for an improved
security situation, a precondition for large-scale return.
But
the Secretary-General also stressed the need for reciprocal steps to
create confidence between the majority and minority communities. He
was encouraged by the "apparent realization on the part of the
Kosovo Albanian leadership that they must assume responsibility for
a tolerant and all-inclusive society."
Meanwhile, the tense
security situation remained the single most important threat to
reaching international goals Mr. Annan said. He therefore welcomed
UNMIK's robust policies, including its efforts to tackle organized
crime and terrorism.
Noting a steady improvement in UNMIK's
relations with the Yugoslav authorities, Mr. Annan underscored the
importance of engaging Belgrade in the process of implementing
Security Council resolution 1244. "A substantive gesture of utmost
importance would be the encouragement of Kosovo Serb registration
and full participation in the interim structures as a clear sign to
the Kosovo Serbs that their future is in Kosovo," he
reported.
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Briefs
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Issues relating to
the missing and the detained, participation of the international
community and Kosovo Albanians in the exhumation process in Serbia,
the return of Kosovo Serbs, their participation in the elections,
the situation in north Mitrovica and the tax collection points were
the main topics of discussions between SRSG Hans Haekkerup and the
new government in Belgrade. Reporting to the KTC last week on his
talks with with Yugoslav President Vojislav Kostunica and Foreign
Minister Goran Svilanovic, the SRSG explained that UNMIK and
Yu-goslav authorities needed to cooperate particularly on Kosovo
Serb participation in the 17 November elections. "Belgrade is
supportive of Kosovo Serb participating in the registration," Mr.
Haekkerup said, "but there is no clear commitment to support their
participation in the elections." The Belgrade authorities had said
they wanted Kosovo Serbs to be able to participate, he noted, but on
the basis of confidence-building measures such as their return to
Kosovo and an improvement in the security situation. For his part,
Mr. Haekkerup had stressed that Kosovo Serb participation in the
elections and institutions of self-government were in the interest
of all Kosovars, and would affect the way the international
community perceived the province.
The outbreak
of the Crimean Congo hemorrhagic fever outbreak has stabilized somewhat,
the Department of Health and Social Welfare reports. Eight
of 15 samples sent for analysis to the WHO
reference laboratory in Ljubljana, Slovenia proved negative. The outbreak management
committee, which groups the Health and Social Welfare Department,
the Institute of Public Health (IPH), WHO, KFOR and the Kosovo Protection Corps,
continues to meet daily to assess the situation. Outbreak management
teams in the endemic areas (southwest Kosovo) are monitoring contact
cases and report regularly to the IPH. Two leading WHO
experts in this field have meanwhile arrived in Kosovo
to assist in the outbreak management and help identify
further supportive measures.
Further rules for the 2001 electoral process adopted by the
Central Election Commission (CEC) deal with domestic election
observers and the Municipal Election Commissions (MECs). As in 2000,
three groups of observers will monitor the election process in
Kosovo. There will be a contingent of international observers and
two groups of domestic observers, drawn from the civil society and
NGO sector, and from the political groupings themselves. They will
be able to observe the voters' list update phase (which gets under
way in late July) through to the count of the ballots cast on
17 November. The domestic observers must be registered voters and
they must not be members of either the Kosovo Police Service or
Kosovo Protection Corps. NGO observers must be politically neutral.
Accredited observers may ask the CEC to investigate if they feel
that some aspect of the process is not being carried out in
conformity with the rules. The MECs are to be responsible for
providing information to voters and political entities about their
rights and obligations. As the elections draw closer, they will also
appoint and train Polling Station Committees and assist with
technical arrangements at polling stations.
At least one in three members of the Assembly voted in in
November is likely to be a woman. The Central Election Commission is
recommending to the SRSG that the first two thirds of each party's
list of candidates should maintain that ratio. The Constitutional
Framework gives the SRSG the authority to specify gender and
geographical requirements in respect of the candidate lists
submitted by the political parties, coalitions and citizens'
initiatives.
The preparations for the registration of ethnic communities
in Kosovo are far advanced. The Department of Public Services
continues its liaison with the OSCE on planning and KFOR on security
matters. Plans to establish a Data Entry Centre in Gracanica are
progressing satisfactorily, and three local staff from Gracanica
have been employed to assist with preparation of the registration
kits.
Future members of the Assembly will undertake training on the
economy and prospects for the province's development, starting 23
June. Organized by the EU, the training will be conducted by
economic policy experts working for UNMIK Pillar IV, who will brief
Assembly candidates on key issues and outline the policy agenda for
the near future.
A draft insurance regulation, to supersede the current regime
that confines insurance companies to issuing motor vehicle
third-party liability insurance, will permit the insurance industry
to offer a full range of insurance products and services. The BPK
draft was prepared in accordance with the EU insurance
directives.
Selected support staff working in the judiciary will have a
salary increase. The new levels-which are comparable to those of
most workers with equivalent functions in the public sector-come
into effect on 1 July 2001. The increase will be entirely absorbed
within the existing budget of the Department of Justice. The
following categories of workers will benefit: judicial secretary
(formerly typist)-DM 270; driver-DM 210; receptionist-DM 210;
judicial messenger (formerly messenger)-DM 210; cleaner-DM 180; and
building manager (formerly building manager/handyman)-DM 210.
In future, payments for issuance of travel documents will be
made at PTK post offices. Under an agreement between the the
Department of Post and Telecommunications, the Department of Public
Services and the PTK, customers will attach receipts of the
payment to their applications for travel documents and submit them
to their regional administration offices. It is expected that at
least 100,000 people will apply for travel documents.
Phone lines of current subscribers (starting with number 2)
will be shifted to a temporary digital remote unit now being
installed at the old switch building near Iliria Hotel in Pristina.
This will open the way for the installation of the new transit and
digital exchange with a capacity of 23,000 numbers, due to be
finished by the end of 2001. PTK have also started installation work
for the implementation of a backbone transmission system between two
transmission sites-Golesh (Pristina) and Cvilen (Prizren). This is
in preparation for future projects which will link Kosovo with the
European Fibre Optics Network (ADRIA) in Durres (Albania).
The work on additional temporary community shelters is
nearing completion. Approxi-mately 110 sites have been identified
with an estimated capacity for 19,000 refugees or displaced persons.
About 50 sites are already in operation, providing shelter for about
5,000 people. An estimated DM 2 million will be required to
refurbish these additional shelter facilities.
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UNMIK News is a
publication of the Division of Public Information, UNMIK Pristina - Tel:
(381.38) 501.395-402 Ext. 5610, email: ellwood@un.org
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