UNMIK ON AIR

27th February 2004

Standards

(Valon A Syla)

 

In December of 2003, UNMIK’s SRSG Harri Holkeri and Prime Minister of Kosovo, Bajram Rexhepi promoted a new approach towards the achievement of Standards drafted by the international community for Kosovo. The purpose of the latest campaign was to make it easier for people in Kosovo to understand the real meaning of these Standards or benchmarks for democracy and governance as outlined by the United Nations. Although 3 months have passed since the latest campaign was launched, it seems that the message has not reached its destination – the people of Kosovo.

 

Hello and welcome to UNMIK on air.

 

The Standards campaign has been full throttle in Kosovo since 2002 when the former SRSG Michael Steiner went public with the Standards initiative. Since the first publication of the 8 benchmarks or Standards, much has changed in Kosovo including the approach and promotion of the Standards campaign.  The aim of these latest changes was to simplify the message and legal language, contained in the Standards mandate, to the public in Kosovo.

 

TV spots, billboards, flyers, pamphlets and radio commercials were produced, published and broadcast across the region in the recent media blitz to inform the population about the Standards.   Now three months into the latest campaign, UNMIK on Air hits the streets of Pristina and asks the average Kosovan:

Can you name the 8 Standards?  And which of the Standards is most important to you and why?

 

Vox pop:

“I have no idea about standards.”

“I don’t know…”

“To be honest I don’t know any of them”.

“I don’t know”

“I know that there are 8 standards but I don’t know what they are…”

“There are 8 standards but I don’t know any of them”

“I don’t know any.”

 

These were the most common responses from ordinary citizens in Kosovo when asked about the Standards for Kosovo… 

Nearly all the individuals approached by UNMIK on Air had one thing in common they did not have a clear grasp of what the international community outlined in the Standards mandate and the goals the region must meet in order to be in compliance with Security Council resolution 1244.

 

The Eight Standards are: Functioning Democratic Institutions, Rule of Law, Freedom of Movement, Sustainable Returns and the Rights of Communities and their members, Economy, Property Rights, Dialogue between Pristina and Belgrade, and the Kosovo Protection Corps

 

21 year old Flamur Bllacaku, stood out from the majority of those asked Bllacaku could name a couple of the benchmarks and had an opinion about why a specific Standard was important to him:

 

Flamur Bllacaku: The return of the minorities, creation of laws and respecting those laws, as for the other standards I am not informed. The most important standard is implementing a law, which would sanction some things that are happening here. Without these basic laws we will have nothing and I think that if sanctions are strict, then they can work. Other standards are not that vital. 

 

23 year old Arianit Pasha seems to be much more familiar with the Standards.

 

Arianit Pasha: Standards, which I know, are democratic institutions, rule of law, return of displaced persons and economic development of Kosovo. I think that the most important one is economic development because of the problem of unemployment and the fact that we cannot create a state without a strong economy

 

For the Kosovo Serbs who participated in this survey, the most important Standard to them was securing the sustainable return of internally displaced people as this young man who wished to remain unidentified describes:

 

Vox-Pop:­ I think that if they don’t secure the return of internally displaced people in Kosovo then the standards won’t be fulfilled.

 

When UNMIK on Air approached passersby in Pristina to participate in this survey, the majority of younger Kosovans agreed…however, older members of Kosovo society refused to participate.

Although most of the people who were interviewed could not list any of the standards, Christian Lindmeier, Press Officer with UNMIK’s Department of Public Information thinks that this is totally justified.  

 

Christian Lindmeier: Of course people don’t know yet precisely what each and every of the standards means. Actually we could be glad that most of them know there are a certain set of standards for Kosovo which Kosovans and Kosovo as a society should fulfill or should aim next year, this year and the review date for 2005. Now it’s exactly the time when we have to start to explain to the people together with the institutions of PISG, even with the prime minister, the government and all the ministers to explain to the people what are the implementation steps to fulfilling the standards.

 

If there is any confusion regarding the aim of the Standards in Kosovo, Lindmeier points to the introduction of the Standards document which reads: “A Kosovo where all- regardless of ethnic background, race or religion- are free to live, work, and travel without fear, hostility, or danger and where there is tolerance, justice and peace for everyone.”

For Kosovo, there is a long road ahead to fulfilling the goals outlined in the Standards.   Many in the region suspect that they will not succeed by the target deadline in 2005 and that long journey means proving to themselves and others that they can live by these Standards.

 

And that is all for this edition of UNMIK on air. Thanks for listening and stay tuned for more.