UNMIK on Air

Special Envoy Soon in Kosovo

By Andrea Saula

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The United Nations is expected to appoint a special envoy responsible for assessing the progress of standard implementation in Kosovo.

At the meeting of the UN Security Council last Friday, Kosovo was the main topic of discussion. UN Secretary General Kofi Annan in his report on Kosovo described the efforts of Kosovo’s government to implement the standards, but noted that none of the standards have been entirely met.

In a telephone interview after the Security Council meeting the Head of UNMIK Soren Jessen-Petersen said he believes considerable progress has been made in Kosovo and that it is now time to focus on implementing the most important standards, such as the return of refugees to the region. However, he added that he does not expect that many people will want to return at this point in time.

Actuality No. 1 SRSG 1 The message is clear the Provisional institutions still have to work very hard on implementing standards and not just to go on every day and for some time to come and the outcome of the comprehensive report is not a final conclusion. In other words what is required now is even harder work.

Petersen reported that the Security Council supported the start of making a comprehensive report on the implementation of standards in Kosovo and explained what will most probably be the approach of the special envoy.

Actuality No. 2 SRSG 2 On the comprehensive review I think that the envoy will base himself very much on the structures we have in place, that is joint working group with the PISG with the methodology we established for measuring progress on standards implementation and therefore will base himself very much on already existing.

The President of the Kosovo Coordination Center Nebojsa Covic told the Security Council that UNMIK’s report does not show the real situation in Kosovo, and that it is for example wrong to assume that freedom of movement has been established in all municipalities. Covic reiterated that Belgrade is ready to begin direct dialogue with Pristina in order to find a peaceful and lasting solution in Kosovo.

After the meeting most Belgrade political parties and media remained silent on the results of the session. In Pristina the speech of Jessen Petersen was supported and welcomed by all relevant media and political parties.

Zijadin Gashi is a journalist with Zëri newspaper and reflects on the reaction of the media in Kosovo.

Actuality No. 3 Zijadin they welcomed and supported the nomination of special envoy of Koffi Annan, who will be in charge for monitoring the overall standards for Kosovo in cooperation with Kosovo institutions and UNMIK joined groups as well.

Gashi claims that even common people in Kosovo today understand the importance of standard implementation and that they are aware of what needs to be done.

Actuality No. 4 Zijadin 2 It is the perception of the people in general, because in Kosovo not while ago, standards for the people where an abstract thing, they didn’t know what they are, what is going to happen, and now even common people understood that this is a new reality, and with their achievement it will not improve the so called the minorities position, but it will improve life of all Kosovo citizens.

After the SC meeting UNMIK chief Petersen also said that he expects status discussion to begin this fall, in September or October, although nothing is set in stone as far as standards are concerned as there is much work that still needs to be done.

That’s all for today’s edition of UNMIK on air.

Good day!