The Standards for Kosovo were launched by SRSG Harry Holkeri and PM Bajram Rexhepi on 10 December 2003. They were agreed between the Kosovo provisional institutions of self-government and UNMIK, and were approved by the United Nations Security Council.

The Standards for Kosovo are a set of targets that Kosovo must meet in order for the talks about the future political status of Kosovo to begin.

They are based on the principle that Kosovo should have functioning democratic institutions, rule of law, freedom of movement. Sustainable returns of Internally Displaced Persons and community rights, a well-functioning economy, property and cultural heritage rights, dialogue with Belgrade and the Kosovo Protection Corps operating within its agreed mandate and the law.

The Kosovo Standards Implementation Plan (KSIP) is a document that describes the concrete actions which must be taken in order to meet the Standards. It clearly defines who is responsible for each action and the timeframe in which they should be performed. This plan was also agreed between the Government and UNMIK and was finalized on 31 March 2004.

In November 2003 the UN Security Council approved the idea of a review mechanism for Kosovo's future status which included implementation of Standards as a crucial factor in deciding when such discussions should start.

In the light of the riots of March 2004 and an extensive review of their causes and consequences, some of the goals and actions in the Kosovo Standards Implementation Plan were prioritised. This was done after extensive consultations between the Kosovo government and UNMIK as a way of focusing the government's efforts on those Standards goals and related Kosovo Standards Implementation Plan actions which most support "sustainable multi-ethnicity". They are the most urgent and important Standards goals and actions (from all 8 Standards areas) that need to be implemented before the review planned for mid-2005.

The fact that some of the Standards have been prioritised does not however mean that other Standards are less important. The priorities are meant to focus on what needs to be done first and what will most support stable multi-ethnicity. In fact, all Standards will have to be met, especially because they reinforce Kosovo's parallel progress towards European Standards in the framework of the EU's Stabilisation and Association Process based inter alia on the Copenhagen criteria.

There is a clear process of monitoring and reporting on the implementation of Standards: every quarter, the Kosovo government and UNMIK conduct "line-by-line assessments" of actions taken as part of the KSIP and, using specially-developed indicators, assess whether those actions have resulted in Standards being met. This results in a report called a Technical Assessment, written by UNMIK in consultation with the Kosovo government and the Contact Group. Together with a Political Assessment written by the Secretary-General of the United Nations, these two assessments form the Secretary General's report to the Security Council. A comprehensive review, which will assess whether Kosovo has met enough of the Standards to be ready for talks on its future status is planned for the summer of 2005 and will be conducted by a Special Envoy leading a team from UNHQ.