YouSaid · the spoken record

Annabi

lines on the record: 845
first: 1999-12-22
most recent: 2009-09-09
sittings or episodes: 45
sources: un-security-council

Every line below is reproduced as it was said and linked to the record it came from. Nothing here is summarised or generated. Directory · Search · Corrections

“The document, which was approved in principle by the Kosovo Government, is an important step forward in developing the recommendations on possible new institutional arrangements requested by the Security Council in order to allow for more effective local government through the devolution of responsibilities. The consultation process has been transparent and inclusive and has benefited from the constant support of the international community. Although they did not formally agree to the document, representatives of the Kosovo Serb community participated in an observer capacity in the final four meetings of the working group and contributed substantively to the agreed text. UNMIK continues to consult with Kosovo Serbs, with a view to exploring their position on the document.”
2004-08-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5017 (2004) · source
“Kosovo Serbs are called upon to engage in the standards implementation process in order to address their concerns. The Provisional Institutions should, in particular, focus on implementing all of the priority actions included in the Plan following the March violence. There has been significant progress in joint efforts by UNMIK and the Provisional Institutions to initiate a process of reform of local government in Kosovo. Following extensive deliberations by a joint UNMIK-Provisional Institutions working group, on 23 July an agreed framework document on local government was presented, setting out the principles and framework for the devolution of responsibilities to the local level.”
2004-08-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5017 (2004) · source
“The recent period has also seen progress in the standards implementation process. Following the launching of the revised Kosovo Standards Implementation Plan on 31 March, Kosovo's Provisional Institutions have shown a renewed readiness and commitment to move that process forward. Within the Provisional Institutions, detailed assignments and timelines for the achievement of targets set out in the Implementation Plan have been drawn up, and a monitoring and assessment mechanism is in place. Those are important steps forward, but clearly the challenge is for the Provisional Institutions to effect concrete change in line with the Plan's requirements, particularly in the areas of minority protection and the promotion of minority rights, as well as returns and freedom of movement.”
2004-08-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5017 (2004) · source
“Those actions are important, but they must be followed by sustained public commitment and concrete action aimed at rebuilding trust between Kosovo's communities in order to ensure that the difficult process of reconciliation truly takes hold. Following the violence, a resumption of political dialogue among the leaders of Kosovo's communities is of paramount importance in order for Kosovo to make progress. Despite the Kosovo Serbs' continued non- participation in Kosovo's Provisional Institutions, the signing of a joint declaration by Kosovo Serb and Kosovo Albanian leaders on 14 July, in which leaders of the two communities committed themselves to cooperate in a number of areas, was a significant development. That important statement of intent of course needs to be followed up by concrete actions.”
2004-08-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5017 (2004) · source
“Contracts for a further 36 properties are about to be awarded, and technical documentation is currently being prepared for an additional 160 properties. While those results are noteworthy, clearly much more needs to be done in this area. A further acceleration of reconstruction efforts will be required to ensure that all homes are rebuilt before the onset of winter and that the reconstruction of all schools is completed before the start of the school year. There have been encouraging steps by Kosovo Albanian leaders to begin to mend the damage caused to inter-ethnic dialogue and reconciliation by the March violence by reaching out to Kosovo's minorities through visits to their communities.”
2004-08-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5017 (2004) · source
“The effect on returns to urban areas that had been planned earlier in the year has been particularly damaging. Despite the major setback to the returns process caused by the March violence, UNMIK is working with Kosovo Serb representatives to identify priority areas for the return of Kosovo Serbs this year. Following a slow start, the reconstruction of damaged or destroyed properties moved forward significantly during the reporting period. Kosovo's Provisional Institutions are responsible for post- violence reconstruction efforts, and an inter-ministerial Reconstruction Commission has been entrusted with managing and implementing the reconstruction programme. As of 30 July, 331 of the 935 damaged or destroyed properties had been rebuilt, and 277 were under reconstruction.”
2004-08-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5017 (2004) · source
“Their freedom of movement and access to public services and facilities has been further curtailed by the events of last March. Regrettably, there have been few signs of tangible improvement since then. Only through improved security conditions and freedom of movement can Kosovo's minorities be confident that their future lies in Kosovo. Only then will the internally displaced feel confident enough to return to their homes. Although there have been important steps forward in the reconstruction of houses damaged or destroyed during the March violence, some 2,400 people remain displaced as a result of the unrest. Limited returns have taken place to temporary accommodations next to sites where homes are being reconstructed. But the overall returns process was dealt a severe blow by the March violence.”
2004-08-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5017 (2004) · source
“While instances of intimidation against minorities have continued - in particular against Kosovo Serbs - there has only been one serious incident that appeared to be ethnically motivated, namely, the murder on 5 June of a Kosovo Serb teenager in the village of Gracanica, just outside Pristina. That murder should be condemned in the strongest terms. However, we are encouraged by the rapid apprehension and arrest by Kosovo Albanian officers of the Kosovo Police Service of two Kosovo Albanian youths only hours after the murder. Those arrests have contributed to preventing the escalation of that incident into wider inter-ethnic violence. Kosovo's non-majority communities, and in particular Kosovo Serbs, continue to live in precarious security conditions.”
2004-08-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5017 (2004) · source
“Efforts have centred on the reconstruction of property damaged or destroyed during the violence, on creating conditions for the safe and sustainable return of those who were forced to flee their homes during the violence, on establishing the basis for the reform of local government in Kosovo and on moving forward the standards implementation process. While there have been encouraging and concrete developments in those and other important areas, overall progress remains fragile and serious concerns persist. The overall security situation in Kosovo has been calm and stable, with few significant security incidents- none of which have been attributed to extremist groups.”
2004-08-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5017 (2004) · source
“Mr. Annabi: Members of the Council have before them the report of the Secretary-General on the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK)(S/2004/6l3), which is dated 30 July 2004 and covers the activities of UNMIK and developments in Kosovo from 1 April to 15 July. I wish to thank the Council for the opportunity to brief it on the main highlights of the report. Following the widespread violence of mid- March, efforts in Kosovo have focused on creating an environment in which confidence among Kosovo's communities can be strengthened and dialogue among Kosovo's political leaders can move forward.”
2004-08-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5017 (2004) · source
“Many of these issues will also be part of the agenda at the international conference on Afghanistan's future that will take place next week in Berlin. There will be opportunity at Berlin to examine the way ahead, as well as the difficulties that Afghanistan and the international community face in fulfilling the letter and spirit of the Bonn Agreement. Nonetheless, if we look back for a moment, we can see that the distance that has been travelled is encouraging. The United Nations remains determined to fulfil its Bonn Agreement commitments, and accordingly the Secretary-General recommends in his report that the mandate of UNAMA be extended for an additional 12 months. We hope that the Council will endorse that recommendation. We also hope that it will extend to the new Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Mr.”
2004-03-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4931 (2004) · source
“The survey suggests that the drug economy and the instability that it promotes remains perhaps the greatest threat to the development of a stable functioning State. The Government's recent implementation of a robust strategy to combat narcotics, with the support of the United Kingdom as lead nation and of the coalition forces, is encouraging. But the task, we have to say, is enormous and requires the implementation of a comprehensive policy of interdiction by Afghanistan as well as by transit and recipient States, alongside alternative livelihood options for farmers. In conclusion, I have tried to highlight a few of the major issues that the international community will be facing in the year ahead. Many of these - and other issues, such as human rights in particular - are addressed in more detail in the Secretary-General's report.”
2004-03-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4931 (2004) · source
“The report entitled "Securing Afghanistan's Future", prepared by the Government in close consultation with its international partners, promotes a policy of broad-based economic growth that is ethnically and regionally balanced, in order to reinforce national reconciliation and peaceful political development. The exercise determined that public investment of $28.5 billion over seven years will be required for the Afghan economy to become financially viable. However, the report recognizes that the economy will continue to be plagued by the lucrative illegal drug economy and related disputes over land ownership. The scale and continuing proliferation of the production of and trafficking in illegal narcotics has been reported by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime in a recent survey.”
2004-03-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4931 (2004) · source
“In response, assistance policy has shifted from humanitarian assistance towards broader, long-term social protection programmes, so as to prepare the ground for sustained economic recovery while maintaining a safety net for the poorest and most vulnerable. Taking into account those emerging trends, which help define long-term needs, the Government has undertaken a comprehensive analytical exercise to determine the cost of meeting its long-term recovery and reconstruction targets, including the security sector, which was not included at the Tokyo conference.”
2004-03-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4931 (2004) · source
“Since its establishment on 19 June 2002, the Transitional Administration has progressively taken over from the United Nations the leadership and ownership of the coordination of reconstruction priorities. That is a process that we welcome, and we fully endorse the use of Afghanistan's national budget as a mechanism for coordinating assistance and reconstruction. Looking towards the future, we are concerned - and this concern is shared by the Afghan Government - that the impact of Afghanistan's economic growth during the past two years, estimated at 30 per cent for 2002 and 20 per cent for last year, has largely been felt in the urban centres alone. This has prompted a demographic shift from rural areas to the cities, exacerbating social tensions in urban centres.”
2004-03-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4931 (2004) · source
“Given the limited number of international police trainers, we encourage the provincial reconstruction teams to consider engaging in post-deployment mentoring in support of the Ministry of the Interior. Many members of the international community have contributed to strengthening the system of law and order through their contributions to the Law and Order Trust Fund. Almost all of the stated financial requirements were met last year. We hope that that commitment and generosity will continue this year. At the Tokyo donor conference held in December 2001, contributions from Member States for reconstruction were solicited on the basis of a preliminary assessment of immediate and short-term reconstruction needs.”
2004-03-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4931 (2004) · source
“That, in turn, will provide a clearer, earlier, exit strategy for the international forces. The international community, particularly NATO/ISAF and the Afghan Government, will need to work hard together towards this objective. Past efforts to expand government authority to the provinces, including the appointment by Kabul of senior civil servants, have been hampered by the insufficient number of trained and well-equipped police. At present, a total of 4,339 officers have received training. With the additional programmes recently initiated by the German police project and United States training programmes, there should be an additional 20,000 trained officers by June this year.”
2004-03-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4931 (2004) · source
“Without significant demilitarization, genuine political choice, as required for a credible election, is simply impossible, and events such as those in Herat are likely to recur. However, the leadership of the affected militia will need to be convinced that the drawdown of their forces will not create an opening for their rivals. The newly created national forces that are being trained by the United States with the support of France do not yet have the necessary capacity to provide such assurances. Accordingly, the presence of international forces, including provincial reconstruction teams, remains indispensable to allay the concerns of factional leaders and to allow the DDR process to move forward. At the same time, that presence will provide an environment in which the Afghan security forces can build capacity.”
2004-03-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4931 (2004) · source
“In fact, the fighting in Herat, as well as the recent factional fighting in the north, strongly indicates that security remains an unsolved problem. In particular, more progress in the implementation of security sector reform is now required. This must include further substantive reform of the Ministries of Defence and of the Interior as well as the National Security Directorate. It must also see the implantation of a more vigorous disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR) programme than the Ministry of Defence has so far been willing to commit itself to. UNAMA has advocated that 100 per cent of heavy weapons should be cantoned and that 40 per cent of Afghan militia forces be demobilized before elections proceed.”
2004-03-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4931 (2004) · source
“A government delegation and additional Afghan National Army troops have been deployed to Herat. The situation is now reported to be calm, but it remains very tense. As members of the Council will recall from their visit to the province last year, notwithstanding the Governor's de facto independence from Kabul and troublesome reports regarding human rights and the treatment of women, Herat was considered to be one of the most stable areas in Afghanistan. Indeed, the province has one of the highest voter registration rates, including female registration of some 36.8 per cent, compared to a national average so far of 28 per cent. This demonstrates that, even in an area like Herat, considered to be conducive to electoral activities, the security problem cannot be discounted.”
2004-03-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4931 (2004) · source
“That interpretation, or rumour, if you like - which was false, as far as we can tell - reached the Governor's son, Mirwais Siddiq, who was the Minister for Aviation and Tourism, who then sought to use his vehicle to forcibly enter the General's residential compound. The General's guards fired at the vehicle, sparking an exchange of gunfire in which the Minister, together with Herat's head of police intelligence and the head of the counter-narcotics department, were killed. The Governor's forces then mobilized, deploying heavy weapons and firing artillery and tank- and rocket- propelled grenade rounds during a battle that lasted over six hours and which resulted in the occupation of General's Zahir's military headquarters by Governor Ismael Khan's forces. Casualty estimates vary greatly, from 20 to 100.”
2004-03-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4931 (2004) · source
“The report notes that factional fighting has broken out in the north-east, which has traditionally been one of the safest regions of the country. Unfortunately, recent events suggest that even areas that most observers believe are stable and safe are not immune to security problems. As members of the Council are surely aware, fierce fighting erupted in Herat on 21 March between factional forces loyal to the Provincial Governor, Ismael Khan, and troops onal to the government-appointed commander, General Zahir. According to preliminary reports, the fighting, which has its origins in long-standing tensions between the two leaders, was ignited by a traffic accident involving some of their respective supporters. The traffic accident was apparently interpreted as an attempt to assassinate the Governor.”
2004-03-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4931 (2004) · source
“Despite a number of obstacles, the electoral process is moving forward, albeit under very difficult conditions. The next phase of registration will demand, however, an enormous increase in logistics requirements. It will also face greater security risks and complex organizational requirements. In order to succeed, we will be counting on the support of all of our partners in this extremely important process. Let me now turn to the issue of security. As the report highlights, extremist attacks on aid agencies and on government officials continue to occur, predominately in the southern provinces, but also, in some cases, against International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) troops in Kabul itself. Factional feuds, rivalries and, increasingly, drug-related incidents continue to affect the lives of the population.”
2004-03-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4931 (2004) · source
“UNAMA is currently holding discussions with NATO on these security issues and hopes to discuss them further at the Berlin conference next week. Success will also depend on continued and timely donor support. I am pleased to say that the financial requirements for registration are almost fully pledged. Delays, however, in actually disbursing funds to the United Nations Development Programme trust fund continue to hinder and delay procurement, staffing and planning activities. It currently takes an average of two months from the time when funds are committed to the time when they can be disbursed by the project. We urge donors to work with us to speed up the disbursement process as well as to set aside additional funds for the other phases of the electoral process and the elections themselves.”
2004-03-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4931 (2004) · source
“We hope to register the remaining estimated 8 million eligible voters during this second phase. That phase is scheduled to begin on 1 May and to continue at some 4,200 sites for approximately one month. It is anticipated that, as registration is extended to cover districts which are unsafe, special attention by domestic and international forces will be required, in close coordination with the Coalition forces. As we have stressed and must continue to stress, success in completing the registration and in holding elections will depend on support from Afghan and international security forces. We welcome the deployment of additional provincial reconstruction teams, particularly in the south, as described in the report. We welcome also President Karzai's request to NATO to provide additional security during the election period.”
2004-03-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4931 (2004) · source
“More detailed information is provided in the handout that I understand is being distributed to members of the Council. What this information suggests, however, is that we are therefore well placed to complete the first phase of registration as planned, especially if we can increase the registration rate of women, which UNAMA is working to achieve. I should note that one of the positive trends in recent weeks has in fact been the constant increase in the overall participation of women, though it remains far lower than we would like, especially in the southern areas of the country. At the same time, preparations are being made to launch the second phase of the registration process, when registration teams will deploy to provincial capitals, security conditions permitting.”
2004-03-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4931 (2004) · source
“Since its formation in July 2003, the Afghan commissioners have been working with the international experts and have acquired a great deal of knowledge about electoral systems and operations. The Joint Electoral Management Body will take the lead role in deciding, based on technical criteria, when elections will take place, and it will be responsible for the preparation, conduct and oversight of those elections. In the meantime, the first phase of the registration process has progressed more or less on target. As indicated in the report, this phase, which covers the eight main cities in Afghanistan, will continue until early April. As of yesterday, 1.56 million voters out of an estimated 1.9 million eligible voters in those cities have registered. Of those, around 28 per cent are women.”
2004-03-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4931 (2004) · source
“This decree creates an Electoral Secretariat in which international electoral experts are paired with Afghan counterparts at the management level. This will allow Afghan capacity to be built as electoral activities are implemented. At the implementation level, around 40,000 Afghans will be trained to manage 4,700 polling sites on election day, when the United Nations will verify the work of the registration and polling teams, which will be composed entirely of Afghans. The Electoral Secretariat will implement the instructions of the Joint Electoral Management Body, whose mandate was extended on 18 February to cover elections as well as registration. Members of the Council will recall that the JEMB is composed of six independent Afghan electoral commissioners and five international electoral experts.”
2004-03-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4931 (2004) · source
“Brahimi used to caution this Council that Afghanistan needs to "make haste slowly". This paradox is especially true for elections. On the one hand, we understand the urgency of holding elections as close as possible to the Bonn time frame. On the other hand, holding elections is not, as Mr. Brahimi has also said many times, like making instant coffee. The conditions must be conducive and the preparations must be thorough for the effect of elections to be positive and for the elections themselves to be seen as free and fair. Another paradox we have faced is the need to work closely with the Afghans while recognizing that there are few Afghans with electoral experience. The Afghan Government and UNAMA have addressed this by adopting a co-responsibility management model, which has been defined in a presidential decree issued on 18 February.”
2004-03-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4931 (2004) · source
“The complexities of carrying out multi-level, simultaneous elections in Afghanistan's current circumstances are enormous. Not least of these complexities is the fact that credible population figures for all provinces are not yet available and a number of district boundaries remain under dispute. Nonetheless, the Constitution states that "every effort shall be made" to hold these elections simultaneously. Every effort is being made. Attention in Kabul is focused on this task and we hope that a decision will be made in the very near future on the timing and sequence of the elections. We are very hopeful that this can happen before the Berlin conference next week. The lack of absolute clarity on this question today will no doubt be frustrating to some. In the early days of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), Mr.”
2004-03-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4931 (2004) · source
“The ratification of the Constitution has helped focus attention on the last remaining political undertaking of the Bonn Agreement: the registration of voters and the holding of credible elections. The Constitution, by defining a system of government, also clarified the types of elections that will eventually have to take place. The Constitution requires elections for the presidency and for the upper and lower houses of the national assembly. The upper house - the Meshrano Jirga or House of Elders - raises some particularly difficult issues. Two thirds of the upper house delegates are to be elected from district and provincial councils. This means that district and provincial councils must be elected. Only then can there be elections from among the members of these councils to determine who the members of the upper house shall be.”
2004-03-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4931 (2004) · source
“After 26 months of steady progress in the implementation of the Bonn Agreement's political agenda, the process has now reached one of its last major benchmarks: the holding of free and fair elections. The purpose of these elections is to confer political legitimacy on the new Government. This legitimacy alone is not sufficient, however, and it is therefore essential that the processes of reconstruction and the building of State institutions accelerate. To equip the new Government with the tools essential for effective governance - viable, accountable and representative State institutions that can ensure security and establish a credible base for the development of the country - further progress is required in the implementation of security sector reform.”
2004-03-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4931 (2004) · source
“Mr. Annabi: As you have just said, Sir, members of the Council have before them the latest report of the Secretary-General, which describes in some detail the recent developments in Afghanistan. On 15 January, members of the Council received a comprehensive briefing from Mr. Lakhdar Brahimi on the adoption of the new Constitution - the most significant step of the Bonn political process completed during the reporting period. I will therefore not cover the same ground. What I intend to do, Sir, with your permission, is to use this opportunity to brief the Council in broad terms on the challenges that remain in implementing the Bonn Agreement, as well as the measures which will lead to the further transition of Afghanistan towards stability and effective governance.”
2004-03-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4931 (2004) · source
“We will then be able to adjust our own estimates to reflect the offers of bilateral assistance in our end-of-April report, but we believe that adjustments should ultimately be made not only on the basis of anticipated assistance but on the basis of the assistance that will be effectively available on the ground in East Timor by the end of April, before the Council takes a decision at the end of the mandate of the United Nations Mission of Support in East Timor.”
2004-02-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4913 (2004) · source
“Mr. Annabi: I will be very brief. Ijust wanted to respond to an important issue raised by Ambassador Thomson of the United Kingdom and to say that we fully agree that proposed bilateral assistance for the Timor-Leste police should be coordinated with multilateral assistance now and that that coordination should not be delayed. We based our estimate of the residual requirement of the Timor-Leste police on the information that was available to us at the time we prepared the report. We would therefore very much welcome any further information that bilateral partners might be willing to share on specific plans that they have developed for assistance to the Timor-Leste police and, more important, on the timetable for the deployment of their proposed assistance to the Timorese police.”
2004-02-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4913 (2004) · source
“Holkeri is actively engaged in pursuing this matter in consultation with all parties concerned. At the same time, he is trying to manage the competing interests and unilateral pronouncements of parties concerned, which are not always conducive to the initiation of that dialogue. We also remain concerned about the security situation in Kosovo. In that connection, we shall continue to emphasize the need for everyone to do their part in stopping the violence. The Council's continued and active support has been, and will continue to be, crucial in realizing those objectives.”
2003-09-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4823 (2003) · source
“One of the 18 has already resigned and a second has been dismissed for a separate disciplinary offence. The head of the KPC has suspended a further seven of those on the list, referring the cases to UNMIK police for further investigation. In conclusion, I wish to say that, under Mr. Holkeri's leadership, UNMIK will remain committed to fully implementing Security Council resolution 1244 (1999) and to working with all interlocutors to achieve progress on the benchmarks within the "standards before status" policy framework. A priority at this time is to initiate the dialogue on practical matters of mutual concern between Pristina and Belgrade. Through that dialogue practical benefits can be realized for the people of Kosovo, with a view to developing an atmosphere of mutual trust and confidence. Mr.”
2003-09-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4823 (2003) · source
“On 1 July, the second meeting of the Kosovo stabilization and association process tracking mechanism took place in Pristina. During the meeting, European Commission experts, UNMIK and the Provisional Institutions discussed aspects of justice and home affairs, media policy, telecommunications and transport policy, and made recommendations to ensure conformity with established European Union norms and standards. UNMIK and KFOR have continued to take action against suspected extremist elements in the Kosovo Protection Corps (KPC). An enquiry is ongoing in order to identify those members of the KPC with possible links to extremist organizations and criminal groups. Following interviews with 50 members of the KPC, a total of 18 officers have been recommended for dismissal.”
2003-09-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4823 (2003) · source
“UNMIK is working with the Kosovo Ministry of Finance and Economy on developing modalities to address this outstanding problem. In Mitrovica UNMIK has focused on promoting inter-ethnic activities and dialogue. However, Kosovo Serb members of the northern Mitrovica advisory board have not yet started participating officially in the meetings. With regard to the economy, bids for the two successive sets of tenders for the privatization of socially owned enterprises were opened by the Kosovo Trust Agency on 14 July and 2 September. A total of 24 enterprises have now been tendered for privatization, and the amount in bids received has reached over 29 million euros. On 6 September, the first three contracts for the privatization of socially owned enterprises were signed.”
2003-09-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4823 (2003) · source
“Cooperation on returns projects has been productive in a number of municipalities, but the actions of some municipal officials in the areas affected by violence against Kosovo Serbs have not been conducive to reconciliation. Turning to local self-government, political infighting ~ primarily between Kosovo Albanian parties - in a number of municipalities continued to negatively affect the ability of local authorities to deliver effective local government. Also, financing for minority communities from municipal budgets remains poor and, as of the end of June, only six of Kosovo's 26 mixed municipalities had met their required fair- share financing levels in the areas of municipal administration, health and education.”
2003-09-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4823 (2003) · source
“On 21 August, Kosovo Prime Minister Rexhepi committed to funding 7million euros for return activities from the 2002 Kosovo Consolidated Budget surplus funds, and emphasized that this contribution by the Provisional Institutions was intended to demonstrate the Government's commitment to minority communities in the wake of the recent security incidents. Kosovo President Rugova and Prime Minister Rexhepi have also travelled to returns sites to show their public support for the returns process. However, statements and concrete support for returns at the central level have not, by and large, been replicated at the municipal level.”
2003-09-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4823 (2003) · source
“The security situation has, however, heightened the level of fear within the Serb community, leading to delays in returns efforts and the possibility that more returns might be postponed until next spring. Kosovo's political leaders have expressed support for returns, including - as previously reported - through an open letter published on 2 July in Kosovo's major dailies in which they encouraged displaced persons of all ethnicities to return. On 10 July, the Kosovo Assembly also held a session dedicated to minority returns and adopted a resolution backing returns and emphasizing the need for Kosovo's Government to support return and reintegration activities.”
2003-09-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4823 (2003) · source
“On 3 September the Kosovo Government publicly expressed its concern over the adoption of the Serbian declaration, and stated its intention to build an independent State. With regard to returns and inter-ethnic relations, although the level of returns remains low, minority returns continue to exceed those in 2002. In the past two months, some promised funding from several major donors was received, and work on returns projects began. In addition, almost 150 cases have been referred to the Rapid Response Returns Facility, which is a joint project by UNMIK and the United Nations Development Programme providing housing reconstruction assistance for individual returnees.”
2003-09-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4823 (2003) · source
“As regards political developments, owing to the summer recess the period has seen a lull in legislative and Government activity in Pristina. The Kosovo Assembly reconvened on 4 September. Since July, the Government has focused on legislative development and the security situation. It has not taken up the initiation of direct dialogue with Belgrade. On 27 August, the Serbian Parliament endorsed a "declaration on Kosovo and Metohija", and on 5 September the Parliament of Serbia and Montenegro adopted a "resolution on Kosovo and Metohija". Kosovo Albanian leaders were critical of these documents, particularly the references to Kosovo's status. Kosovo Albanian leaders have also stated that such moves have strained chances of direct dialogue with Belgrade.”
2003-09-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4823 (2003) · source
“The decision was the first conviction of former KLA members for war crimes. The initial negative reaction among the general public and local media coverage subsided quickly. On 4 September, inmates of the Dubrava Prison, which is Kosovo's largest detention facility, occupied a prison block in protest against living conditions, and refused to return to their cells, despite reassurances from UNMIK officials that their complaints would be addressed and that no disciplinary action would be taken against them. Following the prison guards' attempt to enter the occupied block, the prisoners set fire to their mattresses. Five prisoners died and a further 16 were injured in the ensuing fire. A police investigation into the incident was launched immediately, and an independent inquiry will look into its causes and provide recommendations.”
2003-09-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4823 (2003) · source
“On 6 September, an off-duty Kosovo Police Service (KPS) officer was also murdered near Djakovica. On 10 September, another KPS officer was shot and injured in Pristina, and a person who was with him was killed. Property used by the police and judiciary, including an UNMIK police station, UNMIK vehicles and the Pristina district court, were damaged in explosions and other attacks. No one has claimed responsibility for any of these attacks. The majority of local politicians and representatives of the Provisional Institutions have made statements condemning the incidents. Some of those attacks came after the conviction, on 16 July, of four former Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) members for war crimes committed primarily against fellow Kosovo Albanians during 1998 and 1999.”
2003-09-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4823 (2003) · source
“Those violent incidents have further raised feelings of insecurity among Kosovo Serbs, and there have been signs of an increase in inter-ethnic tension. Although protests against the incidents in Kosovo Serb communities have largely been peaceful, there have been instances of intimidation and harassment in both Kosovo Albanian and Kosovo Serb communities. In addition, many regular inter-ethnic meetings and multi- ethnic events have been cancelled or boycotted by Kosovo Serb and/or Kosovo Albanian representatives out of fear for their security. The past two months have also seen an increase in violent incidents directed against UNMIK law enforcement personnel and property. On 3 August, an UNMIK international police officer was murdered in a sniper attack in the northern part of Kosovo.”
2003-09-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4823 (2003) · source
“On 31 August, four Kosovo Serbs were injured and one killed in an explosive attack in the village of Cernica in the anilane region. UNMIK Police and KFOR have increased security in these areas following the incidents and are continuing to investigate those crimes. All Kosovo political leaders made statements condemning the attacks and inviting the public to help find the perpetrators. The Special Representative, Mr. Holkeri, called upon them to show greater resolve in calling for an end to violence and in using their authority to support all efforts to bring the perpetrators to justice. The Special Representative has also appealed to the general public to do all it can to assist the law enforcement authorities in efforts to apprehend those responsible for the incidents.”
2003-09-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4823 (2003) · source
“Holkeri is planning to propose modalities for the dialogue in the coming weeks. With regard to the security situation, the period since July has been characterized by a number of violent attacks and shootings, which have occurred throughout Kosovo, primarily targeting the Kosovo Serb community, as well as UNMIK law enforcement authorities. As we informed the Council on 13 August, two Kosovo Serb youths were killed and four injured in a shooting incident aimed at those youths, who were swimming in a river near the village of Gorazdevac in the Pec': region. On 18 August, a Kosovo Serb male, who had been shot in the head on 11 August, died of his wounds. Two Kosovo Serbs were also injured in a shooting on 26 August at the returns site of Bica, near Klina in the Pee region.”
2003-09-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4823 (2003) · source
“Holkeri is also preparing an operational plan for the implementation of the benchmarks, which is being drawn up jointly by UNMIK and the Kosovo Provisional Institutions. Mr. Holkeri has strongly emphasized the importance of initiating direct and constructive dialogue on practical matters of mutual interest between Pristina and Belgrade. During his meetings with representatives of the Kosovo Provisional Institutions and the political leadership in Belgrade, Mr. Holkeri sought their respective views on issues relating to the proposed dialogue. He consistently underlined during those discussions that the dialogue should focus on concrete issues which serve the needs of the people and are in the interests of all sides. Preparations for this dialogue are under way, and Mr.”
2003-09-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4823 (2003) · source