YouSaid · the spoken record

Kouchner

lines on the record: 245
first: 2000-06-09
most recent: 2010-09-23
sittings or episodes: 11
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

“We went to Ankara, which accepted this, but unfortunately the registration had been closed. We did not reopen registration, despite our good will. Next time, with their agreement - and this has been accepted - we shall appoint representatives of the party that did not participate in the vote to the municipal councils. I did not see how we could have done anything else. Otherwise, we would have been at the mercy of those who did not wish to see the most open and international type of democracy that had been proposed, and we would have suspended the elections because a minority of the minority did not want them. I agree that the rights of the minority must be respected, but let us also respect the rights of the majority.”
2000-11-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4225 (2000) · source
“You speak, Mr. Ambassador, of non- participation of the minorities, but aside from the majority of Serbs, a matter which I deplore, again have not been displaced for political reasons. I know the people who went to Leposavic to register; I know practically each and every one of them. Movement has been stopped among the Serbs because otherwise they were physically abused. People came to prevent them from registering. Take that into account. But the other minorities all participated. You speak of the Turks. They did participate, with the exception of the dominant party, which did not agree, although now it has accepted, that Turkish should be the third official language of Kosovo. Two is already a lot, but to establish a third official language was not possible. We negotiated.”
2000-11-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4225 (2000) · source
“Look at the resolutions that are 25 years old, such as those regarding separation of Lebanon and the State of Israel. It took 25 years to implement them. Why ask that Security Council resolution 1244 (1999) be implemented in full immediately? I fully understand your feelings, but I think that that is not possible or reasonable. What is possible and reasonable has been done, certainly with errors, which I recognize. When you say that the representative of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia asks you with moderation - I am grateful for that - for the return of armed forces to the territory, how can you think that that would be possible one and a half years after the war? I think we need to allow time for success in this implementation of peace. I understand your impatience. I would also like to correct something that was said several times.”
2000-11-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4225 (2000) · source
“But you consider that the way in which we, the international community - of which you are a major part-have implemented resolution 1244 (1999), in your words, is "incomplete and unsatisfactory". (supra) I do not have the time or the inclination to ask you to consider all of the peacekeeping operations throughout the world, Mr. Ambassador of the Russian Federation. Behind the numbers of the resolutions, there are men, human realities and things that are not contained in that cold and indispensable paper that makes up a resolution. Like you, I would have liked to implement the entire resolution; it will be implemented. But look at what is happening in the Middle East, Mr. Ambassador of Russia. Everything was done. Negotiations were started and 25 years later we are seeing the return of a terrible history. Everything is difficult.”
2000-11-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4225 (2000) · source
“I would say to the representative of Russia, in frankness and friendship, that we have never been in agreement, except for the day here in the Security Council and during a lunch that I recall well, when we decided together on those municipal elections. We took that decision together- all of us together; everybody was in agreement. Therefore, we held them. I understand your objections and I take careful note of them. Sometimes I get the impression in listening to you, Mr. Ambassador, that, as they say in my country "you are more royalist than the king". But I take your observations into account with a great deal of interest and, in fact, I try to abide by them.”
2000-11-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4225 (2000) · source
“There is plenty that could be said about the Mafia in many countries, but I will not take up that debate here, because it would take up a lot of time and it would really make my intervention highly undiplomatic, so I shall be very careful not to do so. The Mafia is not always where we think it may be. It is not always connected with matters that have economic implications; it sometimes deals with violations of human rights and violations of democratic rules. I would like to thank Ambassador Holbrooke for having recalled the zeal with which the Kosovar community, as a whole, moved towards democracy, and I would also like to thank Ambassador Chowdhury for having said how deeply he believed in that society.”
2000-11-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4225 (2000) · source
“I am glad that they are here because that nascent democracy gains through their participation. To the Ambassador of Bangladesh, I would like to say that his assessment of what we called our "outreach campaign" is extremely significant for me, and I am also very pleased that the person who led that campaign is here. That campaign allowed us to meet not only with political leaders, but also with the men and women of Kosovo who came to ask questions very openly, very frankly and very bluntly in all ofthe cities of Kosovo. We have learned a great deal concerning the real state of affairs, which is often far from our accepted and ready-made ideas. The Kosovars are not in fact a people of Mafiosi.”
2000-11-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4225 (2000) · source
“Thank you, Mr. President, for having conducted this very important and very interesting meeting. I shall try very briefly to reply to some ofthe members ofthe Security Council. I should like to thank Richard Holbrooke for his very positive comments regarding the conduct of this United Nations Mission and the elections. I want him to know how much I appreciate his personal views, and also the way in which he presented the Kosovars. So much is said about them and they are never seen. The Kosovars are not only political leaders, and I am gratified that we have here in the Council Chamber the co-head of the Democratization Department. I am also pleased that the co-editor of the most important and most widely disseminated publication in Kosovo is here.”
2000-11-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4225 (2000) · source
“But it has been an exciting adventure, and I hope that the hundreds of people who participated will be remembered gratefully, people whose future in one or another United Nations mission is by no means a secure one. My thoughts go to them.”
2000-11-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4225 (2000) · source
“The Mission achieved many unexpected successes. There was great dedication on the part ofthe representatives of Council members. But at the same time, unfortunately, there were many failures of the kind I have mentioned. In historical terms, these will not count: like the Brahimi report, this peacekeeping mission will prove to be one step forward, along with what is being done by my friend Sergio Vieira de Mello in Timor. We did not merely try to impose peace; we were trying to build up a region from nothing. It was a region without an administration, without technology, without resources, without a police force, without law, without justice.”
2000-11-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4225 (2000) · source
“Now, we must move to the next phase, which will pose an equal if not a larger challenge for the international presence in Kosovo and, in the end, for the departure of that presence. I would like every member of the Council to join me in thinking about the members of the international Mission who lost their lives on the rugged ground of Kosovo. They believed in their international commitment; they believed in the democratic future of the region; they believed in the power of their presence and of their work. I think of them today, just as I think of all those whose death, whose murder, we could not prevent, in particular members of minority communities and the Serb community. Each of those murders, which kept me, and my friends and my marvellous deputy Jock Covey, awake at night, was a blow to us - a failure.”
2000-11-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4225 (2000) · source
“That lack of electoral rolls is one of the reasons we did not agree to organize the September elections. No official request was addressed to us, and here I do not want to mention any of the great number of other legal, political or psychological elements involved. But I want to say to the Council that, technically speaking, it is impossible. Much, then, remains to be done. We cannot rest on our laurels. In the Mission I have had the honour to lead, no one had any thoughts of personal recognition, medals or glory - that way, none of us could be disappointed. The intensive work that was done culminated in elections which I believe to have been a success. The Council asked us to do this, even though it had doubts about whether it could actually be done. We did it on behalf of the Security Council.”
2000-11-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4225 (2000) · source
“As Special Representative of the Secretary- General, I affirm here today that in no event can UNMIK organize such elections. Indeed, the OSCE teams that were so effective in the October elections have left Kosovo; some members went to Bosnia to help organize the elections there. At present, vast security problems remain. To organize such elections, NATO troops would need to be reinforced, and I would recall that such troops have been unequivocally rejected by the most moderate of Kosovo's leaders, and by all others as well. How can we be asked to organize those elections? No international or indeed European regulations apply, and in fact there are no electoral rolls that include Kosovo Serbs, because they were prevented from registering.”
2000-11-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4225 (2000) · source
“This is all the more urgent following the municipal elections that led democratically chosen local representatives to opt for moderation. I affirm that we must act rapidly to organize elections throughout Kosovo, most likely to elect a Parliament. I propose that those general elections be held at the beginning of the year, if possible in spring. A working group, involving the Group of 8, the United Nations and the Contact Group, has been established on the basis of work already done by these institutions for the consideration of a possible provisional constitution. Let me say a word about elections in general. So far, no one has asked us to organize the elections to the Serb parliament that are scheduled for 23 December 2000.”
2000-11-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4225 (2000) · source
“Resolution 1244 (1999) is, I repeat, our basis for future work. I will keep reiterating that, but there is another element at work. Every Albanian wants independence. That paradox means that seeking immediately to resolve the question of the definitive status of Kosovo could very rapidly lead to another conflict. There will be no stability in the Balkans without stability in Kosovo. The stability of Kosovo cannot be limited to Kosovo alone; it must evolve throughout the region. Thus, we must now hasten the process of defining that substantial autonomy and develop institutions of self-government - as set down explicitly in resolution 1244 (1999) - in which the Kosovars will share ever more responsibility for the administration of Kosovo.”
2000-11-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4225 (2000) · source
“Together with General Cabigiosu, Commander of the Kosovo Force, we will be doing everything to track down the perpetrators. We read these dreadful murders as a very negative omen for the legitimate return of all communities to their regions of origin. These four Ashkalis felt safe enough to return without protection, but no one in Kosovo can now feel safe, despite all the progress that has been made. Extremists continue to seek to destroy the chances of democracy. They are still on the lookout, so we must remain equally vigilant and retain our military presence and economic commitments for some time to come. What will tomorrow bring? The last time I spoke here, I discussed a political plan for substantial autonomy. I called it a pact between UNMIK and Kosovar society. All of our partners in Pristina and Belgrade agree.”
2000-11-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4225 (2000) · source
“I have waited so long for the Serb people to have democratic leadership and I am delighted that they now do. That does not, however, erase the problems overnight. It certainly cannot erase the profound feelings of the inhabitants of the Balkans, in particular Kosovo, based on their own history and family relationships and on the circumstances of their loved ones who have disappeared, languish in prison or have never been able to build a decent future for themselves. In spite of all this progress, Kosovo remains a society in crisis. I cannot recall anything grimmer than the brutal murders last week of four Ashkalis, who had returned only two days earlier to their destroyed homes in a region of Albanian majority. It was a horrible killing.”
2000-11-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4225 (2000) · source
“I cannot overemphasize that all UNMIK policy is based on resolution 1244 (1999), but, as I explained to the General Affairs Council of the European Union on 9 October, we must all recall that the situation in Kosovo has not been radically changed by the advent of democratic leaders in Belgrade. For the time being, this has not led to change in daily life in Kosovo. The confrontation between communities that has endured for 12 centuries has not disappeared; it would be rather childish to imagine that it might. It is a very specific type of confrontation. I may be using the wrong word, but this is undoubtedly one of the few places in the world where several communities have been able to live side by side without ever really interacting, speaking or intermingling. That has not disappeared.”
2000-11-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4225 (2000) · source
“The concern is strong because, as members are aware, there have been riots in Serb prisons and because those who took power in the two prisons concerned were Serbian common criminals. These concerns are acute and have not been dispelled. Day and night, Kosovars demonstrate in front of our offices. I reiterate that events in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia have renewed the confidence of the Serb leaders in Kosovo, making them more open to cooperation. The Albanian leaders, too, are confident. This will be true of all the communities in the future. I am sure that constructive dialogue will begin, first and foremost, between UNMIK and Belgrade - indeed, it already has - and between Belgrade and the leaders of the Kosovar communities. Economic and judicial issues, for instance, have already been the subjects of fruitful meetings.”
2000-11-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4225 (2000) · source
“It is the Kosovo Albanians who largely suffered in recent years. Let us welcome democracy in Belgrade, but let us not forget too quickly the months and years that have just gone by. It is my fervent hope, and that of the Kosovars, that the Albanian Kosovar detainees in prisons will rapidly benefit from the law of amnesty. I believe that we are working in the right direction. I am confident that relations will thus improve considerably between the two communities, even if these concerns remain very strong. I would recall that there was a demonstration in Pristina only yesterday that was attended by 100,000 people. Every day for the past eight, the wives and children of detainees have slept in the street before the national theatre.”
2000-11-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4225 (2000) · source
“Yesterday, for instance, a delegation from Belgrade visited Pristina and discussed at length the problem of prisoners. A certain number of decisions were taken, not only about the facilitation of access to Albanian prisoners in Serb jails, but also on guarantees - extended to all Serbs - of a future vote on a law of amnesty. Obviously, such initiation of discussions between Belgrade and Pristina holds many lessons and great promise for the years ahead. I have tried to convince the inhabitants of Kosovo of the express goodwill of leaders in Belgrade. I also understand, however, that Mr. Kostunica needs time. I simply want us here not to forget that the suffering is not in the distant past; in historical terms, 18 months are nothing. We must forget neither how recent the suffering is, nor who suffered.”
2000-11-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4225 (2000) · source
“I could cite some examples of the danger from an economic point of view, but I am saying that psychologically, sociologically, politically and historically, the Kosovars are concerned about the way in which visits are being undertaken to Belgrade but not to Kosovo. That does not apply to everyone and we thank those who have visited, but there is a concern that must be taken into account from a political standpoint. The Kosovars also remain sceptical about the building of democracy in Serbia. Of course, they welcome the leaders and are waiting, but they have doubts, which they have expressed, about President Kostunica's will to make radical changes in Belgrade's policy towards Kosovo. I would recall that UNMIK's contacts with Belgrade have been ongoing since the very beginning and have proven to be very productive.”
2000-11-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4225 (2000) · source
“So that the Kosovars, who have shown so much democratic maturity, can benefit, it is my hope, as I have said, that we can hold general elections as soon as possible. They are essential, and that is no surprise, because they are the logical follow-up to the implementation of resolution 1244 (1999). Since I am addressing the facts, let me say that the Kosovars, having benefited from worldwide support, are concerned by one major fact. They are concerned by the attention and priorities of the international community, which have now turned to Belgrade. They feel that this could leave them in a state of neglect. I am not saying that that is the reality.”
2000-11-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4225 (2000) · source
“From the extremists to the moderates - from those that one cannot call the left to those that one cannot call the right - all the Kosovars affirm their determination never again to submit, as in the past, to domination by Belgrade. But everything is contained in that phrase "as in the past". What resolution 1244 (1999) guarantees to them - and that resolution has become the cornerstone of all building for the future - and what Mr. Kostunica has accepted, as have all the leaders in Kosovo, has nothing to do with the situation that prevailed in the past. There will be some discussions, but what was difficult to apply in the dark is now, in the light of acceptances becoming the vital need to apply resolution 1244 (1999) itself, which is the very foundation of our initiatives. So that the necessary discussions can take place.”
2000-11-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4225 (2000) · source
“I would be pleased to benefit from the experience of other such examples. I am convinced that the Kosovars are determined to prove their aptitude for democracy. I cannot emphasize strongly enough that they also benefit greatly from the fortunate events in Belgrade, which have led to democratic, positive exchanges between Belgrade and Pristina. In fact, there have been wonderful consequences in Kosovo of the events in Belgrade. The Albanians of Kosovo, leaders and all, welcomed the events as a contribution to regional stability, even though - let us not conceal the facts - these changes have not brought about an end to the desire for independence.”
2000-11-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4225 (2000) · source
“Every month, and more often if it proves necessary, I will preside over a meeting of the presidents of the municipal councils of Kosovo. The leaders of all the political parties have committed themselves to accepting the results, and now they will begin to deal with the institutional transfer of responsibilities. In most of the municipalities, this will mean that the parties that had taken on posts a year and a half ago will have to yield those posts to their elected successors. This will be a true test of political maturity. Real democracy in Kosovo should begin right there at the local level. Once again, I wonder if you know of any other examples where there has been a transformation from an imposed authority to an elected authority a year and a half after the end of a bitter conflict, like the war in Kosovo.”
2000-11-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4225 (2000) · source
“I repeat: I will be appointing additional members in other municipal councils so that all of the communities - of course, it is not only the Serbs to whom I am referring, but also the Turks, the Bosniacs, the Goranis and the Ashkalijas - all of them will be represented if they are not now represented at a high enough level. More than a dozen smaller parties and their candidates also obtained seats in the municipal councils, thanks to the system of proportional representation. I am very pleased that many of those elected officials are women. At the present time, now that the results are known, we need to proceed rapidly to implement them. We have agreed on a programme for the main activities, and we want to establish the basic structures for all the municipalities by Christmas.”
2000-11-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4225 (2000) · source
“Since I am talking about the Serb leaders of Kosovo, I would like to tell you that those who followed Mr. Milosevic, like the others, all met together, the four formations, for the first time last week in my office, and they are prepared to participate in the new administrative structures. Indeed, they are even calling for it. Of course they have conditions, but that is normal. The discussions are beginning. Those Serb officials have been strengthened by the fortunate changes that took place in Belgrade. They are more open now to participation, as I have just said, but obviously, they need a bit more time in order to adapt their attitudes to those of the new democratic leaders in Belgrade. I understand this perfectly.”
2000-11-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4225 (2000) · source
“I am preparing to appoint, in the next few days, the members of those three municipal councils that I have not certified and to appoint Serbs and members of other minorities in all the places, in all the municipalities where that will be necessary. It is my plan to hold early elections next year in those municipalities, where the Kosovo Serbs will be able to join the municipal structures and be full-fledged participants on equal footing. I would add that the members of the minorities in the communities where I will be making appointments will be full members, and they will be participating in the vote. They will simply have been prevented at the beginning from voting for the presidency of those municipalities, but they will be members, just like the others.”
2000-11-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4225 (2000) · source
“In accordance with resolution 1244 (1999), we would want to organize those elections next year, and personally, it is my hope that they will be organized as ofthe spring. Ten days ago, I certified the results of the elections for all of the 30 municipalities of Kosovo, with the exception of three municipalities in the north-Leposavic, Zvecan and Zubin Potok, essentially Serb municipalities. Unfortunately, the participation rate was too low for the results to be considered valid. I would recall once again that the members of the Serb community who at the time of registration wanted to register were physically prevented from doing so by Mr. Milosevic's partisans. That is not the case right now. The four Serb formations want to participate, and they will participate.”
2000-11-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4225 (2000) · source
“At the beginning not everyone was convinced, but these elections were a remarkable technical success, and the United Nations, with its OSCE partners, launched a registration process on the electoral lists, starting from zero in a place where there had not been even one voters' list and where the population had had no real experience in democratic processes, nor did they have identity papers to any great extent. I would say that after the 10 years under Mr. Milosevic neither personal identity nor even community identity remained. On election day, of course there were some organizational difficulties, and we are in the process of drawing lessons and taking that into account in the preparation of general elections.”
2000-11-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4225 (2000) · source
“We are very proud that in the electoral campaign there was virtually no fraud, very little manipulation and, above all, very little violence. In fact, KFOR and the UNMIK police stated that 28 October was the least violent day since the arrival of the mission last year. Participation was also very high; 721,000 people, 79 per cent of those registered, voted. When I think of what happens in certain democracies, I can say once again how proud I am of the team that it was my honour to head. Of the valid votes, fewer than 5 per cent of the ballots were declared null and void, and fewer than 2 per cent ofthe voters were not on the final electoral list. You will recall that we had a great deal of discussion right here about these elections.”
2000-11-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4225 (2000) · source
“Before all the veterans leave us, I would like to tell you how very much I have appreciated not only their dedication, their success and their perseverance, but also the friendship and the spirit that prevailed among each of the somewhat disparate elements, given the completely separate structures in UNMIK. I would not want these words of satisfaction to be separated from what I would say to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Of course, I was not able to meet all of the troops involved-45,000 Kosovo Force (KFOR) troops-but I do want to associate them and their commanders with these words of thanks and appreciation. Without them this success would not have taken place, and certainly the elections would not have occurred.”
2000-11-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4225 (2000) · source
“As regards the elections, I must also emphasize that we are very proud - let me say first of all that I am very proud, and perhaps I will not have another opportunity to tell the Council this -I am very proud of the work that has been done by the team that I have had the honour to lead. Members of the Security Council, this is your team, the United Nations team certainly, and also the team of the European Union, the team of the OSCE, the team ofthe Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees - all those who made up the framework, the four pillars, as they have been called, of this very special and very productive mission, UNMIK. These are people who worked night and day, seven days a week, some of them for the past two years. And now, tired but happy, I believe, they are beginning to leave us.”
2000-11-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4225 (2000) · source
“When they decided, in an agreement signed on 15 December 1999, to unify the temporary multiple administrative structures, this was successful. Since then we have not heard a word of the Government of Mr. Rugova, the Government of Mr. Thaci, of the parliament or the President. Here again I ask Council members, do you know of examples of peacekeeping missions that were considered impossible and that then succeeded, at least in getting the people, the various political factions - often in conflict, at times in fratricidal conflict- to come together for the greater interest of a region?”
2000-11-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4225 (2000) · source
“And last year, at the beginning of the year, there were no leaders capable of organizing in the way they have now, thanks to the particular efforts that we and the international community have made on the ground. There were no Kosovar Albanian leaders capable of engaging in dialogue. Those who sought power, let us remember, were leading three separate, parallel governments. There was a parliament and a President that did not agree and hindered our efforts to establish a single, legitimate administrative authority. At the end oflast year, after months of negotiations and efforts, we were able to convince these people to dissolve these structures-to dissolve them-and since then we have not heard a word about these structures. The Kosovar Albanians and the other minorities have been true to their words.”
2000-11-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4225 (2000) · source
“Rugova's party, the LDK, said, "I am in complete agreement with the position taken by the representative of the opposition." Already, and on such a delicate subject, the opposition and the majority were engaged in the democratic process. Council members know perfectly well what the situation in Kosovo was when we arrived in 1999: a society in collapse, without infrastructure, lacking institutions, in a state of crisis; a population traumatized by 40 years of communism and 10 years of apartheid; eight hundred thousand refugees in camps beyond the borders; endemic violence- even if one considers this violence as part of a tradition, as being rooted in tradition. Of course this violence must be denounced when it is used against the Serbs, but this violence has long existed and is rooted in past centuries.”
2000-11-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4225 (2000) · source
“When have we ever witnessed such a transformation of a party- that was called "terrorist", "revolutionary" and other such adjectives - into a responsible political party standing for election, a transformation that in this case appears to be successful, even if some doubts remain? Yes, last month's municipal elections were a great success, because technically speaking the task taken on by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE)-which should be congratulated on the success - and UNMIK was not a simple one, and above all because these elections were the result of a real political transformation. And right after Mr. Fatmir Limaj asked the question regarding the flags, and with the same courteousness, the representative of Mr.”
2000-11-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4225 (2000) · source
“Limaj and many of his fellow former combatants from being elected. The PDK of Hashim Thaci and the Alliance of Mr. Ramush Haradinaj - two parties that have grown out of the former Kosovo Liberation Army- together got 35 per cent of the votes. And everyone has made a commitment to working together to achieve a unified administration. I think that this represents a notable success. I ask Security Council members, are you aware of instances from the history of Latin America, Central America, Africa or Asia - or even from the history of Europe - are you aware of "guerrillas" thus converted into a democratic party and standing for election only a year and a half after the fighting?”
2000-11-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4225 (2000) · source
“I have told the Security Council members this anecdote - which I do not consider particularly important - simply to explain that 18 months ago, Mr. Fatmir Limaj, the member of the PDK, was in the mountains, leading a division of the Kosovo Liberation Army. He was a soldier. I know that it has not been easy for him-nor for the others-to re-adapt to civilian life. However, today here he is - a municipal elected official, after an electoral campaign that was decent, non-violent and democratic. The party he represents was not as successful at the polls as Mr. Rugova's party, the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK). In giving close to 58 per cent of the votes to Mr. Ibrahim Rugova, the people of Kosovo showed that in this particular election they preferred moderation and experience- in sum, tolerance. This did not stop Mr.”
2000-11-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4225 (2000) · source
“I learned that he was making this request and I granted it - although the issue of flags in Kosovo is extremely sensitive. We brought the various flags of the various communities. And when there are Serbs, there will also be their flag. This has been accepted by the party representatives at Pristina. I also recommended to the participants that they not put their future at risk by seeking only grounds for dispute, even if there are indeed solid grounds. Rather, I recommended that they work together for democracy, peace and the good of the city of Pristina, whose elected officials they were. The taking of the oath took place, and this week the council met for the first time to elect a President and draft a programme of work.”
2000-11-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4225 (2000) · source
“In addition, we find - and I emphasize this - Bosnians, Turks and Ashkalis. For the moment, unfortunately, there are no Serbs in Pristina, but there are Serbs in other municipalities, and this situation is due to change in Pristina quite quickly, I think and I am sure. After my statement on the democratic future of Kosovo, the ceremony was courteously interrupted by a young man in a suit and tie, a Mr. Fatmir Limaj. He is the head of the Party for Democratic Progress of Kosovo (PDK), the party of Mr. Thaci, in Pristina. He simply wanted to tell us how significant the solemn commitment - the oath he was going to take - was to him and his colleagues. He insisted that everyone take this oath in front of the flags of all the communities represented in the municipal council.”
2000-11-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4225 (2000) · source
“As I have said, I will not overwhelm the members of the Council with figures, but I would recall that 5,000 candidates came forward. One third were women, which is not a negligible figure. For other countries that would be a very significant result. There were 5,000 candidates on 18 official lists of political parties, with many individual lists and many lists of local interests. Last Saturday there were ceremonies at the same time in all 30 of Kosovo's municipalities. Most of those elected to the municipal council of the biggest city of the region, Pristina, are men and women who represent the two main Albanian political parties in Kosovo: the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK), headed by Mr. Ibrahim Rugova, and the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK), headed by Mr. Hashim Thaci.”
2000-11-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4225 (2000) · source
“The municipal elections in Kosovo were universally recognized as a technical success, but also, I am convinced, as a victory for the burgeoning democracy in Kosovo. To truly appreciate the success of 28 October, we need to take into account the context in which the elections took place and everything that has occurred over the past 17 months, a very short time compared with other peace missions that the Security Council proposes, creates and monitors. Seventeen months is indeed a short time. Last Saturday I presided over the ceremony in which the new Pristina municipal council took the oath of office. There were present 60 men and women chosen by the people of Kosovo in what was, for them, the first democratic and free election.”
2000-11-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4225 (2000) · source
“Seventeen months ago the Council gave us the mandate of setting Kosovo on its way, administering it and establishing democratic institutions until it could assume the substantial autonomy called for in resolution 1244 (1999). We have made a great deal of progress, important progress, in that direction, but not only progress; there have been failures as well, and many challenges remain to be met. I do not intend to overwhelm the Council with technical details of that progress, because I am sure that it has available a paper that summarizes the current status. I would like to take this opportunity to review some of the most important advances we have made in order to fulfil the mandate conferred upon us in June 1999 by resolution 1244 (1999), and to indicate the direction that I believe should now be taken.”
2000-11-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4225 (2000) · source
“The wounds are too fresh, the conflict too ancient. Thirteen centuries on the one side, one year on the other. We cannot talk about reconciliation immediately. Let us talk about conciliation and, first and foremost, about peaceful coexistence. When they stop threatening one another, when the communities agree to at least the status quo, then I hope we can open the door to the very, very beginnings of reconciliation. And this will take many years.”
2000-09-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4200 (2000) · source
“In the end, despite that agreement, some Turkish parties did not accept the agreement and wanted their community, which probably numbers about 20,000, to have their language treated as an official language. That was far too complicated and impossible to accept. Nonetheless, almost half of the Turkish community registered to vote, but because of the date other Turkish people were unable to do so. I am grateful for this interest in the representation of minorities. I thank the President for the comments he made, in his capacity as representative of Mali, about the progress achieved. He used the words reconciliation and tolerance. I share your feeling that reconciliation is necessary. But I believe that before reconciliation - as I have said here in the Council since the outset - we have to talk about coexistence.”
2000-09-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4200 (2000) · source
“Let me emphasize the role of women in Kosovar associations and the role I hope they will play in reducing violence, which began with the electoral campaign. The role of women in the electoral campaign is to encourage democratic debate and perhaps to reduce violence. Let me say to the representative of Namibia that the allusion to the Turkish population pleases me, because the minorities - those who were not represented in the Kosovo Transitional Council finally came. I appreciate the emphasis given to this. We have negotiated amply to make sure that all members of the Turkish community can participate in the electoral process. Unfortunately, it was requested that Turkish be the third official language. There is an agreement with Ankara - the negotiations were difficult, but respected basic democratic ideals - and we were pleased.”
2000-09-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4200 (2000) · source
“True, the arms were not turned in, but in the Balkans in general, and in this region of the Balkans in particular, there are weapons everywhere. Of course, the more we find, the better. I am also pleased that Ambassador Amneus has been appointed. Again, his mandate must include both the prisoners of war and missing persons. But we must move fast. I talked about 68 people who were on a hunger strike. I do not think that violence can be eliminated until news of missing persons is available, even if it is tragic news, because I am sure that many of them are dead. I am sorry to say this. I have started to tell this to the families of the missing persons. Nurturing hope is sometimes very harmful psychologically, and even for society at large. The regulations on trafficking are to be published very soon.”
2000-09-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4200 (2000) · source
“We are negotiating with them so that 300 can work now and others can join them soon. We think - though I could be wrong about this - that in approximately six to eight months, minimum international norms will be re-established at the smelter. Afterwards we will see. During that time the experts will be working. Fortunately, France, the United States and Sweden quickly provided money to ensure security and safety, and we are already at work with that money. As for the pact, as I have said before, it is not a legal pact, but an emotional or even a moral pact. "As soon as you hold clean elections, we will talk about substantial autonomy", with debates everywhere, as a number of representatives have recalled. In response to the representative of Jamaica, we have found some caches of weapons in the Balkans. This is not particularly surprising.”
2000-09-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4200 (2000) · source