YouSaid · the spoken record

Rficker

lines on the record
8
first
2006-09-13
most recent
2006-09-13
sittings or episodes
1
sources
un-security-council

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  1. “That technical assessment is the product of a well-structured mechanism of regular collection, collation and evaluation of facts that involves multiple agencies at various levels, including, in addition to UNMIK and the Provisional Institutions, the Contact Group representatives in Pristina, who have been very intensively engaged in the vetting of standards implementation reports. This is, in other words, as credible as it can get. Let me thank the Council again for giving us the opportunity to present this report today.”

    2006-09-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5522 (2006) · source

  2. “As regards individual cases that have been mentioned, it is very frustrating to see that allegations made in official communications from Belgrade, after we have duly responded and clarified the facts, are then used again in their original form in public statements. We have again seen evidence today of that phenomenon on the floor of the Council. I do not intend to engage in a numbers game or to go into individual cases with the Serbian representative. Our factual position on the security situation for the reporting period is amply reflected in the technical assessment annexed to the report of the Secretary- General.”

    2006-09-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5522 (2006) · source

  3. “With regard to the recent bombing incident in Mitrovica, we are actively pursuing that. One arrest has been made and investigations are ongoing. Also, with regard to the follow-up of 4 March 2004, which was mentioned by several delegations, 243 persons have been successfully prosecuted and convicted of crimes and minor offences in connection with the March 2004 riots. In addition, on 25 August 2006, the international pre-trial judge ordered the detention of four defendants suspected of being involved in the burning down of numerous buildings in Fushe Kosove/Kosovo Polje during the riots. It is expected that more arrests will follow as the investigation continues. Those recent arrests mark significant progress in the follow-up, which is not reflected in the report that is in front of Council members.”

    2006-09-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5522 (2006) · source

  4. “In fact, we specifically direct the police to monitor and prioritize any crime that is potentially ethnically motivated. We use the term "PME" - potentially ethnically motivated crime - and that is very closely monitored. Just to set the record straight, potentially ethnically motivated crimes in Kosovo are significantly on the decline. There is also a trend towards the same absolute numbers of affected Kosovo Albanians and Kosovo Serbs. While some crime in Kosovo is ethnically motivated, the great majority is not, and it is irresponsible to politicize every security incident by characterizing it as ethnically motivated before the facts have even been investigated. There are lots of examples which I will spare you, but which I could give you in that respect.”

    2006-09-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5522 (2006) · source

  5. “Yes, there was the signing of the Protocol on Voluntary and Sustainable Returns between the Provisional Institutions, the Government of Serbia and UNMIK on 6 June 2006. It further reaffirmed the commitment of Pristina and Belgrade to intensify the return process, which is crucial. And most important, it has lead to 70 families that have agreed to return to Srpski Babus by signing the respective agreements. We have to do much more in that respect. I fully agree with all that was said. The reasons for the low number of returns are, of course, multiple. They include the lack of jobs, the economy and lack of clarity on status, which all play a role. But we are fully committed to that. Let me now turn to the issue of crime. We absolutely reject accusations by Belgrade that we are turning a blind eye to ethnically motivated crime in Kosovo.”

    2006-09-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5522 (2006) · source

  6. “Perceptions of security and the freedom to move, particularly of the Kosovo Serb community south of Mitrovica and the Kosovo Albanian community north of Mitrovica, continue to be undermined by acts of intimidation and by rumours. That, of course, is due to frequent reporting of statements by senior Serbian officials that Kosovo Serbs are not safe and do not have freedom of movement. This exacerbates those perceptions and has a significant damaging psychological impact. Again, I think even the perception should be avoided that something is created, only to be deplored in the next phase. With regard to returns, I am very grateful for the encouragement referring to what we have recently concluded with Belgrade.”

    2006-09-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5522 (2006) · source

  7. “I think the Serbian Government should avoid even the perception that it is creating the very conditions that it deplores in terms of the political integration and economic participation of the Kosovo Serbs, which was a recurrent theme as something desirable. With regard to freedom of movement, which was mentioned by several; speakers, I think we have seen steady improvement both in reality and in perception. The most recent Kosovo Police Service freedom of movement assessment reports that 93 per cent of the people in Kosovo 4 including, of course, all communities - travel outside their Village, and that 94 per cent of these feel safe in doing so.”

    2006-09-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5522 (2006) · source

  8. “Mr. Rficker: I would like to thank everyone around the table for the encouraging words of welcome and the expressions of support for my mission. I am also grateful for the interventions highlighting so many subjects that are important for our mission. I would like to briefly comment on just a few of these: Ms. Sanda Raskovic-Ivic just mentioned the non- participation of Kosovo Serbs in the Institutions; freedom of movement, which was highlighted by several speakers; returns; and finally, crime, which was a recurrent theme. Regarding the non-participation of the Kosovo Serbs in the past elections, we have the impression in Kosovo that this was induced, or at least not stopped by Belgrade.”

    2006-09-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5522 (2006) · source