YouSaid · the spoken record

Steiner

lines on the record: 154
first: 2002-04-24
most recent: 2019-01-25
sittings or episodes: 6
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

“It is truly time to put the past behind us and to move on. "We are ready and willing to provide for your needs in health, public services and education, on an equal basis with all the other people of Kosovo. We cannot offer more than that, but what we are able to offer, we do with sincerity." That is exactly the sort of concrete commitment by leaders that we have worked for to reassure displaced persons. Kosovo does not belong to Albanians or to Serbs or to any other ethnic group. Kosovo belongs to all its peoples. Internalizing that fact is key to Kosovo's future. I will speak of centrifugal forces, for despite the progress we have made, the rhetoric has become more adversarial. Both sides are pre-positioning themselves on future status.”
2003-07-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4782 (2003) · source
“Yet, a lot more work is required for Kosovo to become a truly multi-ethnic society. The slowness of returns and integration remain our most serious shortcomings. I am therefore delighted to inform the Council about an open appeal published in Pristina yesterday in the Albanian, Serbian and English languages and signed by all non-Serb leaders of Kosovo. The appeal urges the refugees and displaced persons in Serbia, Montenegro and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia to return to Kosovo now. It states: "It is time for you to come home We do not 'invite' you to come back to your home, because Kosovo is your home, and you have the right to live here in peace. Kosovo is your home, just as it is our home; we want, and work for, you to come back to live in peace with us as neighbors, in a spirit of mutual respect.”
2003-07-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4782 (2003) · source
“Regarding multi-ethnicity and returns, to date we have had over 7,000 returns of displaced persons. There have been about 1,100 since March of this year. Yes, that number is still far too small. But the Framework for Returns, based on a bottom-up approach, is now in place. Multi-ethnicity has been gradually improving. Members of the minority communities represent 15 per cent of the Kosovo Police Service, which constitutes positive discrimination. Half of the new officers of the Police school's most recent graduating class are Kosovo Serbs. Serbian can be heard in the streets of Pristina and Prizren. On the night of the Summer Solstice, hundreds of young people from both sides of the river in Mitrovica participated in a techno party on the town's famous bridge.”
2003-07-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4782 (2003) · source
“But we have laid the groundwork for a sustainable economy in the future. The euro provides monetary stability. That has been a huge success which has allowed us to create an effective banking system. A billion marks previously saved under mattresses are now saved as 500 million euro in banks, where they are available for making loans. Kosovo has a balanced budget that relies on a functioning revenue collection service. We have a modern legal framework in place to protect investment and foster a market economy with laws on everything from contracts to bankruptcy. Crucially, we have launched the privatization process with the tendering of the first socially owned enterprises. But what we need now is investor confidence. That will come only with a functioning society based on the rule of law. That is what the standards are about.”
2003-07-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4782 (2003) · source
“Equipped with new technical and legal instruments to use covert measures, the Kosovo Organized Crime Bureau has mapped out the structures of Kosovo's underworld. The judiciary, too, has been active against organized crime. Notorious criminals have been convicted and major trials are ongoing. When a high-profile Kosovo Albanian was indicted by the International Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia, he publicly declared his readiness to go to The Hague voluntarily. Without prejudging the outcome, the police are doing all they can to catch those who perpetrated the heinous triple murder of a Serb family in Obilic. All key leaders of Kosovo condemned that crime. I turn to the economy. Most Kosovans rank that as their number one concern, and they are right to do so. Unemployment is running at 57 per cent.”
2003-07-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4782 (2003) · source
“We must, of course, ensure compliance with resolution 1244 (1999) and the Constitutional Framework. Regarding the rule of law, we have built a multi- ethnic judiciary and a police force of 5,407 officers from scratch. The UNMIK Police cooperate with their counterparts in Belgrade, Skopje and Tirana. Our record on crime is already better than many believe. There were about 500 murders between June and December of 1999. About 150 victims were Serb. In 2002, the number fell to 68, six of them Serbs. It was UNMIK that supplied the evidence and witnesses that convicted the German former head of Kosovo's electricity company on corruption charges. That demonstrated to people in Kosovo that when we say "zero tolerance for corruption", we mean everyone.”
2003-07-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4782 (2003) · source
“But, with a number of new developments that I will describe, the groundwork for Kosovo's future progress has now been laid. Let us review Kosovo's progress towards the standards. First, with regard to functioning democratic institutions, the Provisional Government and Kosovo's other Institutions are not perfect, but they are functioning and they are learning. The Kosovo Serb members participate in the work of the Assembly. Eighteen laws of the Assembly have now been put into force, and we have an orderly process for completing the transfer of non-reserved responsibilities to the Government by the end of the year. At the same time, the Provisional Institutions continue to push the limits of their competencies. The Assembly does not always respect the rights of minorities.”
2003-07-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4782 (2003) · source
“And both parties have said that they are now ready for direct dialogue. We have moved forward to establish the framework for future progress. That framework is embodied in the eight benchmark standards covering the cornerstones of any functional democratic society. Council members have seen the Secretary-General's latest report (S/2003/675), which details Kosovo's performance against each of the standards. We have explained and fostered public support for the standards through television, radio and roundtable discussions throughout Kosovo. UNMIK's new Strategy Coordinator will present my successor with a plan to further operationalize those eight standards. The European Commission's Tracking Mechanism affirms that the standards also pave the road to Europe. Huge challenges remain.”
2003-07-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4782 (2003) · source
“Mr. Steiner: I thank you, Mr. President, specifically for your warm words. Next week I will leave Kosovo. When I arrived a year and a half ago, there was no Government, despite successful general elections. There were 153 prisoners from the war still being held in Serbia. In the northern part of Mitrovica, there was a legal vacuum and turbulence. More members of minority communities were leaving Kosovo than were returning. Pristina and Belgrade did not talk. Since then, we have put together a multi-ethnic Government. We brought back the prisoners. Mitrovica is still not a normal European town, but we installed the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) administration in the northern part, where there are now regular police patrols. We reversed the negative trend in returns.”
2003-07-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4782 (2003) · source
“Finally, I think that it is fair to say that I have felt here also a consensus on the fact that regional integration - meaning integration into Europe - is an important perspective for all of the countries in Europe, and I am very grateful for the statement of the President, who expressed exactly that. The Summit in Thessaloniki on 21 June will be of particular importance there. I am very grateful for this continued support.”
2003-02-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4702 (2003) · source
“We are right to focus this year on the three priorities, namely the economy and the job situation, crime and multi- ethnicity, including return. I also detected here guidelines and instructions from the Council to intensify work on the transfer of power, as I have proposed - that we should do everything we legally can not to reserve power but to transfer it to the institutions, but also that the institutions as well must make efforts to be in a position to exercise it. I am very encouraged also that the Council seems to be in consensus in endorsing that we should now have a direct dialogue on questions of mutual interest between Pristina and Belgrade.”
2003-02-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4702 (2003) · source
“Concerning the outflow, nobody has the exact numbers, but there is common consent among the entire return community and the institutions concerned that the numbers are not high enough on returns because of the problems we still have that have been mentioned. But it is very clear that the number of returns this year was greater than the outflow in the past. Therefore, there is a positive development. I have addressed the questions as I have recalled them. But let me say at the end that UNMIK understands itself to be an instrument of the Council. We are following its guidelines. We will continue to make proposals, but in the end it is very important that the Security Council set the guidelines and we try our best to fulfil them. My impression from this discussion was that we are right to focus on the standards.”
2003-02-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4702 (2003) · source
“What we need is active cooperation from the local institutions. The numbers were mentioned. I would just like to clarify here that all the numbers that we mentioned are not ours; they are the official figures of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Just to be very clear, the UNHCR's most recent numbers, summing up the situation as of 31 December 2002, say the returns in 2001 were 1,447 and the returns in 2002 were 2,671. In total, there are 6,024. These are not my numbers; they are the numbers of the UNHCR. We have to take something as an objective basis. We are just referring to official UNHCR numbers.”
2003-02-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4702 (2003) · source
“First of all, concerning what we achieved last year and what we hope to achieve this year, I think that we have the structures to prepare operationally for the return season, which starts in April and May, this year. We have the structures both on the local level - because return happens on the local level - as well as on the central level. We have the Serb coordinator for return in the Government. I have a senior adviser for return. Also important, we have, I think, the necessary money provided by the international community to prepare the projects, which are costly. This is because someone cannot simply be returned. There is a need for housing, education, economic prospects, access to infrastructures and the appropriate security. I think that the international community has provided for this.”
2003-02-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4702 (2003) · source
“Let us continue on this road, which we have established on the basis of a consensus of all the parties. The Council of Europe is taking the lead, and it should now prepare a concept. This should be done as quickly as possible, but at the same time this is very far-reaching. The issue of decentralization goes very far in many aspects. Let them do their work, let them talk to all of the parties. Then we shall look at that and how we can implement the concept in the legitimate structures as they are established in Kosovo. I would like to make a final point on substance, and that is the return and the numbers of returns. 1 would like to be very clear here.”
2003-02-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4702 (2003) · source
“I am also very glad that this coming Monday, we will have a permanent mission from the Council of Europe there doing nothing else but elaborating a concept on local self-government and decentralization. This is exactly the right approach. We should now let the Council of Europe do its work, talk to all the parties, from the Provisional Government to the different representatives, specifically including, of course, those of the minorities, and then come up with a proposal. I cannot implement such a proposal ex offlcio. Of course, such a proposal must gain life in the reality of Kosovo, which means it must be discussed in the Provisional Institutions. If any legal conclusions are to be drawn from this, it must be done in cooperation with all the parties.”
2003-02-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4702 (2003) · source
“I was quite happy about that. I spoke with President Kostunica, and he fully agreed to it. This is classic and typical work that should be done by the Council of Europe. This is why, on the basis of a consensus between all the leaders of Kosovo and on the specific verbal, express recommendation of Belgrade, we have said: let this job be done by those who understand it. There is one institution that really has experience in decentralization, and that is the Council of Europe. On the basis of this consensus, we have invited the Council of Europe to come to Kosovo and take over the lead in this work. I am very glad that the Council of Europe and its Secretary-General, Mr. Schwimmer, immediately agreed to do so.”
2003-02-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4702 (2003) · source
“The Council also has before it a document that, although it does not contain very new elements and follows the benchmarks with the sub- benchmarks already established last year, tries to tell you somehow where we are. This is a summary of a much bigger paper that we ourselves prepared within the Mission. The idea is that from now on we will report to the Council on where we go and what we achieve starting from this base line, so that we can be as concrete as possible on our progress towards fulfilling the benchmarks. Concerning decentralization, I think that we need to be clear on what the parties themselves have requested. After the municipal elections, an agreement between all Kosovo leaders was reached, including the Serb community and the head of the parliamentary faction in the Assembly, as well as Belgrade.”
2003-02-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4702 (2003) · source
“Let me say I agree fully with the statement just made by the Norwegian representative, who said that further specifics regarding implementation of the benchmarks must be worked out in cooperation with the local authorities, meaning the Provisional Institutions. I think that this is key, because we are now in a phase in which we hand over authority as far as we can, legally as well as technically. Also, when we have specific requirements, we have to act in cooperation with the institutions, and mainly the Government. That is surely right. What we have tried to do today is to give the Council a first indicator on where we stand. Thus, we have a base line.”
2003-02-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4702 (2003) · source
“There are a number of municipalities that really deserve credit, including financial credit, and credit from international aid, when they go the extra mile specifically in relation to others. I would view the situation in such a differentiated way. The same is true, of course, at the central level. In a way, the benchmarks are the measure of whether things are fulfilled or not. No doubt, conditionality is one of the essential elements of our work. But I would propose that we think not only about negative conditionality but positive as well. The work plan for further operationalization of the benchmarks was discussed.”
2003-02-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4702 (2003) · source
“Because the return of refugees and multi- ethnicity take place at the local level in day-to-day life. What is very important when looking at the situation in Kosovo, I believe, is that one sees a very differentiated picture. There are communities that are quite successful as concerns respect for multi-ethnicity and the rights of minorities, as well as return efforts. There are others in which one can still hear noises from local representatives that are not very helpful and not in line with our common policy. What we should do, I think, is look very carefully at the situation on the ground to see how each community fulfils its obligations, specifically with regard to multi-ethnicity, but also in other areas of good governance. We should then apply the concept of conditionality there as well.”
2003-02-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4702 (2003) · source
“Secondly, I wish to address the question of conditionality, which is an important question not only in Kosovo but, very generally, as regards the engagement of the international community in various areas. I think that conditionality is unavoidable, and that we should pursue it. By the way, this is a policy that is exercised by the European Union with respect to the integration path of European countries. It is surely a path we too should follow in implementing the benchmarks in Kosovo. I think the important point in this area is to think about negative and positive conditionalities. Another important point is that there is both a central level and a local level. When we talk about conditionality, we should also think specifically about the local level. Why?”
2003-02-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4702 (2003) · source
“Mr. Steiner: First of all, let me thank the Security Council as a body for its strong support for the policy we have proposed to it. There were not many questions raised this time. I shall try briefly to address the ones that have been asked. The Central Fiscal Authority (CFA) has been mentioned, as has the question of its merger into the Provisional Institutions. By the way, the CFA had been one of the most successful institutions of the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK). Let me just say in this regard that, as of 1 January 2003, the Central Fiscal Authority does not exist any more. It has been merged into the Ministry of Finance. I think this is a major success. I believe we have done what could be done in that regard.”
2003-02-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4702 (2003) · source
“But any engagement by the international community must be matched by an equal engagement of our local partners in fulfilling the standards of a functioning democratic society. In conclusion, what do the people of Kosovo want? What are our priorities? Jobs, security and multi- ethnicity. This is what the standards are about. This is what the international community wants, and this is what people of Kosovo want.”
2003-02-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4702 (2003) · source
“At the same time, Kosovo must prepare for the process of European integration, together with its neighbours in the region. The European Union (EU) is expected to outline a more energetic strategy with respect to the Balkans at its Thessaloniki Summit on 21 June. In his letter to the Greek and future Italian EU presidencies, Commission President Romano Prodi calls for an even stronger political commitment of the EU and a clear and unambiguous membership perspective. At a meeting of the international representatives from the region with High Representative Javier Solana and Commissioner Chris Patten, held last week in Brussels, we all saw this as essential for success.”
2003-02-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4702 (2003) · source
“I am mandated to act as guarantor for the equal rights and fair treatment of minorities. Together with KFOR, I am answerable for security and civil order, and I will retain authority for external relations. I do not believe that 2003 is the time for finally resolving Kosovo's status. But it is the time to lay the groundwork for the political process which, in the end, will determine its status. Dialogue between Pristina and Belgrade on issues of mutual interest is necessary in itself and will help enable political dialogue further down the line. Indeed, paragraph ll (e) of resolution 1244 (1999) mandates me to promote such a process. It is crucially important that the Security Council, representing the whole international community, remain in charge of Kosovo until the main objective set out in resolution 1244 (l999) is fulfilled.”
2003-02-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4702 (2003) · source
“We will then work out, together with them, how that transfer can best be done. Our principle will be effective empowerment. But it is important that the transfer of authority not take the form of the international community's simply abandoning the Kosovo political structures, losing sight of resolution 1244 (1999). It is not yet one year since the Government was set up. There is still a lack of effective checks and balances between the executive, the legislative, the judiciary and the media. Minority protection is still weak throughout the institutions. The Government itself has asked for our continued support. Despite our own shortcomings - as, surely, UNMIK makes mistakes - we are still needed in Kosovo. In addition, there are certain things that I cannot fully transfer to the local institutions.”
2003-02-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4702 (2003) · source
“I am ready to hand over all competences I legally can to the Provisional Institutions by the end of this year. But the institutions must make progress against the benchmarks and demonstrate that they are equipped to handle added responsibilities and to really accomplish things. The municipalities now have more than two years' experience of running local affairs. We will soon be able to fully hand over executive responsibilities to the most successful municipalities, and withdraw into a monitoring and oversight function. On the central level, UNMIK is carrying out a review of how effectively we have actually handed over real responsibility in the transferred areas. We will also seek to identify, together with the Provisional Institutions, all further areas that can be transferred this year.”
2003-02-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4702 (2003) · source
“But the majority Albanian community in Kosovo has equally failed to take ownership of the interests of the Serb community and other minorities. Minorities are still being harassed. Minorities are still afraid to move freely throughout Kosovo. They often lack access to education, health care, public utilities and jobs. We in UNMIK are working hard to create the conditions for increased returns. In 2003 more returns will be possible. But minority rights and returns need to be supported also by the Provisional Institutions with budget appropriations and concrete programmes. Kosovo must prove that it is creating a multi-ethnic society where every Kosovan, regardless of ethnic origin, can live in security and dignity. I now turn to the transfer of power. It is good that the Assembly and the other institutions want to take on responsibility.”
2003-02-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4702 (2003) · source
“I am concerned about ethnically defined interest politics on the part of both Kosovo Albanians and Kosovo Serbs, as well as on the part of Belgrade. We cannot allow parallel structures to operate. That is also the reason why we established the UNMIK administration in Mitrovica on 25 November and are introducing the Kosovo Police Service in the northern part of the town. More still needs to be done. However, after three and a half years of hearing of nothing from there aside from the "bridge watchers", the international community is now in control. Belgrade has been helpful on Mitrovica, but in other areas it continues to support parallel structures operating on a mono-ethnic basis. While insisting that Kosovo is part of Serbia, in reality Belgrade focuses exclusively on the interests of only 10 per cent of Kosovo's population.”
2003-02-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4702 (2003) · source
“This will be the case only when they can rely on the legal system and trust the institutions, and when freedom of movement and property rights apply - in other words, when the standards of a functioning democratic society are met. Together with the Government, I will seek to do everything possible to develop the legal system, institutions and basis for property rights that are needed to generate investor confidence. Here the privatization process will be key. We also have to make it easier for business to invest in Kosovo. For this, we will be opening an office where investors can get through registration and legal requirements quickly: a one-stop investment shop. The third priority concerns multi-ethnicity.”
2003-02-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4702 (2003) · source
“Members of the Kosovo Police Service will use their new skills to participate in the most sensitive areas of the fight against serious and organized crime. They will contribute their knowledge of crime networks in Kosovo and the region. Last Thursday I saw in the police station in Pee/Peje that this can work. I am also pleased that members of Italy's Guardia di Finanza have now begun their work in the new Financial Investigation Unit to fight corruption and fraud. The second priority is the economy. Unemployment continues to be the number-one concern. But jobs can be created only by attracting investment, and investment will come only when investors can be confident that their money will not be lost.”
2003-02-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4702 (2003) · source
“I will concentrate on the priorities for 2003. The first is crime. Overall levels of serious crime declined significantly in 2002. The number of murders last year was half that of 2001, and the clearance rate of murder cases has risen to more than 80 per cent. However, Kosovo was rocked at the turn of the year by a spate of violence and killings. In the space of four weeks, there were three car bombings. Over the past months there also have been a number of high-profile murders. Some of the victims were witnesses for The Hague or in organized crime cases. No one is above the law. We are intensifying our attack against organized crime, corruption and politically and ethnically motivated Violence.”
2003-02-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4702 (2003) · source
“I hope that, with the Council's help, we can convince political leaders and Kosovo society to embrace the benchmarks as a positive challenge. Kosovo institutions will have to rise to it. They have to understand that only the fulfilment of these standards will make the international community confident that Kosovo is ready for substantial self-government. The fulfilment of these standards is necessary also to remove the causes of future conflict and to make Kosovo a normal European society. Let me also state here that there are many politicians, public figures and journalists in Kosovo who are very supportive of this course. Their Vision is encouraging. Concerning priorities for 2003, UNMIK's strategy is to focus on the standards that are required for a decent life in Kosovo and on what the people actually want.”
2003-02-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4702 (2003) · source
“The standards to be met must, of course, be realistic and measured against the region's performance. It would be unfair to compare Kosovo with, say, Switzerland. However, as the Security Council mission stressed in December, Kosovo is still a long way from having truly functioning democratic institutions and a society where minorities can fully participate. Obviously, we do not expect the institutions to deliver in areas where they do not have instruments. But public figures can and must be held accountable for a sustained effort to promote the values of the rule of law, for example. We expect them to take a stand against crime, to refrain from extremist statements and to call on the public to cooperate with the police and the courts. Tacit tolerance of crime and corruption must stop.”
2003-02-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4702 (2003) · source
“On the contrary, dialogue with Belgrade is one of the eight benchmarks. As the Secretary-General has said, talks on issues of mutual interest should start as soon as possible. The handout that members will receive is intended to serve as a baseline indicator against which progress towards the benchmarks can be measured each quarter from now on. It summarizes how we intend to operationalize the process. While there is general agreement on the goals, the Kosovo institutions have not yet engaged with the benchmarks with sufficient vigour. Several Kosovo Albanian politicians have claimed that Kosovo has already achieved the standards. A senior official has publicly claimed that Kosovo has "risen above the Governments of the region in its approach to returns, property rights and freedom of movement".”
2003-02-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4702 (2003) · source
“So, this year we intend to focus on the following areas: standards; the three priorities of jobs, security and real multi-ethnicity; the transfer of power; the establishment of direct dialogue between Pristina and Belgrade; and preparing for European integration. Turning first to standards: for different reasons, and with opposing ideas of what the resolution should be, some in Pristina and Belgrade now seem to agree on "status first". But what actually counts on the ground is improving quality of life by delivering on the standards, or benchmarks. The Security Council's mission saw this for itself during its recent visit. It is also evident from the quarterly report by the Secretary- General, who was in Kosovo in November. But let us be clear: our focus on standards in no way precludes opening direct talks between Pristina and Belgrade.”
2003-02-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4702 (2003) · source
“The second move, a unilateral step by others to set up a union of Serb municipalities in the north of Kosovo, is having a damaging effect on these interests. This union is based on mono-ethnicity. It has no legal relevance, but it undermines work on decentralization by the Council of Europe, which will be starting its mission in Kosovo this coming Monday. In the light of these developments, how does the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) address the challenges of 2003? As the Council knows, much has been accomplished in the last 12 months. The Kosovans and the international community can be proud of that. But we need to move further.”
2003-02-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4702 (2003) · source
“However, I am concerned that others in Pristina are becoming more assertive about status and status-related competences, and do not concentrate enough on the real bread-and-butter issues. At the same time, Prime Minister Zoran Djindjic has now changed course in Belgrade by also calling for an early resolution of Kosovo's status, and has requested the return of the Serbian State to Kosovo. As the international community concentrates on standards and on what the people want, politicians focus on status. In tandem with the changing View in Belgrade, we have seen two contrasting moves on the part of Kosovo Serbs. It is good that we will have the Coalition Povratak back in the Assembly after months of boycott. Serb interests in Kosovo can best be represented through the legitimate institutions.”
2003-02-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4702 (2003) · source
“Mr. Steiner: What do people in Kosovo want? Last week I visited Ferizaj, the third largest town in Kosovo; Pee/Peje, at the foot of the mountains in the west; and Mitrovica, on the banks of the river Ibar, in the north. In Ferizaj a baker from a socially owned enterprise asked for a secure job; a student wanted "An end to corruption, so I do not have to buy my place at university". In Peje a shopkeeper told me, "Beat crime". And in Mitrovica a teacher from a minority community said: "I want to move around Kosovo without fear". So, it is jobs, security and respect for multi-ethnicity. Many politicians know that, and are working hard in the Provisional Institutions all over Kosovo.”
2003-02-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4702 (2003) · source
“Perhaps the Council should come when we have the municipal elections, on 26 October, to look at the situation and to find out for itself out where progress is being made and where we still have work to do. I think that if the Council could do this in the context of the municipal elections i if its schedule permits - it would be very helpful and an expression of the continued support of the international community for what we are doing there on the ground, and it would also give the Council an objective picture of where we are.”
2002-07-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4592 (2002) · source
“That means that in the context of decentralization, we need proof that there is a readiness to participate in political life at the municipal level. That means also that the minorities must take part in the municipal elections, because one cannot on the one hand ask for more rights, albeit for good reason, and then not take part in the elections. That is what I wished to say in response to the comments made and questions raised by Council members. Let me just say that I am very grateful for the enormous support expressed around this table for what we are doing. We are trying to do our job, and what we need in order to be successful is, of course, the Council's continued readiness to assist us. Finally, allow me to make a proposal. We have told the Council time and again what progress has been made and what the difficulties are.”
2002-07-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4592 (2002) · source
“Our approach is a vertical approach, which, by the way, does not apply only in some of the communal areas. It should apply throughout Kosovo, because it follows the modern European trend of the devolution of power from the central level to the local level. We therefore have a model which will also allow minorities, even if they do not form a majority in a certain municipality, to be more involved in their day- to-day life, and that is exactly what they want. But there is a price for that. That price is that, just as we are asking the majority people - the Kosovo Albanians f to accept that Kosovo is not an Albanian society but a multi-ethnic society, and that it must become one, we also must request of the minorities that they be ready to integrate into this society.”
2002-07-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4592 (2002) · source
“The panel will decide by majority vote. If the Assembly then adopts the law, fine. If not, the whole law comes to me for promulgation. And of course I will take due account of the panel's recommendation. What I am saying is that, if we have cases where someone feels that minority rights have been violated, as in the case of higher education, we do have mechanisms, and it is very important that the mechanisms foreseen by the provisional constitution are applied in such cases. I am very happy that this is exactly what is happening in the case the representatives have mentioned. Let me say a word on decentralization. There will be no horizontal solutions to this question. We will not have new municipal boundaries. This will not help us, as we will have no cantonization.”
2002-07-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4592 (2002) · source
“There was a reference to procedures that we established under the Constitutional Framework. I think that we should see that the Constitutional Framework foresees exceptionally powerful minority protection mechanisms. I am very happy that the Serb representatives have, in the case of the recent law on higher education, used this mechanism, which protects them. It is a mechanism which allows anyone who feels that a minority right has been violated to challenge the law - just adopted by a majority in the parliament - and go to the presidency of the parliament, which has to find or propose a solution by consensus. If there is no consensus, then a panel will be formed with the claimant - the one who pretends that a right has been violated - with the other side, and with a third person whom I will nominate.”
2002-07-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4592 (2002) · source
“What we have so far are 73 political units applying for certification for the municipal elections. Out of these more or less 73 parties, 34 are Serb. This is very encouraging within the context of multi-ethnicity. And it is right, because it has been the Serb parties who have rightly insisted on the municipal elections, because they are in their interest. In communities where they form a sizeable part of the population, it would mean that they have either the majority or a sizeable part in the municipal assembly. Therefore, it is in their interest to take part in the municipal elections, and they should not listen to those who tell them something else. The representatives of Cameroon and of the Russian Federation mentioned the question of the rights of minorities in the Kosovo Assembly.”
2002-07-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4592 (2002) · source
“One can see from this difference that, if many cars pass by, this is quite a lot of money, amounting to millions. These are issues that we need to address and to overcome, to the benefit of the budget of Montenegro, as well as that of Kosovo. The solution for something like this is, of course, co-location. This means that the two checkpoints, instead of being apart, should be put together so that there is no longer a "no man's land". These are the practical measures that we need to address. Indeed, this is a big problem, and a lot of money is evading our budgets and getting lost. The representatives of Mauritius, the Syrian Arab Republic and others mentioned participation in the forthcoming municipal elections. I think this is a very essential point, because, since politics are local, power, to a certain extent, is also local.”
2002-07-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4592 (2002) · source
“I think we are beginning to make some progress here when we think about the millions and millions of cigarettes and other smuggled goods that we have confiscated. By the way, one essential element is gasoline, which has a much greater potential; its volume is much bigger than cigarettes. Let me mention a practical example. Last week I was at the boundary line between Kosovo and Montenegro, where we have two checkpoints. One is on the Kosovo side, and the other is on the Montenegro side. But between the two checkpoints there are seven kilometres of road going over the mountains. When travelling there, as I did last week, one can see a gasoline station every 300 metres. If one looks at the price of the gasoline, as I did, it can be seen that the cost is 50 euro cents per litre. But in Kosovo or Montenegro it costs 86 cents.”
2002-07-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4592 (2002) · source
“The official name of Kosovo is Kosovo. Members of the Council can read this in resolution 1244 (1999). This is the name. We apply it in the Constitutional Framework. We also use it in official documents, because it is the name used in resolution 1244 (1999). At the same time, if someone uses another name orally in parliament or in writing, I think it is very clear that this will not have any consequences. I also made this fact clear to the parliament, where a member of that body can use the word Kosovo Metohija, as it is traditional, but in official documents we follow the guidelines we got from resolution 1244 (1999) and the Constitutional Framework. On crime, the issue of smuggling was mentioned. Indeed, this is one of our big challenges.”
2002-07-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4592 (2002) · source
“In this context, let me also say that the representative of Mexico is the only one who has mentioned something very important to us, and this again relates to money: it is the funding for our budget. Indeed, it is true that the reductions we had to face - and we will have to face in the future - bring us to the limit of our capabilities and will force us, if it continues, to cut down on our efforts to fight crime. I think it is the wrong moment to do this, when we are just beginning to see the first fruits of the new structure that we have set up in the framework of justice and the police. Let me answer two points that were mentioned by the representative of China. First of all, as regards the treatment of the name question in parliament - Kosovo, or Kosovo Metohija - I think this is very simple and have made it clear in Kosovo.”
2002-07-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4592 (2002) · source