YouSaid · the spoken record

Zahir Tanin

lines on the record: 36
first: 2020-04-24
most recent: 2021-04-13
sittings or episodes: 3
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

“As the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, I have felt first-hand the public’s frustration with the pace of change, as compared against the potential that exists for a future less burdened by nationalist sloganeering and ethnicity-based scapegoating. There is an opportunity at hand, and UNMIK remains committed to supporting the steadfast leadership needed to seize it. The voters in Kosovo raised their voices for breaking with the past, and I hope that the members of the Security Council will add their clear support for the realization of a more peaceful, more prosperous future in Kosovo and the region. I thank the members of the Council most sincerely for their attention and for their continuing support for the work of UNMIK.”
2021-04-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/370 (2021) · source
“He has foreshadowed a people-centred approach to governance, stressing the advancement of justice, addressing endemic corruption and improving the social and economic outlook of all. No less, this equates to an important opportunity to transform public narratives, which have held hostage the aspirations of a new generation. Opening the door to the future requires a transformation and changing the priorities, which are reflected in both words and in deeds. Reducing tension also requires that ruling and opposition parties alike prove their capacity to cohere on wider interests. The dialogue with Belgrade is not a formula imposed from without; it is a building block of progress that must come from within.”
2021-04-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/370 (2021) · source
“In the COVID-19 context, we have developed systematic monitoring of the human rights ramifications of the pandemic as well as of the policies adopted to combat it. We urge the Government to make progress in clarifying the fate of missing persons through specific and active engagement with the Pristina-Belgrade working group on missing persons. We promote access to legal and medical services, alongside training and opportunities, for survivors of conflict-related sexual violence and gender-based violence. In each of those engagements, we rely upon an efficient network of complementarity and cooperation with international partners, among and beyond the United Nations family. Kosovo’s new Government faces great opportunities alongside great challenges. Prime Minister Kurti leads a strong majority Government.”
2021-04-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/370 (2021) · source
“We engage regularly with Kosovo authorities and civil society organizations on the monitoring, protection and promotion of human rights, as well as to promote accountability and effectiveness in the justice system. We carry on forging legal aid mechanisms for vulnerable communities, such as the UNMIK-supported Legal Aid Centre of the Kosovo Law Institute, which most recently opened a new branch in Mitrovica. With the special importance and sensitivity attached to religious freedom and tolerance, we closely monitor all incidents affecting places of worship and work together with communities and authorities to ensure their safety. This is part of a shared responsibility for promoting inter-ethnic trust and reducing the risk of tensions.”
2021-04-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/370 (2021) · source
“In accordance with our mandate, the Mission continues to engage on the ground across multiple sectors and areas of work, anchored by the agenda set forth during the United Nations-Trust Building Forum, held in 2018. These include programmes and projects to empower women and youth in politics and society, to promote innovation and catalyse civic activism and to expand multilingual education, to mention only a few. Through our youth, peace and security programme, we have continued to promote youth advocacy and cooperation, including sessions with officials from 19 ethnically mixed municipalities, and online campaigns by change-makers sharing experiences of the pandemic.”
2021-04-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/370 (2021) · source
“Our Mission adjusted early to be able to continue operations, including by providing staff and families with around the clock, fully equipped medical support and testing. We will shortly be vaccinating all United Nations staff and dependents, thanks to strong support from the Secretariat. In line with these efforts, we have been in a position also to assist the authorities and especially vulnerable populations, including through the distribution of essential items. My communications staff helped to design United Nations-backed information campaigns, providing health- related information and news in non-majority languages, while the entire United Nations family in Kosovo has worked to channel assistance to health providers and institutions.”
2021-04-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/370 (2021) · source
“This latest reporting period witnessed two dramatic spikes in infections, one in November and another that just began in March and is continuing. Although additional containment measures were reintroduced, beginning just last week the running average of new infections is reaching its highest point since the pandemic began. As of today the virus is known already to have infected more than 100,000 people in Kosovo and has caused over 2,000 deaths, one of the highest per capita rates. As part of the COVID-19 Vaccine Global Access Facility scheme, a first delivery of 24,000 doses arrived in Kosovo at the end of March, marking only the beginning of a vaccination programme. It will be essential to accelerate vaccine-related support to Kosovo, given the alarming infection rates and the spread of more virulent strains of the pathogen.”
2021-04-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/370 (2021) · source
“As many European and other international officials have done, I urge leaders to be mindful of the impact of their public statements. Gains to public trust in this process are as fragile as they are essential. With a strongly mandated Government now settled in Pristina, we should expect to see difficult subjects treated with seriousness and diligence. As always, the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) supports the process unequivocally, while at ground level we will continue to work by all the means available to us to promote an environment conducive for progress. As in other places throughout the world, Kosovo remains under relentless pressure from the spread of the COVID-19 virus.”
2021-04-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/370 (2021) · source
“Kosovo’s legislature thus joins others in the Balkans region by ranking at the high end of female elected representation. Women also now hold two of three Deputy Prime Minister positions and lead five of 15 ministerial portfolios. I know, from my discussions in both Pristina and Belgrade, that each side is aware of how central the quality of their relations will be in achieving the aspirations of their constituencies for progress along the European path. Only a meaningful and sincere dialogue and forward-looking policies will evolve these relations and allow mutual interests to be met. Under the stewardship of the European Union, ample technical and political support stands ready for the continuation of the Pristina- Belgrade dialogue, aiming towards a comprehensive agreement.”
2021-04-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/370 (2021) · source
“I spoke just this morning with Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, who highlighted to me the importance of the dialogue for peace and stability and reiterated his hope that this dialogue should be intensified in order to produce results beyond those previously accomplished. Emerging dynamics, including the requirement to elect a new President, contributed to the necessity of the general election, as the former President had resigned after his indictment by the Kosovo Specialist Prosecutor and the forthcoming trial at the Kosovo Specialist Chambers. Last week, Vjosa Osmani was elected President of Kosovo, becoming the second woman to hold this high office. Indeed, leadership by women continued to grow overall by this election, with 43 women, or 36 per cent, elected to the 120-seat Kosovo legislature.”
2021-04-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/370 (2021) · source
“The expectations expressed were for a shift in the responsiveness of a Government to the real hopes and needs of its voters and for greater equality of opportunity, accountability and the rule of law. Accordingly, expectations across Kosovo will remain as high as were the results. Throughout the past months, despite the limitations caused by the pandemic, I and my team have been engaged with many leaders in Pristina, as well as in Belgrade. Yesterday I met Kosovo’s new Prime Minister, Albin Kurti, who shared with me the major priorities of his Government and assured me of his understanding of the strategic importance of advancing the dialogue with Belgrade.”
2021-04-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/370 (2021) · source
“I am pleased to be with you today and to brief you on essential developments during the past six months. Against the systemic challenges of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, early legislative elections were prepared and successfully conducted across Kosovo on 14 February. Prior to the election, during less than a year and a half, three separate Governments held power in Kosovo. This fact alone helps to illustrate the amount of political turbulence that prevailed, which made the results of February’s voting all the more significant for the population. Turnout was high, including a nearly three-fold increase in voting among the diaspora. The winning party, Vetëvendosje, received more than half of all the votes cast. An examination of the demographics of the voting revealed a strong desire for change across Kosovo society.”
2021-04-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/370 (2021) · source
“This solidarity, especially during the current pandemic, should focus intensively on attaining the difficult balance among public health, economic recovery and human rights, a conundrum presently defying Governments the world over. In this same spirit, I wish to conclude by reiterating the unqualified commitment of United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) to supporting the EU-facilitated dialogue, and indeed for the efforts by leaders on both sides to move decisively towards a comprehensive agreement and long-term peace and reconciliation. I thank all members of the Council for their kind attention today, and for their continuing support of UNMIK.”
2020-10-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1040 (2020) · source
“Having been in office for barely over 100 days, constant disagreements among its constituent parties and difficulty reaching compromises have hampered and delayed its responses in the critical areas that I have highlighted. In the now 75-year history of the United Nations, never has the need for global solidarity and international cooperation been as clearly demonstrated as today. The COVID-19 pandemic and the geopolitical and ethnic tensions expressed in conflicts across the globe, as well as globally increasing inequality, are mutually and negatively reinforcing trends. For places such as Kosovo — still suffering the consequences of past conflict — cooperation, unity of political voice and vision, dialogue and preventing extreme polarization should be highest order priorities.”
2020-10-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1040 (2020) · source
“As is evident to all members of the Council the international community, the Kosovo Specialist Chambers and the Specialist Prosecutor’s Office are integral parts of the Kosovo justice system with mandates crucial to Kosovo’s rule of law aspirations and to Kosovo’s future. I therefore take this opportunity to urge the leaders to redouble their efforts to counter misinformation and ensure that the Prosecution and Chambers proceedings receive unambiguous institutional and political support, essential for strengthening the rule of law and long-term stability in Kosovo. Ruling by a slim majority, the current Government, led by Prime Minister Hoti, is contending with significant parliamentary opposition, as well as widely diverging priorities among coalition partners.”
2020-10-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1040 (2020) · source
“Three individuals concerned are now in pre- trial detention, with one facing war crimes charges. The two others are being held on suspicion of intimidation, retaliation, violating the secrecy of proceedings and unlawful disclosure of protected information. Their arrests followed the publication of allegedly leaked prosecution-related documents, which were also claimed to have included some names of possible witnesses. Some of the public reactions in Kosovo to the June announcement of the higher-profile indictments have been of concern, including attempts to question the legitimacy of the Specialist Chambers and accusations that they are politically motivated. Unfortunately, some political leaders have not always helped to rectify such false narratives.”
2020-10-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1040 (2020) · source
“Such an approach is central to achieving results and helps to ensure that they correspond to the real needs of the people. Since my last briefing to the Council (see S/2020/339), important steps have been made to advance the investigative and judicial processes of the Kosovo Specialist Prosecutor’s Office and the Kosovo Specialist Chambers. In June, the Special Prosecutor’s Office announced the filing of indictments against President Hashim Thaçi and the leader of the Democratic Party of Kosovo, Kadri Veseli, alongside others whose names were not made public. President Thaçi has indicated his intention to step down from office if and when his indictment is publicly confirmed by pre-trial judges. In September, arrests were carried out pursuant to warrants and transfer orders issued by the Chambers.”
2020-10-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1040 (2020) · source
“Of course, the most important conditions to be met in order for negotiations to succeed are political unity, strong commitment and goodwill among leaders, both in Pristina and in Belgrade, and sustained international support. We welcome the renewed engagement and encourage both sides to find common ground to overcome disputed issues and reach a comprehensive normalization agreement. Alongside the seventy-fifth anniversary of the United Nations, this year we also mark the twentieth anniversary of resolution 1325 (2000), on women and peace and security. I again stress the importance of women’s meaningful participation in the peace process at all levels, particularly in the ongoing dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, as part of ensuring the broader representation of different sectors of society, including young people and communities.”
2020-10-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1040 (2020) · source
“The United States Government also launched new initiatives for improving relations between Pristina and Belgrade, which culminated in a meeting hosted by the President of the United States in September, during which agreements were signed in the economic and other spheres. I commend Belgrade and Pristina for resuming the negotiation process and call on them to maintain a constructive dialogue process despite the challenges and differences of views. The recent meetings in Brussels and Washington demonstrate the potential for progress when international resources are combined with leadership on the ground to move difficult issues forward.”
2020-10-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1040 (2020) · source
“There has been an increase in the number of security incidents reported against vulnerable and non-majority communities during the period of the pandemic restrictions. Significant increases in cases of domestic violence and violence against children have also been reported. The removal of the reciprocity measures on goods from Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina by the Government of Prime Minister Hoti created an impetus for restarting the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina. That was accompanied by the appointment of the European Union’s new dedicated Special Representative, Miroslav Lajčák, and a high-level meeting hosted by the President of France and the Chancellor of Germany on 10 July, leading to the official resumption of the EU- facilitated dialogue.”
2020-10-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1040 (2020) · source
“The funds have augmented other material support, financial aid, loans and expertise, which have been extended to Kosovo by the European Union (EU), the World Bank, the World Health Organization and bilaterally. We in the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo, alongside the United Nations Kosovo team of agencies, funds and programmes, have also significantly adapted our activities to help meet the unprecedented challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. Our focus has been on providing direct support to people, institutions and communities in the framework of the Mission’s strategic support for dialogue and trust-building in Kosovo. Projects have been tailored to contribute to the response to COVID-19. The disproportionate impact of the pandemic on already vulnerable populations is of particular concern.”
2020-10-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1040 (2020) · source
“Both Kosovo’s formal and informal economic sectors have undergone a severe shock, particularly affecting young people and their education, as well as women and vulnerable communities. The psychological fallout is also widely felt across society. Certainly, Kosovo was not left alone in its battle against the pandemic. The international community came forward to strengthen Kosovo’s professional and institutional capacity and to mitigate the pandemic’s social and economic impact. During September, the European Commission approved a €138-million financial assistance package, of which €50 million was specifically directed to the COVID-19 response.”
2020-10-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1040 (2020) · source
“The succeeding Government, led by Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti, continued that approach, relaxing many of the strict measures previously in force, focusing in particular on economic recovery. Both Governments faced the reality that the public health infrastructure in Kosovo was insufficient and underequipped to respond to the rapidly spreading pandemic. That affected all aspects of the response, from hospitalization and treatment to testing and tracing, as well as the implementation of any other preventive measures. However, it is important to emphasize that the health-care system, and front-line health workers in particular, have worked heroically to make the best use of the limited resources. The socioeconomic consequences have been severe and are not limited to the measurable macroeconomy.”
2020-10-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1040 (2020) · source
“During these past seven months, Kosovo has persevered through multiple and overlapping challenges, starting with the ongoing worldwide pandemic. Since it first began in Kosovo in March, the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has moved through different phases. The initial response involved stringent measures and lockdowns, but later moved towards a more relaxed approach, prioritizing economic recovery. The pandemic itself has had severe spikes, as well as stable periods, and its spread is now again increasing. While the Government of Prime Minister Kurti maintained very strict lockdown measures for most of its short tenure during the pandemic, these were relaxed during his Government’s last days.”
2020-10-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1040 (2020) · source
“I take this opportunity to call for further direct support to Kosovo to address its very urgent health and social welfare needs. As the Secretary-General has stressed, only through solidarity and unity of effort can we succeed in meeting and overcoming this enormous challenge. I thank all members of the Council for their continuing support for UNMIK.”
2020-04-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/339 (2020) · source
“Looking farther ahead, a coordinated international approach in support of the EU-facilitated dialogue between Pristina and Belgrade will be essential, and this remains our best hope for reaching a comprehensive agreement and for sustaining peace. This crisis has tested the strengths and weaknesses of Member States and territories the world over. In closing, I wish to pay tribute to those leaders and professionals on both sides of the boundary who are supporting one another in fighting the pandemic. I urge political leaders to follow their example and to focus on unifying their energy while putting personal and political agendas aside. UNMIK, the United Nations Kosovo team and our partners will continue devoting our own collective resources and knowledge to help.”
2020-04-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/339 (2020) · source
“Although there is as yet no clear road map for continuing the dialogue, there are at least signals that attention continues to be focused upon the issue even as the COVID-19 emergency takes precedence. I welcome the appointment by the European Union of a dedicated Special Representative charged with advancing the Belgrade- Pristina dialogue. Recent joint infrastructure and transportation initiatives, launched under the auspices of the United States Government’s Special Presidential Envoy, marked another example of the practical engagement that is possible when there is mutual political will and international support.”
2020-04-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/339 (2020) · source
“The removal of the 100 per cent tariff on imports from Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina for an initial period, coupled with the introduction of reciprocity measures vis-à-vis Belgrade, has been welcomed by some, although viewed as insufficient by others. Irrespectively, this decision marked a step towards resuming more regular commercial relations and a return towards the principles of the Central European Free Trade Agreement. It is also an important signpost towards a restart of the political dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina. I note that the European Network of Transmission System Operators has voted to endorse an agreement with the Kosovo operator KOSTT, which is an important achievement for advancing energy efficiency in the region and for implementing the EU-facilitated energy agreement.”
2020-04-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/339 (2020) · source
“Health officials in Pristina, in northern Kosovo and in Belgrade have recently established improved communication and coordination, which was missing at the onset of this crisis. Essential items have moved more freely across the boundary, while the Serbian Government recently donated a consignment of testing kits to Pristina’s health authorities, regardless of a few public figures in Pristina choosing to react negatively along nationalist lines. The solidarity shown between leading medical professionals and officials across ethnic and political divides gives hope that cooperation can still increase as the rate of infections also continues to rise.”
2020-04-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/339 (2020) · source
“A caretaker Government is in place, but, as I speak to the Council today, the President has called for a new Government to be formed by an alternative majority, while the Prime Minister has called this action unlawful, vowing to challenge it in the Constitutional Court. Whatever next steps may ensue, it is clear at this stage that popular discontent has been palpable for weeks. It is essential that the political uncertainties not interfere with non-partisan action to fight the pandemic. This internal political instability may lead Kosovo to face additional challenges in joining with broader efforts to confront the crisis. However, I wish equally to highlight numerous examples of positive cross-community and cross-boundary coordination when it has been most needed.”
2020-04-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/339 (2020) · source
“Since the close of the reporting period, the political landscape in Pristina has been characterized by polarization among parties and competing claims to power between factions. This has been manifested in sharp disagreements both within the governing coalition and between the Government and the President on a range of issues, from the response to the pandemic to the lifting of the tariff on Serbian goods and the dialogue with Belgrade. The conflicting agendas culminated in a vote of no confidence against the coalition Government on 25 March, just as the COVID-19 crisis was striking.”
2020-04-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/339 (2020) · source
“We have also taken all requisite measures to address the health and safety of Mission personnel, with, to date, no cases of the COVID-19 illness among Mission or any other United Nations staff in Kosovo. As experience shows everywhere, success in defeating the COVID-19 virus requires, at a minimum, first, a focused Government; secondly, the mobilization of people and resources; and, thirdly, strong leadership. It is an unfortunate feature of the present circumstances in Kosovo that political divisions have distracted the attention of many leaders away from the health crisis. These divisions have served to reduce public trust in the political leadership during a time of heightened public anxiety and uncertainty.”
2020-04-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/339 (2020) · source
“Our online platforms and communications team have been cooperating with local media and partners to produce and disseminate health information, in partnership with the United Nations Kosovo team. I have personally been in contact with leaders in the region, including the Prime Minister of Albania, Mr. Rama, and the President of Serbia, Mr. Vučić, to solicit their help in promoting an inclusive and unified response. UNMIK and UN-Women are ramping up ongoing support to shelters and other responses to domestic violence, with reported cases having risen by 36 per cent during March. We are closely monitoring the human rights implications arising from this pandemic, including the right to privacy.”
2020-04-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/339 (2020) · source
“More will surely be needed, along with strong monitoring, transparency and accountability measures to ensure that assistance reaches the people most in need. International cooperation has been galvanized on the ground. The United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) and the United Nations Kosovo team are cooperating closely with the local public health authorities and with all our international partners. As the Council will expect, UNMIK is adapting its work, and we stand together with the people of Kosovo in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic. The Mission has revised its programmatic work for 2020. Among other adjustments, it has been providing direct support to the municipalities and communities that are most vulnerable.”
2020-04-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/339 (2020) · source
“With its smaller population and more limited resources, Kosovo remains particularly vulnerable to the threat of a wider outbreak or a significant increase in critical cases. Even as heroic efforts are being made by medical personnel, the health-care resources of Kosovo are stretched thin. In addition, the immense economic and social burden of the health crisis on Kosovo’s fragile economy is just beginning to be felt. This month, the International Monetary Fund approved a $56.5-million emergency loan to Kosovo, targeting the health-care sector as well as other sectors affected by the crisis, while the European Union (EU) has just pledged some €100 million in favourable loans to help stabilize the economy and overcome balance of payments difficulties. Some Member States have also begun to increase their direct support.”
2020-04-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/339 (2020) · source
“Allow me to start by expressing condolences to everyone in our Mission area whose lives have been so affected by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The pandemic has been an unprecedented challenge for Kosovo and for the region and a reminder that such challenges can be resolved only through regional cooperation. The human toll has continued to rise in Kosovo and throughout the region. In Kosovo, the public health authorities, in consultation with the World Health Organization and other international bodies, reacted swiftly to put in place measures to curtail the spread of the disease. Those included closing borders and boundaries, broad restrictions on movement, the closure of schools and many private businesses and the isolation of severely affected municipalities.”
2020-04-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/339 (2020) · source