YouSaid · the spoken record

Zannier

lines on the record: 198
first: 2008-07-25
most recent: 2019-07-16
sittings or episodes: 14
sources: un-security-council

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“Beyond these issues, while the security situation in Kosovo has remained largely unchanged since the last reporting period and unresolved political issues continue to challenge Kosovo's long-term stability, I would like to draw the Council's attention to another problem that has become increasingly pressing. Mounting fiscal difficulties and the possible economic hardship they may cause could soon overshadow political differences as the greatest threat to Kosovo's stability. The International Monetary Fund has warned that Kosovo can ill afford the implementation of recent campaign promises of substantial pay raises for teachers and other civil servants, which the Government has stated it intends to finance by enforcing tax revenue collection.”
2011-02-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6483 (2011) · source
“In this regard I cannot but urge all those with pertinent knowledge, including Mr. Marty, to make any and all evidence available to the competent investigating authority without delay. Of course, it is crucial that adequate protection be provided to all witnesses. l have discussed the matter with the Head of the European Union Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo (EULEX), Mr. Xavier Bout de Marnhac, who has assured me that EULEX has the expertise and jurisdiction to handle the investigation under resolution 1244 (1999). My understanding is that EULEX would be ready to assume any responsibilities assigned to it in this matter. 11-23603 For my part, I can only reiterate that UNMIK will give its full support to the investigating authority.”
2011-02-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6483 (2011) · source
“I would also note the calls by various members of the international community - which I, personally, fully endorse - for Kosovo to have a Government with clean hands. This period also saw the publication of a report by the Council of Europe's Parliamentary Assembly Special Rapporteur, Dick Marty, concerning allegations of organized criminal activities, including trafficking in human organs, by members of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) in northern Albania in 1999. On 25 January, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe adopted a resolution calling for an investigation of allegations of inhuman treatment of people and illicit trafficking in human organs in Kosovo. In my view, this Council of Europe report needs to be taken seriously and an investigation should be launched as a matter of priority in the interest of all.”
2011-02-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6483 (2011) · source
“Kosovo Serb participation, except in the North, where it was negligible, was the largest since the general elections organized by UNMIK in 2001. However, local and international observers reported widespread irregularities and manipulation of votes. The Kosovo Supreme Court, the Election Complaints and Appeals Panel and the Central Elections Commission tried to address these problems, and voting was repeated in several municipalities. External observers, however, stated that irregularities persisted at some locations. With the certification of the final results now behind them, Kosovo leaders are in the process of forming a new Government, which I hope will be sufficiently strong and stable to engage authoritatively in a substantive dialogue with Belgrade.”
2011-02-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6483 (2011) · source
“Mr. Zannier: The report before the Council details the activities of the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) from 19 October to 15 January 2010. Today, I wish to draw the Council's attention to the major events of the reporting period and subsequent developments, as well as to the principal challenges to security and stability in Kosovo and how we believe they can best be addressed. Political instability and uncertainty have characterized the past three months in Kosovo. In December, the Kosovo authorities organized the first 2 Assembly elections not held within the framework of resolution 1244 (1999) and in which UNMIK played no role. The day of the election passed without serious security incident.”
2011-02-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6483 (2011) · source
“In conclusion, on behalf of all UNMIK staff, I wish to thank the Council for its support and to assure it that we will continue to perform UNMIK's mandated functions to the best of our ability. UNMIK will continue to offer its facilitation and good offices. We hope that both Belgrade and Pristina will take advantage of that offer. Our goal remains to consolidate the peace that the people of Kosovo and so many in the international community have worked so hard for so long to keep.”
2010-11-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6422 (2010) · source
“In that context, I must bring to the Council's attention the prospect of increased forced returns to Kosovo of Roma and other vulnerable groups, following the conclusion of readmission agreements between Kosovo and Western European Governments that host significantly large numbers of displaced persons from Kosovo. These returns, if unmanaged, will further strain Kosovo's already limited absorption capacity and increase the risk of secondary displacement and further marginalization. That has real potential to derail progress, not only in the overall returns process but in improving inter-ethnic relations and securing long-term stability in Kosovo. I therefore urge repatriating countries and the Kosovo authorities to ensure that those returns are managed prudently and do not result in a humanitarian crisis.”
2010-11-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6422 (2010) · source
“On 1 October, in a coordinated action with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Mercy Corps International and Roma and other residents of the Cesmin Lug camp, the UAM. finally closed and sealed off the camp so that it cannot be reinhabited. With the support of the Mitrovica municipality, its former residents relocated to homes newly constructed by the United States Agency for International Development in the Roma Mahala area, or to Osterode camp to await the construction of additional homes funded by the EU. While not forgetting that the closure of Cesmin Lug, with its unhealthy conditions, was too long delayed, I am heartened to finally be able to report concrete progress in the living conditions of some of Kosovo's Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian residents.”
2010-11-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6422 (2010) · source
“Nevertheless, our overall assessment is that the tensions in northern Kosovo and the attempt to scapegoat UNMIK for the lack of progress there are reminders of the pressing need for the dialogue called for by the General Assembly. We also believe that two other key issues regarding which progress is falling short of expectations - those of missing persons and returns - can also be most effectively addressed through dialogue between the parties. I am encouraged that the recent internal political events in Pristina have not created an obstacle to the preparations for the dialogue, and that the preparatory phase is under way in Brussels. For our part, we are working with the EU to provide the United Nations support and contribution to this important process. There has been other encouraging news that I wish to highlight.”
2010-11-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6422 (2010) · source
“Our key challenge in northern Kosovo remains to mediate between the communities, as well as to serve as a bridge between northern Kosovo and the Pristina authorities. To improve our ability to meet this challenge in northern Mitrovica, we are reviewing the way the UAM. operates in order to enhance its ability to serve as a link between the communities. To that effect, we are engaging with the European Union (EU) and other international partners in order to develop a shared understanding of the policies required to address the challenges in northern Kosovo. In addition, we are coordinating our actions with the United Nations Kosovo team, within the context of our recently completed Integrated Strategic Framework.”
2010-11-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6422 (2010) · source
“for the benefit of the inhabitants of northern Mitrovica, regrettably representatives of the Kosovo Albanian villages in northern Mitrovica and the Kosovo Albanian authorities at the municipal level have been reluctant to engage with us recently, making it more difficult for us to facilitate contacts between the communities. Indeed, inter-ethnic relations in northern Kosovo appear to be deteriorating. While overall the situation remained stable during the reporting period, continuing incidents in northern Kosovo have highlighted the strong potential for instability there and the urgent need to address the issues that continue to create friction between the communities. Since the end date of the report, low-level interethnic incidents have persisted, and with them the danger of igniting wider- spread violence.”
2010-11-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6422 (2010) · source
“The publication of an inaccurate report on the UNMIK Administration in Mitrovica (UAM) by the coordinator of the "Office for Implementation of the Strategy for the North of Kosovo", blaming the UAM. for lack of progress in the implementation of the strategy, was followed by an intense media campaign against the UAM. and, more worryingly, against my staff in northern Kosovo in their individual capacities. For my part, I swiftly and firmly took issue with the potential endangerment of my staff by their being singled out in the press, including immediate steps to ensure their safety. While the Kosovo authorities have nevertheless continued to channel municipal funds to the UAM.”
2010-11-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6422 (2010) · source
“In that regard, the Central European Free Trade Agreement (CEFTA) presents an impending opportunity for Belgrade and Pristina to put politics aside in pursuit of a fundamental stepping stone towards the European perspective of the region. The Kosovo institutions have recently resumed attendance at CEFTA meetings, in spite of the continuing refusal of some CEFTA members to accept the new Kosovo customs stamps endorsed by UNMIK. That is a step in the right direction, and one that I hope signals that Pristina will ultimately choose to continue on the path of regional cooperation. I also hope that all CEFTA members will accept Without further delay the Kosovo customs stamps endorsed by UNMIK. During this reporting period, we also encountered a serious challenge to our management of the Administration of northern Mitrovica.”
2010-11-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6422 (2010) · source
“Participation in structures fostering regional cooperation is key to the development needed to ensure long- lasting peace in the region, and to the hope of a better future for its people. That is a common goal of both Pristina and Belgrade. The challenge has been, and remains, finding practical solutions to political obstacles. With the requisite goodwill, Pristina and Belgrade can find such solutions. UNMIK will continue to provide its assistance and to propose practical ways to overcome political obstacles. But we believe that such solutions can be sought most effectively through a dialogue between the parties.”
2010-11-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6422 (2010) · source
“The Council deals with issues of importance for the development and long-term stability of the region - including those of economic and social development, energy and infrastructure and justice and home affairs - as well as cooperation in the security sector. By choosing not to participate during the reporting period, the Kosovo institutions lost valuable opportunities to benefit from regional cooperation on issues ranging from education to digital media. More opportunities will be lost should they decide not to re-engage with the Council. 10-63455 While the choice to participate in such initiatives is one for the Kosovo authorities, we have steadfastly discouraged them from choosing the path of isolation. Kosovo's long-term stability and prosperity is inextricably linked with that of its neighbours.”
2010-11-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6422 (2010) · source
“Since the issuance of the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice, in July, there has been growing unease on the part of the Kosovo authorities in cooperating with UNMIK in two areas of our mandate implementation, namely, the facilitation of regional cooperation and the administration of northern Mitrovica. Although concerned that UNMIK's facilitation of their presence at regional forums undermines their declared sovereign status, Kosovo's institutions have so far continued to take part in most regional mechanisms in which their participation currently requires such facilitation. Regrettably, however, during this reporting period they stopped participating in the Regional Cooperation Council.”
2010-11-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6422 (2010) · source
“Mr. Zannier: The report before the members of the Council details the activities of the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) from 16 July to 18 October 2010. Today, I wish to highlight the major challenges and successes of the reporting period, as well as the principal challenges that lie ahead and how we believe they can best be met. There has been one major development since the publication of the report. On 2 November, the Assembly of Kosovo supported a no-confidence motion against the Government, and the Acting President issued a decree for early general elections, to be held on 12 December. Those developments follow the resignation of President Sejdiu and the collapse of the Government coalition on 18 October.”
2010-11-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6422 (2010) · source
“We are strongly committed to ensuring continued peace and stability in Kosovo and in the region, and we will remain engaged with all sides in order to encourage dialogue, help defuse tensions and maintain peace and stability on the ground, in close coordination with EULEX and KFOR.”
2010-08-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6367 (2010) · source
“Finally, I would like to inform the Council that, with the United Nations Kosovo team, we have completed our draft United Nations strategic framework for Kosovo as a plan for marshaling the resources of the United Nations family in Kosovo to meet our common goal of peace consolidation, which we are now submitting to Headquarters. We intend to focus through joint efforts on the protection of human rights, the fostering of good governance, encouraging returns, and addressing various aspects of the situation in the North. In closing, on behalf of all UNMIK staff, I wish to thank the Council for its support.”
2010-08-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6367 (2010) · source
“Finding and identifying the missing is a crucial part of the reconciliation process, as families feel unable to resume normal life until they know the fate of their loved ones. Under the direction of the Reconstruction Implementation Commission, work was completed on two of the Serbian Orthodox religious sites damaged or destroyed during the March 2004 violence, and cooperation within the Commission between Belgrade and Pristina has continued. However, the Commission's funding will run out at the end of this year, and there remains work to be done. I would therefore appeal to all interested parties to find the means that would allow the Commission to continue its important work.”
2010-08-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6367 (2010) · source
“Nevertheless, I have continued to engage with both Belgrade and Pristina, as well as with regional leaders and with the European Commission, which sponsors many of the regional initiatives, in order to try to craft solutions that allow for maximal cooperation under current circumstances. UNMIK has also continued to provide its good offices in order to learn the fate of the 1,862 individuals whom the International Committee of the Red Cross estimates remain missing from the conflict and its aftermath. While there has been encouraging cooperation between Serbia's war crimes prosecutor's 10-47134 office, EULEX, and the Pristina-Belgrade Working Group on Missing Persons in the identification of possible mass grave sites in southern Serbia, again little progress has resulted from this.”
2010-08-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6367 (2010) · source
“Similarly, UNMIK continues to provide its facilitation in the vitally important area of regional cooperation and, despite setbacks and difficulties due to status-related considerations, has in most cases been able to assist in facilitating the participation of the Kosovo institutions in regional and international forums and mechanisms. However, such facilitation continues to be ad hoc and subject to the prevailing political climate, and the Kosovo authorities have become more emphatic in their view that UNMIK facilitation may undermine their declared sovereign status. Facilitating the participation of the Kosovo authorities in one of the key mechanisms for regional economic development, the Central European Free Trade Agreement, has been particularly challenging.”
2010-08-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6367 (2010) · source
“Another unresolved issue relates to the Kosovo Ministry of Justice's decision last year to deal with mutual legal assistance requests from non-recognizing States directly, rather than through UNMIK. In consequence, during this reporting period the Serbian Ministry of Justice returned some 1,500 such requests to EULEX, all of them unprocessed. This is another example of political considerations negatively affecting the right of citizens to Government services. It is in order to address such needs that UNMIK continues to provide document certification services for Kosovo residents relating to civil status, pension and education, and to facilitate the provision of international legal assistance when requested.”
2010-08-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6367 (2010) · source
“In my last address to the Council (see S/PV.6314), I raised the issue of the disconnection of telecommunication service providers using Serbian dialing codes and operating in Kosovo without a license, which led to serious disruptions in the communication infrastructure in minority areas and provoked retaliatory action against licensed transmitters in northern Kosovo. Since then, the Kosovo authorities have taken steps to lessen the impact of the disconnections on minority communities and Belgrade has partially restored the Serbian cellular network in Kosovo. While efforts to resolve the issue through dialogue have not yet met with success, the Kosovo Telecommunications Regulatory Authority's decision not to effect further disconnections during this time helped decrease tensions and deserves appreciation.”
2010-08-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6367 (2010) · source
“As the reconstruction of houses for the returnees started on 9 July with funds provided by the Kosovo authorities, it is to be hoped that the welcoming messages from the Kosovo authorities will help quell the lingering hostility among some members of the receiving community. On another occasion, during the 28 June Vidovdan celebrations at Gazimestan, the call for peace and justice sounded by Metropolitan Amfllohije of the Serbian Orthodox Church was marred by participants singing anti-Albanian songs containing hate speech.”
2010-08-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6367 (2010) · source
“However, overall progress on returns is still too slow, as highlighted in the Secretary-General's report, and there is a need for greater focus on reconciliation between the communities, as demonstrated most recently by the incidents following the spontaneous return of 23 Kosovo Serb families to the village of Zallq/Zac, in north-western Kosovo, where five people are still considered missing from the conflict. In April, I reported on the disturbing display of active local resistance to these returns, including through repeated physical attacks against the returnees, which have been condemned by the Kosovo authorities and all key stakeholders in Kosovo, including KFOR Commander Lieutenant General Bentler, European Union Special Representative Feith and myself.”
2010-08-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6367 (2010) · source
“I am also pleased to report that there has been progress in the long-delayed process of relocation of the Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian community of internally displaced persons living in Cesmin Lug and Osterode camps in northern Mitrovica. The construction of 50 houses for the most endangered families from the camps, funded by the United States Agency for International Development, is all but complete, and the families are scheduled to move in from 15 August.”
2010-08-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6367 (2010) · source
“Unfortunately, discussions of these issues have quickly become mired in sovereignty issues and political considerations, which have impeded progress. Dialogue appears to be bearing fruit in the northern Mitrovica suburb of Kroi i Vitakut/Brdjani, where last summer the Kosovo Serb and Kosovo Albanian communities were coming into regular conflict over returns and reconstruction. This year, the building season has so far been without incident. As of 15 July, Kosovo Albanians had completed 20 houses in this area and 20 families had returned to their homes. At the same time, the construction of five new buildings by Kosovo Serbs is reaching completion. UNMIK has been facilitating meetings at which representatives of the two communities have discussed practical issues of common interest, such as electricity, water and the like.”
2010-08-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6367 (2010) · source
“Recent violence in northern Mitrovica reminds us of the need for all sides to commit to dialogue as a necessary precondition for addressing the challenges faced in northern Kosovo. Kosovo's communities are going to have to work together to rebuild the trust that has been destroyed. I therefore wish to reiterate the Secretary- General's call on all parties to exercise restraint and to adopt a constructive, cooperative and consultative approach to the resolution of issues in northern Kosovo. Where we have a process of consultations, there is a chance for positive developments. I hope that continuing dialogue will finally result in progress in re- establishing multi-ethnic courts and fully fledged customs controls in northern Kosovo.”
2010-08-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6367 (2010) · source
“In fact, as discussions in the Council on 6 July demonstrated (see S/PV.6353), the situation in the North remains of major concern, and steps are constantly required, through consultations and dialogue, to ensure security and stability. A number of explosions causing property damage in April and May and clashes between Kosovo Albanian and Kosovo Serb teenagers in June were followed by violence in northern Mitrovica prompted by the opening of a civil service centre by the Ministry of Interior of Kosovo in July. In his report to the Council of 6 April (S/2010/ 169), the Secretary-General stated his concern over the risk of tensions should the implementation of policies and strategies for northern Kosovo not take place in conditions of transparency and dialogue with local communities and all relative stakeholders.”
2010-08-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6367 (2010) · source
“The voting proceeded without incident at all three locations despite Serbian opposition to the Pristina-organized election, which, however, did not discourage a large turnout by Serbian voters in Partesh/Partes, and Pristina's objections to those organized by Belgrade. Nevertheless, on the day of the elections in northern Mitrovica, a large crowd of Kosovo Albanians gathered to protest the election and faced off across the Iber/Ibar river with a significant crowd of Kosovo Serbs. While a confrontation was averted by prompt reaction by Kosovo police, the European Union Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo (EULEX) and the Kosovo Force (KFOR), the incident demonstrated how quickly a critical situation can develop in and around northern Kosovo.”
2010-08-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6367 (2010) · source
“The United Nations preliminary legal assessment is that the opinion does not affect the status of UNMIK or a status-neutral policy. Indeed, the judgment confirms the applicability of resolution 1244 (1999). On the internal political front, the new Kosovo Serb majority municipalities established following the Pristina-sponsored elections of November 2009 are consolidating their administrative structures and have begun engaging with their parent municipality for the transfer of municipal records. Time will show how effective the new municipalities are in addressing the needs of the populations they serve. The reporting period also saw municipal elections in Kosovo organized by the Kosovo authorities in the new predominantly Kosovo Serb-inhabited municipality of Partesh/Partes, and by Belgrade in Novoberde/Novo Brdo in northern Mitrovica.”
2010-08-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6367 (2010) · source
“The issuance of the Court's opinion should therefore now open a new phase and allow Belgrade and Pristina to engage in a constructive dialogue with a view to the resolution of these issues. Reactions to the opinion on the ground, both in Belgrade and Pristina, as well as among Kosovo's communities, were predominantly measured. This dialogue is very important for the stability and development of the region. The Secretary-General and the European Union (EU) High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy have exchanged letters noting the vital role of the EU in promoting the dialogue against the background of the European perspective for the region, and have agreed to coordinate efforts in this regard.”
2010-08-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6367 (2010) · source
“For its part, UNMIK continues to implement its mandate in a status-neutral manner, assisting Kosovo's communities, interacting with the institutions in Pristina and the other key stakeholders in Kosovo, with the Government in Belgrade and with other regional and international actors. An important development since I last addressed the Council was the issuance of the much-awaited 10-47134 International Court of Justice advisory opinion on 22 July. Until then, the anticipation surrounding the imminent delivery of the opinion hindered efforts to properly resolve the issues between Belgrade and Pristine which, if resolved, would have a positive impact in Kosovo and on the region.”
2010-08-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6367 (2010) · source
“Mr. Zannier: The report before the Council today (S/2010/401) covers the activities of the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) from 16 March 2010 to 15 July 2010. Overall, since the last Council meeting on UNMIK in mid-May (see S/PV.6314), the situation in Kosovo has been relatively stable, although, as we saw most recently in early July, the potential for instability, especially in northern Kosovo, remains. Insufficient progress towards reconciliation between the communities and the unresolved issues that hamper such reconciliation, coupled with slow economic development, continue to present the risk of social unrest.”
2010-08-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6367 (2010) · source
“Events over the past few days point to the need to initiate that dialogue as a matter of urgency. For our part, we will remain engaged with all sides in order to encourage such dialogue, help defuse tensions and maintain peace and stability on the ground, in close coordination with EULEX and KFOR.”
2010-07-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6353 (2010) · source
“On the other hand, the Serbian Council for National Security and other Belgrade representatives blamed Pristina for the incident and branded the inauguration of the centre as a provocation and a violation of the principles of the Security Council and the European Union, "which have not endorsed the so- called strategy for northern Kosovo". In that regard, I would like to recall the concern expressed by the Secretary-General in his latest report (S/2010/169) over the risk of tensions should the implementation of policies and strategies for northern Kosovo not take place in conditions of transparency and dialogue with local communities and all relevant stakeholders. I would therefore like to reiterate the Secretary-General's call to all sides to commit to dialogue as a necessary process to address the challenges faced in northern Kosovo.”
2010-07-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6353 (2010) · source
“I would like to ask the Council today to support those messages to the family of Dr. Dzekovie and to the communities in Kosovo, as well as to Pristina and Belgrade, and to help ensure that there is no further escalation in the situation in northern Kosovo. While both Pristina and Belgrade strongly condemned the incident and called for the arrest of the perpetrators, each side has claimed that the other is responsible for provoking the incident. On the one hand, the Kosovo authorities called on Belgrade to distance itself from "such violent acts that are a product of Belgrade policies" and emphasized that they would keep the civil services centre open and would not halt the extension of their institutions into northern Kosovo.”
2010-07-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6353 (2010) · source
“The Kosovo police and EULEX, which, together with KFOR, are deployed in the area, continue to investigate the incident in order to arrest the perpetrators. However, since the incident, the security situation in northern Kosovo is more tense than usual. Yesterday morning, a Kosovo Serb member of the Assembly of Kosovo, Mr. Petar Miletic', was shot in both legs by unknown assailants outside his house in northern Mitrovica. His wounds are not life-threatening and his condition is reported as stable. Following the 2 July incident, I expressed my deep concern over the violence that occurred and offered my condolences to the family of the victim. I called on all sides to refrain from provocative statements and to remain calm, and on all competent law enforcement authorities to take urgent measures to bring the perpetrators to justice.”
2010-07-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6353 (2010) · source
“At around 2 p.m., the emergency siren sounded again, calling on residents of northern Mitrovica to gather to mourn the loss of Dr. Dzekovie. The Belgrade-appointed head of the Kosovska Mitrovica region, addressing a crowd of up to 3,000 people, stated that the Kosovo Serbs would continue to protest the integration of northern Kosovo into Pristina-based institutions, branded the explosion a terrorist attack and criticized EULEX's approach as not being status- neutral. The evening of 2 July was calm and no incidents were reported. The victim's funeral took place on 3 July in northern Mitrovica, with a large gathering and the participation of the Serbian Minister for Kosovo. The event passed peacefully.”
2010-07-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6353 (2010) · source
“The Kosovo Force (KFOR) was also present and ready to assist if necessary. At 9.50 a.m., several shots were heard and an explosive device went off close to the crowd heading towards the centre. Some 600 to 700 people broke through the security cordons and, at about 10 a.m., once they reached the front of the centre, demanded that the sign bearing the inscription "Republic of Kosovo, Ministry of Internal Affairs" be removed from the front of the building. Once the sign was removed, the protesters began to disperse and, an hour later, all roads were cleared. However, as a result of the explosion, 12 people were injured - seven Kosovo Serb females, four Kosovo Serb males and one Kosovo Bosniak, Dr. Mesud Dzekovie, who was not participating in the protest and later died at the hospital while being treated for his injuries.”
2010-07-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6353 (2010) · source
“At around 8.30 a.m., a large number of Kosovo Serbs started gathering near the East Bridge in northern Mitrovica to protest the opening of the centre, which they claimed not to have been done in consultation with the local Kosovo Serb community and which, we understand, is part of the Kosovo authorities' efforts to establish their institutions throughout the territory. Those efforts are opposed by Kosovo Serbs in the north. Elsewhere, Kosovo Serbs have been making 5 increasing use of the services of Kosovo civil registry offices. After a siren sounded at 9 a.m., the number of protesters increased significantly, to about 1,500 to 2,000. The Kosovo police and the European Union Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo (EULEX) created a buffer between the protesters and the centre.”
2010-07-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6353 (2010) · source
“Mr. Zannier: I would like to brief the Council on recent developments in Kosovo, and in particular on the incident that took place recently in northern Mitrovica that tragically led to the death of one person. The Kosovo authorities decided to inaugurate, on 2 July, a civil services centre in an ethnically mixed area of northern Mitrovica known as the Bosniak Mahalla. We understand that the centre would provide local communities with birth, death and marriage certificates, identification cards and travel documents issued by the Kosovo authorities, all of which are currently provided by offices located in the southern part of Mitrovica.”
2010-07-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6353 (2010) · source
“The United Nation's strongest comparative advantage in Kosovo is its acceptance among all the communities. In this regard, UNMIK and 10-36420 the United Nations Kosovo team have identified a number of common priorities and challenges that would maximize the impact of the interventions of United Nations bodies in Kosovo, especially with respect to human rights and governance, inclusive municipalities, the situation in the North and the issue of returns. I am pleased with the progress we are making. In closing, on behalf of all UNMIK staff, I wish to thank the Council for its support and assure it that UNMIK will continue to perform its mandated functions in order to ensure continued peace and stability in Kosovo and in the region. We hope that the two sides will continue to take advantage of UNMIK's facilitation and good offices.”
2010-05-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6314 (2010) · source
“In the meantime, a EULEX investigation into allegations of corruption concerning the Minister of Transport and Telecommunication has strained relations between the Kosovo authorities and elements of the international community in Kosovo. Relations between UNMIK and the Kosovo authorities are courteous, if at arm's length, and the UNMIK staff continue to maintain a variety of daily, fruitful contacts at the working level with their Kosovo counterparts. Finally, I wish to highlight the progress we are making in the integrated mission planning process mandated by the Secretary-General. UNMIK and the United Nations Kosovo team are in the process of developing a United Nations strategic framework for Kosovo that will allow us to better share the overarching objective of ensuring lasting security and stability in Kosovo.”
2010-05-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6314 (2010) · source
“The newly created Kosovo Serb-majority municipalities have now set up their administrative structures and, while they enjoy a certain degree of attention and goodwill from the Kosovo authorities, it is nonetheless too early to assess their performance with respect to catering to their constituents' needs and aspirations. At the central level, the major event since the submission of the report before the Council was a cabinet reshuffle announced on 31 March. Six ministers were replaced and a new Ministry of European Integration was established. A reshuffle of deputy ministers, which had been expected in late April, has been delayed.”
2010-05-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6314 (2010) · source
“The Law on Telecommunications was promulgated by UNMIK in 2003 and is still the only telecommunication sector regulation in Kosovo. In the past, UNMIK has repeatedly reminded unauthorized providers of the licensing requirements foreseen in that Law. Nevertheless, UNMIK remains concerned by the humanitarian impact of the disconnections and is monitoring the steps being taken by the Kosovo authorities to lessen the impact of the disconnections on the minority communities affected. Since I last addressed the Council, there have been some significant changes at both the local and central governance levels in Kosovo.”
2010-05-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6314 (2010) · source
“Since the submission of the report before the Council, measures taken by the Kosovo Telecommunications Regulatory Authority to dismantle and destroy transmitters and other equipment of unlicensed telecommunications service providers in Kosovo led to widespread disruption in the communication infrastructure in minority areas, including for emergency services. In response, transmitters operated by licensed service providers in northern Kosovo were attacked with explosives. The issue is a complex one, with legal, political, commercial, humanitarian, and security implications. While the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority viewed the situation as a rule of law and commercial matter, the humanitarian impact of disconnections so abruptly implemented is unquestionable.”
2010-05-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6314 (2010) · source
“Regrettably, however, this did not stop further repeated attacks by stone-throwing youths and, most recently, the firing of bullets into the tent of a returnee family, which fortunately did not result in any injuries. Ultimately, the situation in Zallq/Zac can be seen as a microcosm of Kosovo's humanitarian and economic challenges: the unresolved missing persons issues, the related lack of reconciliation, the difficult economic circumstances, security and property issues, and the cumulative effect of all these issues on the returns process. The reaction of the Kosovo authorities has been encouraging, but it is clear that more must be done at the grass-roots level to overcome the legacy of the past.”
2010-05-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6314 (2010) · source
“The spontaneous return of 23 Kosovo Serbs to the village in late March was met with repeated protests by groups of Kosovo Albanian residents of Zallq/Zac and neighbouring villages, who alleged that the returnees included individuals who had committed war crimes in the area - allegations which have not been substantiated. Five people from Zallq/Zac are still considered missing from the conflict. There have also been allegations that the protests may be motivated by property disputes. Whatever the case, encouragingly, the Kosovo authorities welcomed the returns and allocated â‚¬100,000 to the accommodation of the returnees, and Kosovo police and the Kosovo Force provided protection.”
2010-05-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6314 (2010) · source