Global perspective Human stories

Despite significant progress, major challenges remain for Kosovo UN mission - Annan

Despite significant progress, major challenges remain for Kosovo UN mission - Annan

Four years into the mandate of the United Nations Mission in Kosovo, the province has made significant progress in achieving autonomy and self-government, but firmly establishing the rule of law and creating a sustainable foundation for economic growth and development remain central challenges, according to a new report by UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan.

Four years into the mandate of the United Nations Mission in Kosovo, the province has made significant progress in achieving autonomy and self-government, but firmly establishing the rule of law and creating a sustainable foundation for economic growth and development remain central challenges, according to a new report by UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan.

Released today in New York, the report covers the activities of the UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), which was established in 1999 to provide an interim civilian administration under which the people of the war-ravaged province could progressively enjoy substantial autonomy.

It also covers the situations in Serbia and Montenegro and highlights positive developments since last April, such as the ongoing transfer of responsibilities to Kosovo's provisional institutions, decreasing crime rates, encouraging signs on the budgetary and internal taxation front, and the Government's greater emphasis on its responsibilities under the Constitutional Framework.

At the same time, the Secretary-General points out that while UNMIK has moved to consolidate Kosovo's law enforcement and judiciary structures, firmly establishing the rule of law "remains critical." Incidents such as the 4 June murder of three Kosovo Serbs in Obilic, and a mid-April railway bombing in Zvecan - subsequently claimed by an Albanian ethnic extremist group - underscore the continuing threat to the process of reconciliation among communities.

"Such acts of violence are unacceptable," Mr. Annan writes, urging the Kosovo leader and people to act decisively to ensure they do not recur. He adds that UNMIK should increasingly focus on the fight against organized crime and terrorist activities.

The process of normalization in Kosovo also depends on the development of a sustainable foundation for economic growth and development. Against that, backdrop, the Secretary-General says that UNMIK continues its efforts to create the basis for a sustainable economy - one that is closely connected with those of the rest of the region. "In this context, a carefully managed and well-regulated privatisation process can provide the solid basis for Kosovo's economic recovery and development," Mr. Annan writes.

He also points out that efforts to encourage integration within the education system continue to encounter substantial resistance from all sides. There are currently 42 mixed or shared schools, although only eight house both Kosovo Serb and Kosovo Albanian children. No schools in the Kosovo Serb or Roma communities offer classes in the Albanian language, and schools in the Kosovo Albanian communities do not offer classes in Serbian language. Further, minorities remain unable to use their own language and alphabet freely, including in the Provisional Institutions and other public bodies.

Mr. Annan also notes that continuing unilateral calls, from Kosovo Serbs, Kosovo Albanians and Belgrade, for mutually exclusive approaches to Kosovo's future have continued. These calls, he says, not only do not contribute to reconciliation and inter ethnic dialogue but they can have a detrimental effect on Kosovo's progress. The Secretary-General, therefore, welcomes the recent indications that Pristina and Belgrade are prepared to enter into a dialogue on practical issues.

Concerning the return of minorities to Kosovo, the Secretary-General writes of the importance of involving municipal authorities in this area. Funding of activities relating to the return of minorities should come from Kosovo's consolidated budget.