REPORT OF THE SECRETARY-GENERAL PURSUANT TO PARAGRAPH
10
OF SECURITY COUNCIL RESOLUTION 1244 (1999)
I. INTRODUCTION
1. The present report is submitted pursuant to paragraph 10
of Security Council resolution 1244 (1999), in which the Council
authorized the Secretary-General, with the assistance of the
relevant international organizations, to establish an
international civil presence in Kosovo in order to provide an
interim administration for Kosovo under which the people of
Kosovo can enjoy substantial autonomy. In paragraph 11 of the
resolution, the Council enumerated the main responsibilities of
the interim administration. This report presents a preliminary
operational concept for the overall organization of the civil
presence, which will be known as the United Nations Interim
Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK). A more detailed
concept will be submitted to the Security Council in connection
with the request, in paragraph 20 of resolution
1244 (1999), that the Secretary-General report on
implementation of the resolution within 30 days. That document
will be based on a report by the advance Headquarters team to be
deployed shortly in Kosovo.
II. OVERALL STRUCTURE OF THE MISSION
2. It is apparent that in order to fulfil the provisions of
Security Council resolution 1244 (1999) effectively, the
structure of the Mission must ensure that all activities of the
international community in Kosovo are carried out in an
integrated manner with a clear chain of command. The Mission
will rely on the capabilities and expertise of the various
international organizations that will participate, while
maintaining coherence and effectiveness.
3. Accordingly, UNMIK will be headed by a Special
Representative of the Secretary-General, appointed by the
Secretary-General in consultation with the Security Council. The
Special Representative of the Secretary-General will have
overall authority to manage the Mission and coordinate the
activities of all United Nations agencies and other
international organizations operating as part of UNMIK. The
Special Representative will also be responsible for facilitating
a political process designed to determine the future political
status of Kosovo, taking into account the Rambouillet accords,
as specified in paragraph 11 (e).
4. The Special Representative of the Secretary-General, who
will be appointed at the rank of Under-Secretary-General, will
be supported in his work by a Chief of Staff and various units,
including units for political and legal advice, military
liaison, liaison with the International Tribunal for the Former
Yugoslavia and relations with the mass media.
5. The Special Representative of the Secretary-General will
be assisted in his tasks by four Deputy Special Representatives
of the Secretary-General. Each will be responsible for one major
component of the Mission. In order to ensure that the
institutional capacities of the agencies cooperating with the
United Nations are pooled for optimal effectiveness on the
ground, each component will be assigned to an agency which would
take the lead role in a particular area, as follows:
(a) Interim civil administration: the United Nations;
(b) Humanitarian affairs: the Office of the United Nations
High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR);
(c) Institution-building: the Organization for Security and
Cooperation in Europe (OSCE);
(d) Reconstruction: the European Union.
The Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General
for Interim Civil Administration will also serve as the
Principal Deputy Special Representative and officiate as Chief
of Mission in the absence of the Special Representative. A
preliminary description of the structure of the Mission is
annexed to the present report.
6. The Special Representative of the Secretary-General will
appoint an Executive Committee whose membership will include the
four Deputy Special Representatives. The Executive Committee
will assist the Special Representative in fulfilling his
responsibilities. It is expected that the agency with the
overall responsibility for a particular component will draw upon
the capacities and expertise of other organizations on the
ground and coordinate their work to maximum advantage.
7. It is imperative that UNMIK and the international security
presence coordinate their activities closely to ensure that both
the military and the civilian presences operate in a mutually
supportive manner towards the same goals, as required by
paragraphs 6 and 9 (f) of resolution
1244 (1999). To this end, effective arrangements will be
established for regular consultations between the Special
Representative of the Secretary-General and the Commander of the
international security presence. The Special Representative's
staff will include a Military Liaison Unit to facilitate
day-to-day relations with the international security presence
and to ensure that effective liaison with the military is
established for all aspects of the Mission's work.
III. ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE COMPONENTS
Interim civil administration
8. The interim civil administration component of the Mission,
under the United Nations, will comprise three main offices,
namely, a Police Commissioner, an Office for Civil Affairs, and
an Office for Judicial Affairs.
9. The Police Commissioner's staff will consist of the
following:
(a) An International Civilian Police Unit to oversee the
civilian police operation and to establish and supervise a
Kosovo Police Force;
(b) A Special Police Unit for crowd control and other special
police functions;
(c) An International Border Police Unit.
It is recalled that resolution 1244 (1999) stipulates,
in paragraph 9 (d), that the international security
presence will initially be responsible for public safety and
order. When the civil presence takes over, as envisaged in
paragraph 11 (i), and in view of the Mission's
executive responsibilities for law and order, consideration will
have to be given to arming the police.
10. The Office for Civil Affairs will be responsible for
overseeing and, where necessary, conducting a number of civil
affairs functions, such as the civil service and economic and
budgetary affairs, as well as supporting the restoration and
provision in the short run of basic public services, such as
public health, education, utilities, transport and
telecommunications.
11. The Office for Judicial Affairs will be responsible for
the organization and oversight of the judicial system,
authenticating legal documentation and related activities.
Humanitarian affairs
12. Paragraph 11 (k) of resolution 1244 (1999) stipulates
that the principal function of UNMIK in the humanitarian area is
to ensure the safe and unimpeded return of all refugees and
displaced persons to their homes in Kosovo. Other functions are
likely to include protection of and assistance to minority
groups. As foreseen in paragraph 11 (h), the humanitarian
affairs component, led by UNHCR, will also coordinate, with
other international organizations and non-governmental
organizations, the provision of humanitarian and disaster relief
aid. UNMIK will establish, as soon as possible, a Mine Action
Centre to deal with the threat posed to the returnees and
internally displaced persons by landmines and unexploded
ordnance.
Institution-building
13. The task of institution-building, for which OSCE will be
the lead agency, might comprise four main functions, the final
structure to be decided in consultation with OSCE:
(a) Human resources capacity-building, in the areas of
justice, police and public administration;
(b) Democratization and governance;
(c) Human rights monitoring and capacity-building;
(d) Conduct and monitoring of elections.
Strengthening the institutions of civil society, especially
independent indigenous media, would also be central to these
tasks.
Reconstruction
14. The tasks of reconstruction would be led by the European
Union, and should be aimed at rebuilding the physical, economic
and social infrastructure and systems of Kosovo and supporting
the reactivation of public services and utilities. The range of
tasks would be decided in consultation with the European Union.
These could include near-term projects in the area of
agriculture and markets, and activities relating to commerce;
activities to re-establish essential public services and develop
programmes for economic recovery; and longer-term capital
projects in the areas of housing, utilities, transportation and
communications. Every effort should be made to avoid the
creation of a gap between humanitarian relief and rehabilitation
and longer-term reconstruction. The overall plan for Kosovo
should take into account the reconstruction and stabilization
plans for the wider region.
IV. OBSERVATIONS
15. The structure described above on a preliminary basis
represents, in my judgement, the optimum for an effective and
integrated international civil presence in Kosovo, which can
fulfil the provisions of Security Council resolution 1244 (1999)
with the assistance of relevant international organizations,
under the leadership of the United Nations. Consultations are
being undertaken with the organizations concerned to refine this
concept further. Without prejudice to the role and authority of
the Security Council, it would be my intention, as in other
operations, to consult regularly with Governments and
organizations in a position to assist me in the discharge of the
responsibilities entrusted to me by the Council.
16. It is clearly an essential requirement for the success of
UNMIK that the people of Kosovo be included fully and
effectively in its work, in particular that of the interim
administration, so that the transition to self-governing
institutions is both smooth and timely. Community leaders and
professionals can make immediate and significant contributions
in judicial affairs, governance and the provision of public
services. UNMIK intends to establish from the start a system of
advisory mechanisms and implementation committees which will
fully engage the local population.
17. I have informed the President of the Security Council of
my intention to appoint Mr. Sergio Vieira de Mello as my Special
Representative, on an interim basis. The deployment of UNMIK is
under way. Humanitarian agencies have deployed along with the
first contingent of the international security presence and have
begun to provide humanitarian relief. An advance core
headquarters has been assembled at Skopje and will be deployed
in Kosovo at the earliest opportunity.
18. I would welcome an early indication from the Security
Council that this concept of operations for UNMIK meets with its
general approval. A more detailed report and cost estimates will
be submitted, in accordance with the usual procedures, once the
advance team has completed its initial assessment on the ground
and the necessary consultations with the participating agencies
have been held.
|