UN INTERIM ADMINISTRATION MISSION

IN KOSOVO (UNMIK)

Updated 2:30 p.m. EST

Kosovo Transitional Council agrees on new security measures: Stating that "tremendous progress" had been made, Special Representative of the Secretary-General Bernard Kouchner briefed correspondents on the discussions that took place in the fourth meeting of the Kosovo Transitional Council (KTC). Among the topics discussed were measures to enhance security in Kosovo, as well as the Kosovo budget and further movement on the creation of a commission on detained and imprisoned persons.

The Council was briefed on the improved security situation in Kosovo and current deployment of UNMIK Police: 896 have been recruited and 748 are in the mission area. The UN civilian police presence is gradually establishing itself in sectors of Pristina, and by 9 September, it will take over responsibility for security for the entire town. The Police Academy is to open Monday, 6 September, with an initial class of 200 candidates for the Kosovo Police Service.

The Council agreed to set up a commission on security, composed of experts suggested by the KTC, which would advise and report to KFOR and UNMIK on issues such as priorities for police deployment and how to resolve specific security situations. The Council also agreed to send UNMIK Police to Orahovac to help defuse tensions and meet security concerns of the local population opposing KFOR deployment.

Special Representative Kouchner urged that the proposed commission on detainees and prisoners be named by the end of this week. Chaired by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, the group will include representatives from families of detained or imprisoned people, the KTC, KFOR, UNMIK and relevant human rights NGOs.

Dr. Kouchner also proposed further movement on transforming the KTC into an "Interim Governing Council", with more executive responsibilities than the current council, which is the highest-level advisory body to UNMIK. Discussion on this proposal will continue in next week’s meeting. The budget for Kosovo’s administration was discussed, as well as what to do with the "Fund of the Government of the Republic of Kosovo," money raised over the past several years among Kosovo Albanian residents and among the diaspora.

The Serb delegation did not attend today's meeting due to technical reasons. Dr. Kouchner, in the name of the Council, sent letters of apology to the Serbs today for a misunderstanding on arrangements for reaching the meeting, which was held at UNMIK headquarters. Attending the meeting were Ibrahim Rugova of the LDK (Democratic League of Kosovo); Hashim Thaci of the UCK (Kosovo Liberation Army); Rexhep Qosa and Mehmet Hajrizi of the LBD (United Democratic Movement) and Independent Veton Surroi. Sezair Shaipi represented the Turkish people of Kosovo and Numan Balic, the SDA (Bosniaks).

* * *

Catch-up classes held as schools open: At the UNMIK briefing in Pristina today, Deputy Spokeswoman Daniela Rozgonova announced that more than 50 per cent of the province’s 1,000 schools were to open today. She clarified that these were "catch-up" classes to complete the disrupted 1998-9 school year. The formal school year will begin in late October due to the need to repair damaged schools, and restore textbooks, furniture and supplies. UNMIK estimates that 130 schools were completely destroyed during the war; 151 severely damaged; 132 moderately damaged. Repairs to 190 schools are in progress. The Joint Civil Commission on Education did a rapid review of textbooks to vet them for hate language. Their next task is a complete review of the curriculum to produce an entirely new curriculum for the school year 2000-2001. The UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) has pledged that every effort would be made to ensure that all children would be back in school by the autumn.

* * *

UNMIK Police establishing its presence: During last weekend's visit to Kosovo by United States Ambassador to the United Nations, Richard Holbrooke, a visit was arranged to familiarize him with the deployment of UNMIK Police. UNMIK Police Commissioner Sven Frederiksen explained that UNMIK is identifying hot spots where minorities are being threatened and attempting to ensure security and promote confidence through a physical presence and visibility of UN civilian police. For example, Police Commissioner Frederiksen mentioned that minorities have been afraid to come to Pristina Hospital - UNMIK Police is setting up a sub-station to be staffed 24 hours and spreading the word that they will be there to respond if required. Similarly, police containers are being set up in other areas to reassure civilians, especially minorities, to convey the message that it is safe for them to stay and for others to come back. In response to a question as to whether UNMIK could verify whether the minority outflow from Kosovo has been curbed, Frederiksen said that no mass exodus has been recently visible but UNMIK wants to see minorities return. Special Representative Kouchner showed correspondents a crime rate chart indicating that the crime rate in Kosovo is lower than Washington, Pretoria and other cities, stating that UNMIK is "making a difference".

* * *

Kosovo judiciary expanded: In a follow-up to the appointment by the Special Representative of the Secretary-General of judges and prosecutors yesterday in Mitrovica, the UNMIK Deputy Spokeswoman provided the following breakdown of the 37 members of the Kosovo judiciary: 26 are Albanian, 7 Serb, one Roma, one Turk and one Muslim-Slav.

* * *

Customs regulation signed: A new customs regulation has been signed and customs collections will begin later this week at points on the border between Kosovo and The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and the Kosovo-Albanian border. The regulation amends the previous law with all revenues collected to be allocated to the Kosovo budget.

Refugee returns continue: The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reports that more than 4,400 refugees and displaced people returned to Kosovo last week, about 3,100 of them from countries outside the Balkan region and the rest from Montenegro, Albania, The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Bosnia-Herzegovina. Of the returns from outside the Balkan region last week, 1,018 flew into Skopje in The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and took buses to Kosovo and 1,296 took direct flights to Pristina. An estimated 800 Kosovars from other countries in Europe went back to Kosovo through Albania. Some 772,300 Kosovars have returned to Kosovo since the peace agreement in June — 718,000 from the region and 54,300 from other countries. Around 43,200 refugees and displaced people remain in the region, including 7,700 in Montenegro, 6,500 in Albania, 10,190 in Bosnia-Herzegovina and 18,800 in The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.

* * *

Reports of attacks on minorities decreased last week: Reports of attacks on Serbs in Kosovo decreased for the first time last week, KFOR officials report in Pristina, despite several incidents of abductions and intimidation. The drop could be attributed to KFOR's success in establishing a more secure environment but it could also reflect a diminishing Serb population to target.

For daily updates on activities of each UN entity in the field, you can access up-to-date information on the following websites:

UNHCR - www.unhcr.ch

UNICEF - www.unicef.org

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights - www.unhchr.ch

ICTY - www.un.org/icty

WHO - www.who.org

UNEP - www.grid.unep.ch/btf

WFP - www.wfp.org