Astrid van Genderen Stort, spokesperson for the UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) in Pristina, said the agency was "very concerned that the continuing fighting will prevent further access of humanitarian organizations to the region in order to provide urgently needed aid." Stressing that freedom of movement must be guaranteed, she said it was essential that no involuntary evacuation out of the country took place, and that people were given a free choice where to go when leaving the conflict zone.

The spokesperson also reported that some 500 people had crossed the boundary into Kosovo over the last two days, but at the same time large numbers of people had been spontaneously returning to southern Serbia's Presevo Valley.

Meanwhile, Yugoslav security forces have completed their move into the last sub-sector of the five-kilometre wide Ground Safety Zone, the international security force in Kosovo (KFOR) reported today. According to KFOR, due to the potential mine threat, it will take another 24 to 48 hours to clear the zone for full freedom of movement for people going in and out of the Presevo Valley.

"This is good news," said Simon Haselock, a spokesman for Hans Haekkerup, who heads the UN mission. "Mr. Haekkerup would like to welcome President Kostunica's remarks reported in the press that he and the Serbian Government would recommend to Kosovo Serbs that they should register as voters for the Kosovo elections."

While noting that President Kostunica's statement was not a commitment to recommend that Kosovo Serbs participate in the 17 November elections, Mr. Haekkerup felt that an encouragement to register helped to keep their options open, the spokesman said. He stressed that from UNMIK's point of view, all Kosovo citizens should fully participate in the elections.

Gary Matthews, Principal Deputy Special Representative of the UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), told journalists in Pristina on Monday that the new Police and Justice Pillar had been established "to provide greater focus, centrality and coordination" to UNMIK's efforts. Its major components would be UNMIK Police and the Department of Judicial Affairs.

Up to now, these functions were part of Pillar II (Civil Administration), Mr. Matthews said. The new Pillar's priorities included increasing Kosovo Police officers and enhancing their capabilities; increasing the number of judges and prosecutors, and expanding detention and penal facilities to hold those convicted of crime.

"We will soon have much greater resources and legislative powers to deal with crime, terrorism and violence," Mr. Matthews said. These included the coming into force on 4 June of legislation to deal with illegal weapons possession and weapons trafficking, pending legislation to deal with illegal border and boundary crossing, and legislation in the works to deal with terrorism and organized crime.

UNMIK head Hans Haekkerup signed the regulations establishing the new structure on 18 May.

The dates for the Council visit and its terms of reference were contained in a letter to Secretary-General Kofi Annan from the Council President, Ambassador James J. Cunningham of the United States.

Noting that during its visit the delegation would look at the impact of the regional situation on the work of the UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), Ambassador Cunningham wrote that Council members will also convey "a strong message" to Kosovo leaders on the need to reject violence, condemn extremist and terrorist activities, promote ethnic reconciliation and support implementation of resolution 1244.

Ambassador Anwarul Karim Chowdhury, Permanent Representative of Bangladesh to the UN, will lead the Council delegation.

Meanwhile, over 3,000 displaced people have entered Kosovo from southern Serbia's Presevo Valley following renewed fighting between Serbian forces and ethnic Albanian insurgents, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reported today. UNHCR spokesperson Astrid Van Genderen Stort said the agency had increased its presence in certain critical areas with tents and reception centres, continuously monitoring and assisting the new arrivals.

In another development, 90 ethnic Albanians had given themselves up by last night to the KFOR international security force following an amnesty offer, a spokesman said today. All had entered Kosovo at the same checkpoint one day after KFOR offered amnesty to ethnic Albanian rebels if they laid down their arms and surrender in Kosovo.

According to a spokesperson for the UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) in Pristina, the new arrivals bring to more than 3,000 the number of those who have fled from the Presevo Valley since 13 May.

The spokesperson also reported that ethnic Albanians were trickling in from the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, with 20 crossing into Kosovo today. The total number of those who have crossed into Kosovo from the FYR of Macedonia stood at more than 9,000 since fighting there resumed in early May, the spokesperson said.

Mr. Haekkerup signs constitutional framework.

A spokesman for the Secretary-General said in a statement that Mr. Annan commended the "consultative and inclusive manner" in which the Constitutional Framework for Provisional Self-Government in Kosovo had been elaborated.

"The Secretary-General believes that there are adequate guarantees built into the Constitutional Framework to protect the rights and interests of all of Kosovo's communities," the statement said. Mr. Annan "strongly encourages all communities to participate in the electoral process and the interim institutions that will flow from these," calling in particular on the Kosovo Serb community to register and take part in Kosovo-wide elections scheduled for 17 November.

"It is now time to move forward the political agenda in Kosovo," the spokesman said, stressing the Secretary-General's hope that the elections would show that the future of the province "lies in the peaceful pursuit of the political process." He added that the local leadership should "seize this opportunity to advance the interests of Kosovo in a peaceful and democratic manner."

The Constitutional Framework was signed today by the head of the UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), Hans Haekkerup, at a ceremony in Pristina. Flanked by the Kosovo Albanian members of the Interim Administrative Council (IAC), Mr. Haekkerup called the Framework "a significant step forward: it does not address the final political solution, but it is a very important stepping stone for reaching final agreement at some stage."

All three Kosovo Albanian Members of the IAC said they would participate in the process outlined by the Framework, with two of them also expressing support for the document, UNMIK said. The Kosovo Serb IAC member did not attend the signing ceremony.

Meanwhile, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reported today that more than 1,000 ethnic Albanians had fled to Kosovo from southern Serbia's volatile Presevo area, amid new clashes between ethnic Albanian separatists and Serbian security forces. The agency said it had urged Yugoslav and Serbian authorities, as well as the area's ethnic Albanian leaders, to show maximum restraint ahead of a planned hand-over by NATO of parts of the Presevo area to Yugoslav forces on 24 May.

Mr. Haekkerup interviewed today on Serbian TV.

Hans Haekkerup, head of the UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), said voters would elect a 120-member law-making Assembly. Voting would be by a proportional system, so that the parties with the most votes would fill 100 of the Assembly seats. The 20 other seats would go to non-majority communities -- 10 for Kosovo Serbs and 10 for other communities. All those 18 and over who were Kosovo residents on 1 January 1998 would be eligible to vote, including displaced people.

During the address, Mr. Haekkerup explained the new provisional institutions of self-government, which are spelled out in the Constitutional Framework for Interim Self-Government. Mr. Haekkerup said he planned to sign the document -- which he called "the most important legislative act since UNMIK was established" -- after a final review on Tuesday morning by the Kosovo members of the Interim Administrative Council.

Mr. Haekkerup outlined the main ideas within the Constitutional Framework, and described the significant powers and responsibilities that will be handed over to the Kosovar government. The work of the Assembly will be guided by a seven-member Presidency, which will suggest draft laws. The Assembly will elect a President of Kosovo, who will nominate a Prime Minister.

Mr. Haekkerup said the Constitutional Framework was a joint effort of all Kosovo communities, adding that although consensus could not be obtained in several areas, he felt "the result is a very fair compromise." He urged all communities to participate in the elections and the new government, stressing that only by participating "can the future for all communities be secured."

Some of the weapons seized by KFOR

According to the spokesman, a large truck carrying timber and three cars accompanying it were stopped on Thursday evening outside Pec in western Kosovo. Among the weapons seized were 52 rocket launchers, five anti-aircraft surface-to-air missiles and a dozen anti-tank rocket launchers. Seven people were arrested and held for questioning, the spokesman said.

Meanwhile, the number of ethnic Albanians arriving in Kosovo from the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia stood at nearly 9,000, but daily arrivals had dwindled to between 350 and 400 people a day, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reported today. Some of those arriving in Kosovo alleged that Macedonian border police were charging money for allowing them to leave, UNHCR spokesman Ron Redmond said today in Geneva. UNHCR was discussing the allegations with the Skopje Government.

There were also reports of ethnic Albanian separatists preventing villagers from leaving their homes in mountainous areas, but such reports could not be confirmed independently, the spokesman said. Villagers interviewed by UNHCR said some people stayed behind to keep an eye on their property.

A spokeswoman for the agency said in Pristina that some 300 people had reportedly crossed into Kosovo yesterday, mainly coming from the Kumanovo area, where shelling had continued throughout the day. Spokeswoman Astrid van Genderen Stort noted that some refugees had fled the directly affected villages out of fear, while others had left as a precautionary measure.

A total of 8,076 people had crossed the border since the latest round of fighting in the FYR of Macedonia started on 3 May, the spokeswoman said. Due to lack of documents, more than 3,000 had taken the so-called "unofficial" border crossing. Many of them had reported having been stopped by Macedonian forces and asked for a contribution in money or gold before a crossing could be ensured. There were also reports of roadblocks set up to stop the flight.

"UNHCR remains extremely concerned about the well-being of the civilian population who remain in the area of conflict," said Eric Morris, UNHCR Special Envoy to the former Yugoslavia and Albania. "It also remains concerned about reports on difficulties of coming across the border." He encouraged all parties to allow freedom of movement for those who are fleeing out of fear of becoming the victim of violence.

According to UNHCR, more than 16,000 people have arrived in Kosovo from the FYR of Macedonia since fighting began in March.

Speaking at a press conference at UN Headquarters in New York, Hans Haekkerup, who heads the UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), said that while it had not yet been possible to reach consensus on the Legal Framework for provisional self-government institutions in the province, there was agreement on "98 per cent" of the document.

Efforts had been made to accommodate the concerns of the Kosovo Serbs, Mr. Haekkerup said, with amendments guaranteeing the rights of communities and mechanisms to solve problems when a community's vital interests were at stake. While the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia has still not fully agreed, there will be "understanding and acceptance" of the document when it is put forward, Mr. Haekkerup noted.

Since a few questions were also outstanding with Kosovo Albanians, it was UNMIK's task "to strike a balance" while taking into account as far as possible the views of the different communities, Mr. Haekkerup said.

Mr. Haekkerup, who spoke to the press after briefing the Security Council in closed consultations, said that there was broad support in the Council for moving ahead. The final text of the Legal Framework will be promulgated and elections will be held this year. The upcoming visit of members of the Council to Kosovo could further the creation of self-government institutions, he said.

During its consultations today, the Council also discussed the general security situation both in Kosovo and in the region, events in southern Serbia and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, and the need to give UNMIK the necessary capability to fight terrorism and organized crime, Mr. Haekkerup said.

Most of the people were leaving as a precautionary measure, the UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) said, adding that an estimated 3,000 people had crossed the border on Monday alone, using both the official border crossings and small mountain roads.

"UNHCR is gravely concerned about the new wave of violence in the FYR of Macedonia sparked by rebel attacks against security forces," said UNHCR spokesman Kris Janowski in Geneva. "We are urging that every effort be made to avoid a further escalation."

In another development, Secretary-General Kofi Annan met today at UN Headquarters with Yugoslav President Vojislav Kostunica, a UN spokesman said. Speaking to the press after the meeting, President Kostunica said talks had examined the legal framework for provisional self-government institutions in Kosovo. "The intention of our government is to have a multiethnic and multicultural Kosovo within the framework of Security Council resolution 1244," he said, adding that institutions for self-rule should be provisional, not final. Other issues covered in the talks included the rights of minorities in Kosovo, acts of violence, missing persons and the displaced, Mr. Kostunica said.

Earlier in the day, the Secretary-General had also met with his special Representative for Kosovo, Hans Haekkerup, and his Special Envoy for the Balkans, Carl Bildt. Mr. Haekkerup is scheduled to brief the Security Council tomorrow.

"We remain particularly concerned about the well-being of civilians caught in the conflict areas," said Eric Morris, Special Envoy of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to the former Yugoslavia and Albania, in a statement issued in Pristina.

"Civilians must be protected from military attacks as well as political manipulations," Mr. Morris said, adding that once people had fled out of fear of violence it was "extraordinarily difficult" to create the conditions for their safe return.

The UNHCR office in Pristina reported today that over 3,000 people had entered Kosovo since fighting in the FYR of Macedonia started on 3 May. While initially most arrivals had come from the area around Kumanovo, where fighting was taking place, over the weekend more than 1,500 people came from the Tetovo region, after a nine-hour journey by foot over the mountains.

The new arrivals -- mostly women, young children and elderly men -- told UNHCR that they had left for precautionary reasons, fearing an escalation of the violence. Those who fled from the Tetovo region reported a buildup of the Macedonian military in Tetovo's rural areas.

Meanwhile, the head of the UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), Hans Haekkerup, left Kosovo today for UN Headquarters in New York, where he will hold consultations with Secretary-General Kofi Annan on Tuesday, and brief the Security Council the next day.

Mr. Haekkerup addressing journalists.

Hans Haekkerup, head of the UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), told journalists today that the comments in the Belgrade press did not "reflect the reality." On the contrary, he had been meeting continuously with Kosovo political representatives and members of the international community on the Legal Framework, which outlines structures of provisional self-government.

"By the end of the week, we will take stock of where we are and then finish the work," Mr. Haekkerup said, stressing his intention to include some of the Serb-proposed recommendations in the final document.

Mr. Haekkerup stressed that guarantees in the document ensure the protection of minority interests. "We have been building a lot of guarantees for minorities and groups, so that it will be difficult for a majority to overrule a minority in a non-acceptable way," he said.

The document provides for an elected assembly to make decisions and pass laws in fields as varied as social welfare, health, education, the environment, agriculture, industry and trade.

Mr. Haekkerup stressed that the Legal Framework would be an important step towards self-government, but would not deal with the final settlement, on which the document was "neutral." The Framework should, however, facilitate a final political settlement, he said.