Week of 17 October through 23 October

UN opens way for micro-finance institutions in Kosovo.
OCTOBER 22 -- The United Nations operation in Kosovo today enacted legislation authorizing lending institutions to make loans to individuals and small business in the territory.    FULL STORY >>

UN agency races to prepare Kosovo for winter.
OCTOBER 22 -- The United Nations refugee agency reported today that deliveries of winterization supplies to Kosovo were being delayed due to rain in some areas.   FULL STORY >>

Secretary-General tells Security Council more resources needed for UN to administer Kosovo.
OCTOBER 21 -- Secretary-General Kofi Annan told the Security Council today that the UN operation in Kosovo required more resources to fufil its mandate to administer the territory.   FULL STORY >>

Kosovo Transitional Council rejects formation of Serb protection force.
OCTOBER 20 -- The Kosovo Transitional Council today firmly opposed the formation of a Serb force to protect the minority population.   FULL STORY >>

UN in Kosovo repeals discriminatory housing and property laws.
OCTOBER 20 -- The United Nations in Kosovo has abolished discriminatory laws relating to housing and property ownership, after determining they violated the human rights of people of the territory.   FULL STORY >>

UN human rights office asks Yugoslav officials for list of Kosovars detained.
OCTOBER 20 -- The United Nations human rights office has asked the Government of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia for a list of all Kosovar citizens being held in Serbia, a UN spokeswoman said today.   FULL STORY >>

Prosecutor for UN Tribunal for former Yugoslavia announces plans to visit Kosovo.
OCTOBER 20 -- The Prosecutor for the Yugoslav International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia will visit Kosovo and other areas in the Balkans region next week at a critical time for the Tribunal's mandate and work, the Prosecutor's Office announced today in The Hague.   FULL STORY >>

UN and KFOR reject proposed Kosovo Serb security force.
OCTOBER 19 -- The United Nations and the KFOR protection force today came out against the formation of a Serb security contingent in Kosovo to protect the territory's minority population.   FULL STORY >>

War, civil strife and discriminatory practices leave two-thirds of Kosovo unemployed, says UN labour agency report.
OCTOBER 19 -- At least two-thirds of Kosovo's adults are unemployed, with the remainder working in a vast gray market devoid of legal protection, the United Nations labour agency says.   FULL STORY >>

First Kosovar police cadets graduate UN-sponsored academy.
OCTOBER 18 -- The primier class of Kosovar police has graduated from the UN-sponsored academy, completing five weeks of training to become the first officers of an independent, indigenous police force on Saturday.    FULL STORY >>

People-centred development assistance needed in Kosovo, says UNDP-sponsored study.
OCTOBER 18 -- A new model of development assistance, focusing on the overall security of citizens, must be applied for post-conflict reconstruction and development to be effective in Kosovo, according to a new study commissioned by the UN Development Programme (UNDP).   FULL STORY >>

UN Volunteers begin training to register Kosovars.
OCTOBER 18 -- The United Nations in Kosovo today began training teams of UN Volunteers to register the population of the territory.   FULL STORY >>