Global Policy Forum

The UN launched negotiations between Serbs and Albanians in Kosovo on the territory's political future. The Albanian majority demands full independence, while Serbia wishes to keep Kosovo within its territorial bounds. Analysts predict that the US and the EU will pressure the two sides into accepting a status called "conditional independence." Under such a framework, Kosovo would formally separate from Serbia, but would remain for an extended period under international supervision. But Serbian Prime Minister reiterated that "Kosovo is part of Serbia, and not only part of its history but also part of its present and future." (Washington Post)

Larry Rossin, the head of the UN Interim Administrative Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), believes that the mission's continuing role adversely affects the development of Kosovo's governing bodies. UN officials hope that talks between Serbs and ethnic Albanians will answer questions on Kosovo's political status, such as whether it will remain part of Serbia. If the two-party talks can resolve these issues, the UN will withdraw UNMIK from Kosovo. (New York Times)

The head of the UN administration in Kosovo, Soren Jessen-Petersen, indicated that the UN will likely launch talks on the province's final status even if none of the UN standards are fully met. Indeed, Jessen-Petersen recognized that the UN cannot continue to run the province forever. Meanwhile, Pristina signaled its reluctance to even discuss the subject of the province's status with Belgrade since Serbia remains strongly opposed to Kosovo's independence. (Associated Press)

UN Secretary General Kofi Annan's special envoy in Kosovo Kai Eide expressed disappointment over continued corruption and crime as well as the status of refugees and internally displaced persons in the region. Eide urged more communication between the interim government and citizens to aid progress. His upcoming report to the Secretary General, due in the fall of 2005, will likely determine whether the Security Council can start talks on Kosovo's final status. (Southeast European Times)

The United Nations has announced plans to wrap up its mission in Kosovo, noting that prolonged negotiations could lead to unrest. The UN has administered the province for six years, yet relations between Serbians and ethnic Albanians remain distant and fragile. The New York Times reports that "the framework for the negotiations is still far from clear," though diplomats expect talks to begin in October 2005.

This International Crisis Group report argues that the UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) "has turned a blind eye to major challenges to democracy and the rule of law" in the region. Instead of state-building ahead of talks on Kosovo's final status, the UN mission is "working on an escape strategy." At the same time, corruption remains widespread and violent tension between the two main ethnic Albanian political parties has escalated.

Kosovo Prime Minister Bajram Kosumi has said he is willing to meet with Kosovo Albanian leader Vojislav Kostunica for "fruitful" dialogue on practical issues of mutual concern. In order to start discussions on final status, Kosovo must have "constructive and continuing dialogue" between its provisional governing body and the corresponding institutions in Belgrade. But Kosumi refuses to discuss final status issues with Serbian politicians, and will only talk about concrete problems. (Southeast European Times)

As the review of negotiations on final status approach, observers warn that frustration with the failure of Kosovo's economic recovery spells an insurgency that could impede the political process. Albanians in particular consider the UN mission an obstacle to independence. According to foreign diplomats "for the past six years nobody has dared address the question," but if the international community fails to do so now "the task will once again fall to the men with the guns." (Institute for War and Peace Reporting)

A United Nations Development Program poll has found that 75 percent of Kosovars do not support the UN mission in the region and regard UNMIK as "untrustworthy, aloof [and] corrupt." Albanians accuse the area's UN-administered government and mission of being "subject to a separate set of laws from Kosovars" and responsible for the unresolved final status issues. As frustration with the world body increases, UN Special Envoy Soren Jessen Petersen warns that the volatile security situation in Kosovo could rapidly deteriorate. (New Scotsman)

In an address to the Security Council, UN Special Envoy in Kosovo Soren Jessen-Petersen expressed his optimism about the possibility for final status talks in the UN-administered region later in 2005. Jessen-Petersen said he was confident the newly elected ethnic Albanian leadership could improve the rule of law, access to media and ensure that refugees can return to their homes. But Serb official coordinating affairs in Kosovo Nebojsa Covic painted a grim picture of the situation in Kosovo and told the council Jessen-Petersen's assessments were "unjustifiably optimistic." (Radio Free Europe/ Radio Liberty)

In a report to the Security Council, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan said that Kosovo has not reached any of the eight targets in areas such as security, rule of law, dialogue and refugee return set out by the UN, and therefore is not yet ready for final status talks. As long as Kosovo Serbs refuse to engage in dialogue and support implementation of the targets, the process will not move forward. Annan also criticized the provisional institutions of government for failing to respond to ethnically motivated crime against Kosovo Serbs. (Southeast European Times)

The UN mission in Kosovo may need to rethink its exit strategy, as ethnic tension and economic stagnation develop into "a time bomb in the making." An International Crisis Group report argues that alternatives to independence, such as partition or reunification with Albania, would only increase violence. The report calls on ethnic Albanians to overcome their "victim mentality" if they want to establish an independent Kosovo. (Guardian)

Peacekeeping failures in Kosovo can provide lessons for future operations such as in Darfur, Sudan. Citing Kosovo's history, the author urges the international community to "act sooner and prepare better." According to the article, peacekeeping has become synonymous with nation-building. In Kosovo, soaring unemployment and widespread poverty irritate simmering ethnic tensions. The author suggests that peacekeeping missions should focus not only on security, but also on economic development and clear legal ownership of resources. (YaleGlobal)

Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica urged Serbs to boycott Kosovo parliamentary elections even as President Boris Tadic called on Serbs to participate. The boycott shows that Serbia lacks a coherent strategy on Kosovo even though common goals are to "see institutional guarantees for the Serbs and to prevent Kosovo from becoming independent." UNMIK has now stopped Belgrade from taking a direct role in decentralization talks and the Serbs may have "shot themselves in the foot" by boycotting the very institutions that could secure their interests. (Institute for War and Peace Reporting)

Winners of Kosovo's general elections, held on October 23, 2004, will hold talks on forming a coalition government in the province. UNMIK chief Sorren Jessen-Petersen certified the election results and granted more power to the new government in the form of three new ministries and future posts for deputy prime minister and deputy ministers. Jessen-Petersen urged the parties to address the population's concerns such as the economy, jobs and security, and stressed the need to heed the voice of the Serb minority. (Southeast European Times)

Kosovo Serbs say boycotting the election was "punishment" for both the international community's and Albanian leadership's failure to protect Serbs in the March 2004 riots. Serbs used the boycott to avoid creating a "false picture of a multiethnic Kosovo" and to undermine Albanian calls for independence. Some Serbs, however, fear that lack of cooperation with the international community will come back to harm them in the end. (Institute for War and Peace Reporting)

Kosovo's parliamentary elections took place without violence, but the vast majority of Serbs chose to boycott the elections, effectively undermining "international efforts to promote multiethnic cooperation." Final status negotiations are scheduled to take place in 2005 and the majority ethnic Albanian population sees the vote as "a step toward independence." Serbs, however, strongly oppose Kosovo's independence from Serbia and Montenegro and relations between the ethnic groups remain fragile. (Washington Post)

A group of international and non-governmental organizations has initiated a campaign encouraging Kosovars to vote in the October 23, 2004 elections. A survey shows that 25 percent of registered voters may stay away from the polls, and Kosovo Serbs have threatened to boycott the election. The elections are a "major test for the international community's efforts to build multiethnic democracy in the province." (Southeast European Times)

March riots disillusioned UN officials of the "unqualified success" attributed to Kosovo. With Chechnya and Tibet in mind, veto-wielding Security Council members Russia and China worry about the message Kosovo might send: "If you want independence, insurgency pays." The result has been foot-dragging and a lack of clear goals for Kosovo. In the meantime, Kosovars are growing increasingly impatient with UNMIK's administration and International Crisis Group warns that Kosovo may become the "West Bank of Europe." (Christian Science Monitor)

The UNMIK EU Pillar is co-chairing a medium and long-term strategic development plan coordinated by the Economic Strategy and Project Identification Group (ESPIG). Kosovo faces a growing population and unemployment rates as high as 70%. UNMIK Head Soren Jessen-Petersen notes, "there will be no security without economic development in Kosovo." (Southeast European Times)

UN special envoy Kai Eide blasts the mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) saying, "Our current policies are seen as static and unable to respond to the real problems..." Eide calls for better security for the Serbian minority, revision of the "standards before status" policy to reflect "achievable priorities," and preparations for final status talks. (International Relations and Security Network)

Doug Bereuter and Thomas D. Grant argue that in the face of UN failure to "foster the institutions and economic stabilization" necessary for self-governance, the EU should take over governance of Kosovo under the mandate of a UN trusteeship while NATO continues as a security presence. They argue that the EU would be able to start the process of integrating Kosovo (whether as part of Serbia or as an independent nation) into the EU, providing economic benefits essential for stability. (Wall Street Journal)

Five years after the end of Serbian domination in Kosovo, many Kosovars fault the UN and NATO for the bleak economic situation and are increasingly anxious for independence. Security for minorities is essential for successful elections and the UN and NATO must address political, security, and economic issues to ensure a peaceful transition. (Scotsman)

"As the world looks to the United Nations to help calm turmoil in Iraq, another volatile Muslim land freed from tyranny by American firepower has the international body tied in knots." The Wall Street Journal tells the story of UN-led efforts to assist Kosovo's transition to independence, including a policy of privatizing formerly state-run enterprises. The privatization program resulted in widespread resentment and joblessness, with riots leaving many dead and 100 UN vehicles in flames.

Although NATO and the UN Mission are specifically mandated to protect minorities in Kosovo, both failed to prevent attacks on Serbs by ethnic Albanians. Human Rights Watch documents how Serb, Roma and Ashkali communities in Kosovo were abandoned by UN peacekeepers and NATO troops, many of whom simply locked the gates to their bases during the violence in March.

In its annual report, the Ombudsperson Institution, a branch of the UN Mission in Kosovo, criticizes the Mission for failing to protect "even a minimal level" of rights and freedoms, particularly for the province's Serbian minority. The Institution argues that human rights in Kosovo can not advance without a clear settlement on the status of the province. (New York Times)

Albanian ex-rebel leader Hashim Thaci accused the UN Mission of failing to maintain peace in Kosovo, working simply to protect the region's status quo. He requested that the UN cede power to local institutions and reduce its role to "advisers or monitors." (Reuters)

Z Magazine argues that the Balkans' conflict during the 1990's was a consequence of "Western interference," rather than historic ethnic animosity. The author contends that NATO's intervention in Kosovo is an example of an external actor provoking the disintegration of inter-ethnic relations by "deliberately choosing war over diplomacy."

The head of the UN Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) Harri Holkeri said his office is reviewing the adequacy and appropriateness of the UN response to the recent violence in the province. Promising to bring all the perpetrators to justice, Holkeri believes the current security environment is not sufficient for the safe return of minorities to their homes. (UN News Centre)

The new Foreign Minister of Serbia and Montenegro, Vuk Draskovic, claims that an independent Kosovo is "impossible" and "very dangerous" as it might generate an unending circle of violence between Serbs and Albanians in the province. (BBC)

The UN has urged Kosovo's leaders to tackle extremism and to demonstrate commitment to protect minorities in the province if they are to further integrate into Europe. (Associated Press)

If the delay in sealing the fate of Kosovo after the 1999 war was a well-calculated attempt by the international community to "bring peace" to the Balkans, is today's merciless killing of the ethnic minorities in the country a foreseeable consequence of that "peace plan?" (International Herald Tribune)

This article examines the problems with some of the proposed models for Kosovo's final status, including decentralization, and independence of the province with minority Serbian's autonomy in the North. (BBC)

In an effort to restore peace in Kosovo after recent violence, the UN is pushing Kosovo authorities to implement policies, such as the establishment of the rule of law and public respect for law and order, before negotiating the province's disputed final status. (Reuters)

Despite admitting that the notion of building a multi-ethnic society has failed in the province, UN envoy in Kosovo Harri Holkeri stated that rushing a decision on the province's final status is tantamount to giving in to the violence and would not solve the conflict in the long run. (Reuters)

This article argues that the UN has helped fuel ethnic conflicts in Kosovo by offering political posts in the province "on the basis of balancing ethnic groups." Dire economic conditions, such as high unemployment rates, have also played a role in stirring the violence in the province, says the Socialist Worker.

Past experiments with "ethnic engineering" in the Balkans, such as the ethnic division in Bosnia, have "caused rather than prevented bloodshed." In light of these failed attempts, partition might not be a long-term solution to the ethnic conflicts in Kosovo, says BBC.

This article suggests that ensuring the safe return of refugees to and protecting ethnic minorities in Kosovo are the "main standard[s] to meet" before the international community can decide the region's final status. The author argues that UN acceptance and commitment to a "multiethnic Kosovo" is crucial to the successful rebuilding of the province. (International Herald Tribune)

The author argues that the continuing expulsion of Serbians from central Kosovo would eventually lead to a de facto partition of the province. By redrawing the Kosovo map with violence, a compromise on the province's final status—Kosovo's independence with autonomy for Serbians in the north—might seem to be the best solution to stop further violence. (Observer)

Violence in Kosovo has undermined UN hope for establishing a multiethnic society in Kosovo. As Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica has put it bluntly, a multiethnic Kosovo is not feasible in a region "where relations between Albanians and Serbs have been more of an exception than a rule, and [where there are] two parallel worlds." (TruthNews)

This article argues that recent violence in Kosovo has exposed UN policy failure in the country, above all its insistence on Kosovo to meet unrealistic standards, such as building high-standard democracy before considering the country's final status. The author urges the UN to relinquish the notion of building a "multiethnic Kosovo" and to immediately focus on the status issue to prevent the violence from spreading across the Balkans. (Washington Post)

With the inter-ethnic conflicts in Kosovo deteriorating, NATO is sending reinforcements to the troubled province to quell the violence. It warns that it is prepared to use reasonable force against violent rioters if situation gets out of control. (Associated Press)

The recent inter-ethnic violence in the Mitrovica region of Kosovo has undermined the UN's enduring effort in establishing democratic governance and restoring law and order in the country. With a new election pending in October, maintaining the country's stability would be crucial to its success, says BBC.

Serbia and Kosovo have resumed talks on further co-operations over a number of important issues including the return of refugees. Although the most sensitive issue of Kosovo's final status is not on the agenda, the reopened conversation illustrates the first step in rebuilding a better Kosovo in coming years. (BBC)

Continued violence by Albanians against ethnic minorities in Kosovo has raised doubts about the ability of the international community to bring peace and security to the country. The author argues that the UN has contributed to the political instability in Kosovo due to its failure to help resolve the contentious issue of Kosovo's final legal status. (Telepolis)

The Washington Times echoes the criticism of Kosovo Prime Minister Bajram Rexhepi that the UN has been unable to provide "an ultimate vision" for this much disputed area. Rexhepi argues this UN failure "has prolonged the uncertainty about what we can do and where we are heading."

The UN Special Representative to Kosovo has nullified a parliamentary vote that would have abolished all laws enacted during the presidency of Slobodan Milosevic. This parliamentary decision had angered the minority Serb population in the province. (Dow Jones Newswires)

UNMIK suspended a dozen officers from the civil protection force, increasing suspicions among the majority-Albanian population toward the "internationals." Many ethnic Albanians feel frustrated that UNMIK did not specify its charges against the officers. (Institute for War and Peace Reporting)

After an attack in a Serb minority area of Kosovo, the head of the UN administration in the province suspended 12 personnel in the ethic-Albanian dominated successor force to the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA). (Reuters)

The UN mission in Kosovo has overseen elections and helped to create democratic institutions in the province, but seems reluctant to transfer power to Kosovars anytime soon. How can Kosovo make decisions about its future when the UN has the final say, asks the Wall Street Journal.

UNMIK has compiled information against ethnic Albanians who allegedly killed Serbs during and after the 1999 conflict. UNMIK also seems poised to bring KLA suspects to justice, against the wishes of many in the Albanian majority. (Institute for War and Peace Reporting)

Tens of thousands of refugees who fled Kosovo reside in camps sustained by UN food and water supplies. But the rations may run out as priorities shift to the Middle East. Although leading ethnic-Albanian politicians have appealed for refugees to return to Kosovo, many still fear for their lives. (Christian Science Monitor)

Kosovo's first post-war demonstration included vocal protests against the UN interim administration. Some Kosovars worry that many "internationals" are only in the province to pad their resumés and earn "fat-cat salaries." (Observer)

"We were unable to make a dent on the numbers of illegal weapons still in circulation," says the manager of the UN-backed Illicit Small Arms Control Project. The Institute for War and Peace Reporting speculates that distrust of the security forces and uncertainty about the future status of Kosovo has prevented residents from handing over their guns.

The former head of UNMIK earned some peacekeeping success in the province, but he also left a legacy of tension with the Provisional Institutions of Self-Government (PISG). This International Crisis Group report provides recommendations to his successor.

Relations between Kosovar Serbs and Albanians show improvement after a brutal civil war in 1999, but problems continue to plague the province. With unemployment at 60%, many citizens rely on international aid or money from relatives. (Philadelphia Inquirer)

Henry Dowa, a police officer with UNMIK, allegedly committed acts of torture in Zimbabwe. The UN Special Representative to Kosovo outraged humanitarian groups by refusing to arrest him, stating "we have to dedicate our scarce resources to serious cases in Kosovo." (Guardian)

A UN-appointed body helps an elected government preserve peace in the ethnically volatile Serbian province of Kosovo. All involved parties seek to transform a generally successful peacekeeping operation into sustainable and legitimate Kosovar self-governance. (Boston Globe)

Belgrade stubbornly supports Serbian reform measures in Kosovo that undermine the UN's reform efforts. The UN Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping remarks that this factor and others hinder Kosovo's newly emerging civil society. (International Relations and Security Network)

UNMIK chief Michael Steiner vacates his post after one and a half years of notable success but persistent criticism. During his tenure, Steiner confronted UN bureaucratic obstacles and navigated Serb and Albanian grievances. (Institute for War and Peace Reporting)

A new report by International Crisis Group presents a plan for the peaceful coexistence of Albanians and Serbs in Kosovo. The report argues that a civic contract involving reciprocal rights and responsibilities for both groups is the best hope for power-sharing in the province.

An indigenous police force working alongside UN police officers enjoys respect among the citizens of Kosovo. A spokesman for the UN Interim Mission explains this transitional arrangement by remarking that Kosovo "cannot have the basis of democracy [without] the rule of law." (New York Times)

Worries are deepening over the transfer of power from the UN administration to the Kosovo government. Lack of professionalism and a clear strategy for the power transfer is a key problem facing the new government. (IWPR)

The UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) is preparing the first privatization of the protectorate's assets. Unions and the Serbian Government are concerned about their interests in the process. (BBC)

The poor records of US intervention in Afghanistan, Somalia, Haiti and Kosovo and its historic support for the most undemocratic regimes in the world, show that it is naive to believe that US-led action would lead to an improvement for the people of Iraq. (Dailystar)

The future reconstruction of Iraq will not be easy. The international community should learn many lessons from past mistakes in Kosovo, Afghanistan, and Bosnia. Institutions cannot be fully developed without a transition strategy that helps action by international actors to be transferred to local counterparts. (Guardian)

To ensure Kosovo becomes a stable and democratic society, UNMIK must help to develop an efficient judiciary system capable of independently investigating war crimes and politically motivated violence that too often go unpunished. (International Crisis Group)

Anti-UN feeling have rose in Kosovo after the arrest of former Albanian rebel leaders, reports the Institute for War and Peace Reporting. Some accuse UNMIK of exercising "a similar dictatorship to that operated by former Yugoslav president Slobodan Milosevic between 1989 and 1999."

A new International Crisis Group report suggests that the UN Mission in Kosovo has failed to establish security and the rule of law in Mitrovica and continues to tolerate a de facto partition of the city. Lack of transparent UN policies and its unwillingness to crack down on crime in Mitrovica help Serbia in undermining UN's legitimacy.

A Kosovo parliamentary resolution, renouncing a 2001 border agreement between Macedonia and Yugoslavia, provoked UNMIK's veto and condemnations from the Security Council, the EU, Macedonia, and Yugoslavia. The controversy indicates a source for future Balkan conflict. (Institute for War and Peace Reporting)

Belgrade sends mixed signal to its minority in Kosovo. Although it backed Serb participation in the protectorate's recent elections, Serbia seems to contemplate a possible Bosnia-style partition. Such ambiguous policies could ultimately endanger the Serb minority's position. (Institute for War and Peace Reporting)

A recent Serb attack in Mitrovica, where 22 policemen of the UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo were injured, highlights the continuing failure of the UN to bridge ethnic divisions in Kosovo. The Serbian government's unofficial support for the partition of Mitrovica points towards a partitioned Kosovo. (Institute for War and Peace Reporting)

Michael Steiner, the UN administrator in Kosovo, outlines the steps that Kosovo must take before "discussing the sensitive issue of its final relationship with Belgrade." At the heart of the strategy is the creation of a democratic, multi-ethnic society. However, Steiner also warns against "granting any kind of independence to Kosovo." (Associated Press)

As the international community shifts its focus to Afghanistan, it seems that the international policing and peacekeeping forces in Kosovo will exit soon. Yet what will happen when the force leaves that has kept Kosovo's ethnic hatred in check?( Los Angeles Times)

After three months of political deadlock in Kosovo, the UN's top administrator, Michael Steiner, makes public an agreement that clears the way for moderate ethnic Albanian leader Ibrahim Rugova to head a power-sharing government. (BBC News)

Michael Steiner, Kosovo's new UN governor, wants to begin the transfer of authority from the UN Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) to the elected interim government. Steiner will also help to end the deadlock preventing the main political parties from selecting a president. (Reuters)