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[ 2006 ] Part 1 Chapter 5 Europe and the Mediterranean 452 Political and security questions Chapter V Europe and the Mediterranean The restoration of peace and stability in the post- Kosovo in August when its Government adopted a conflict countries in the Europe and Mediterranean European Partnership Action Plan. In November, region advanced in 2006, as efforts to re-establish the Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for the fu- their institutions and social and economic infra- ture status of Kosovo announced that the presenta- structure continued. However, a number of issues tion of the Settlement Proposal would be delayed remained unresolved. until the end of January 2007 to allow for the hold- Led by the European Union (eu), the interna- ing of parliamentary elections in Serbia. tional community continued to assist Bosnia and In a historic referendum in May, Montenegro Herzegovina to move towards full integration voted to separate from Serbia. In June, the General into Europe through the eu Stabilization and Assembly welcomed Montenegro to membership in Association Process. The country adopted an eu the United Nations. integration strategy, its first long-term strategic Renewed efforts were made to end the stalemate document leading towards full eu membership, and in the Georgian Abkhaz peace process. During the made progress in meeting the North Atlantic Treaty year, the Special Representative of the Secretary- Organization Partnership for Peace requirements, General in Georgia convened the first session of which culminated in an invitation for Bosnia and the resumed Coordination Council of the Georgian Herzegovina to join the Partnership. In October, and Abkhaz sides, which had not met since 2001. domestic authorities successfully carried out the Senior officials of the Group of Friends of the country’s first self-organized general elections since Secretary-General (France, Germany, Russian the war ended in 1995. The Security Council, in a Federation, United Kingdom, United States) November resolution, authorized Member States, continued to encourage dialogue on the basis of acting through or in cooperation with the eu, to the 2001 Basic Principles for the Distribution of establish, for a further 12 months, a multinational Competencies between Tbilisi (the Georgian stabilization force (the European Union Force) and Government) and Sukhumi (the Abkhaz leader- welcomed the nato decision to continue its pres- ship). A difficult and complex situation prevailed ence in Bosnia and Herzegovina. on the ground, however, with Abkhaz authorities In Kosovo (Serbia and Montenegro), the United claiming that Georgian forces had violated the 1994 Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo Agreement on a Ceasefire and Separation of Forces (unmik) continued to assist in the building of a (Moscow Agreement), and Georgia demanding the modern, multi-ethnic society. The overall security withdrawal of Russian peacekeeping forces from situation in the province remained stable, allowing the conflict zone. Compliance with the Moscow unmik to continue to monitor progress towards the Agreement and with Security Council resolutions fulfillment of the benchmarks set out in the 2004 858(1993) and 937(1994) was monitored by the Kosovo Standards Implementation Plan and the United Nations Observer Mission in Georgia (un- 2001 Constitutional Framework for Provisional omig) and by a collective peacekeeping force of the Self-Government, including transferring author- Commonwealth of Independent States. ity to Kosovo’s domestic institutions. The year No progress was made towards settling the con- began with several leadership changes following flict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the oc- the January death of Kosovo’s President, Ibrahim cupied Nagorny Karabakh region in Azerbaijan. In Rugova, and with the opening of negotiations to December, Nagorny Karabakh held an independ- determine the final status of the province. Increased ence referendum, the results of which were rejected efforts by the Provisional Institutions to reach out by Azerbaijan, several neighbouring States and the to minority communities, including Kosovo Serb Organization of the Islamic Conference, and its sta- communities with close ties to Belgrade (Serbia tus remained uncertain at year’s end. and Montenegro), met with challenges throughout Similarly, a 17 September independence ref- the year as relations with Belgrade deteriorated. erendum in the Transnistrian region of Moldova However, significant progress towards European was rejected by Moldova and by the newly-formed integration was made by the new leadership of Organization for Democracy and Economic Europe and the Mediterranean 453 Development–guam, which consisted of Azerbaijan, turn, police restructuring, defence and economic Georgia, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine. development, in accordance with European stand- In the Mediterranean, the situation in Cyprus ards, and continued to work towards full integra- remained unresolved. During an overview mission tion into Europe through the eu Stabilization and to the country in July by the UN Under-Secretary- Association Process and nato Partnership for Peace General for Political Affairs, Greek Cypriot and requirements. In March, Bosnia and Herzegovina Turkish Cypriot leaders signed a set of principles adopted an eu integration strategy, its first long- and a decision on cooperation and began to meet term strategic document leading towards full eu regularly regarding issues affecting the day-to-day membership and, in November, it was invited to join life of the Cypriot people. Despite such progress, the Partnership for Peace. The country’s October serious tensions continued to exist between the general elections were the first since the war to be two Cypriot communities. The United Nations wholly organized and run by domestic authorities. Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus continued to coop- erate with its UN partners and the two commu- nities to facilitate projects of benefit to Greek and Implementation of Peace Agreement Turkish Cypriots in the buffer zone and to advance towards the goal of restoring normal conditions and Civilian aspects humanitarian functions in Cyprus. The civilian aspects of the 1995 Peace Agreement entailed a wide range of activities, including hu- Bosnia and Herzegovina manitarian aid, infrastructure rehabilitation, estab- lishment of political and constitutional institutions, promoting respect for human rights and the holding During 2006, the European Union (eu) contin- of free and fair elections. The High Representative ued to lead the international community’s efforts for the Implementation of the Peace Agreement, to assist the two entities comprising the Republic who chaired the pic Steering Board and other key of Bosnia and Herzegovina—the Federation of implementation bodies, was the final authority with Bosnia and Herzegovina (where mainly Bosnian regard to implementing the civilian aspects of the Muslims (Bosniacs) and Bosnian Croats resided) Peace Agreement [YUN 1995, p. 547]. The reports and Republika Srpska (where mostly Bosnian on eupm activities were submitted by the High Serbs resided)—in implementing the 1995 General Representative to the Security Council President Framework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and through the Secretary-General. Herzegovina and the annexes thereto (the Peace Agreement) [YUN 1995, p. 544]. The Office of the Office of High Representative High Representative for the Implementation of Reports of High Representative. On 30 January the Peace Agreement, was responsible for the [S/2006/61], the Security Council President informed Agreement’s civilian aspects [YUN 1996, p. 293], while the Secretary-General that the Council welcomed the European Union Police Mission in Bosnia and the 2005 pic decision [YUN 2005, p. 460] to appoint Herzegovina (eupm) helped to develop sustainable Christian Schwarz-Schilling (Germany) to succeed policing arrangements. The eu Force (eufor) mis- Lord Paddy Ashdown as the High Representative sion was responsible for the Agreement’s military for Bosnia and Herzegovina, effective 31 January aspects, which were transferred to it by the North 2006. Atlantic Treaty Organization (nato) in December 2004 [YUN 2004, p. 401]. The Peace Implementation The new High Representative reported to the Council (pic) and its Steering Board continued to Security Council, through the Secretary-General, oversee and facilitate the Agreement’s implementa- on the peace implementation process for the periods tion. 1 February to 30 June 2006 [S/2006/810] and 1 July The High Representative reported on progress to 31 March 2007 [S/2007/253]. (For details on the made in the Agreement’s implementation process specific topics of the reports see below.) and related political developments in the country The Council considered the High Representative’s during the year in the context of his mission im- report covering the latter half of 2005 [ibid.] on 18 plementation plan, which set out a number of core April, and his report covering the first half of 2006 tasks to be accomplished [YUN 2003, p. 401]. Bosnia on 8 and 21 November. and Herzegovina undertook several reforms, par- On 21 November, the Council adopted resolu- ticularly with regard to the rule of law, refugee re- tion 1722(2006) (see p. 457). 454 Political and security questions Mission implementation plan and forwarded it to the Council of Ministers for The High Representative, briefing the Security review in 2007. Council on 18 April [meeting 5412], during consid- No progress was made during the year in ap- eration
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