Vol. 6 no. 6 JUNE 1999 NEWSLETTER OSCE Moves Back into Kosovo IN THIS ISSUE • CiO Trip to Bosnia and Croatia 3 • Tragic Events in Bajram Curri 4 • Focus on Central Asia 5 • Gender Issues Feature 6 • Press Profile 8 • In Brief 8 • News from the Field 11 • Report from the HCNM 12 • Report of the Representative on Freedom of the Media 13 • Update from the ODIHR 15 • Report from the PA 17 The OSCE Assessment Team on the way to Priµtina On 14 June, 48 hours after KFOR entered a Transitional Task Force for Kosovo, to ■ to prepare for the deployment to Kosovo Kosovo, an OSCE Assessment Team of focus on the preparations for a new of available and relevant OSCE assets 13 members and 5 vehicles arrived in OSCE mission. The Task Force replaced as soon as this may be required; Priµtina. The Assessment Team was part the OSCE Kosovo Verification Mission ■ to assist in planning and preparing for of the OSCE Transitional Task Force for (KVM), which was withdrawn from new tasks which the OSCE may take Kosovo, established to prepare for a new Kosovo on 19 March. After its with- on as part of a new international pres- OSCE mission in Kosovo. The principal drawal, the KVM was located in the for- ence in Kosovo; and goal of the Assessment Team was to mer Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia ■ to carry out preparatory visits and assess the situation on the ground, and (fYROM), where it focused on provid- activities in Kosovo in order to facili- particularly the damage to buildings pre- ing assistance to refugees from Kosovo tate the entry of a future OSCE mission viously occupied by the OSCE Kosovo in Albania and fYROM, collecting infor- in Kosovo as soon as conditions allow. Verification Mission and whether or not mation about human rights violations these could be used for a new mission. against the population of Kosovo and The Task Force was also mandated to co- planning for the establishment of a new operate, as required, with the United From the Kosovo Verification OSCE mission. Nations and other international organi- Mission to the OSCE Transitional zations in activities relevant to possible Task Force for Kosovo The Transitional Task Force, based in future OSCE tasks in Kosovo, in partic- Skopje, was mandated to take over the ular the registration and documentation On 9 June, at a special session, the OSCE work of the KVM, and particularly: of refugees, and to continue assessing the Permanent Council decided to establish human rights situation in Kosovo. Am- 1 bassador Tore Bögh of Norway was ap- Kosovska Mitrovica, Prizren and Gnji- population who would be suitable for pointed to Head of the Transitional Task lane. The aim of the trips was to evalu- civil structures in the legal, medical, Force. ate the condition of the buildings previ- engineering, administration, police and ously used by the KVM and to secure education fields. The OSCE provided the The OSCE Assessment Team accommodation and office space for a necessary assistance, i.e. through selec- in Priµtina future OSCE mission. tion among the refugee population in Macedonian and Albanian camps. On arrival in Priµtina, the Assessment Despite problems with accommodation Team immediately visited the KVM and shortages of food and water, by the Planning for the OSCE Mission headquarters. The building was exter- end of the month the OSCE had 42 staff in Kosovo nally undamaged. The offices, however, persons working in Kosovo, and field had been comprehensively looted and all teams were deployed in the five political The tasks of a future OSCE mission in furniture and computer hardware had districts of Kosovo. Kosovo were outlined in United Nations been removed. The telephone lines were Security Council resolution 1244 of 10 still in place and water and electricity A number of Kosovo citizens visited the June and in a report of the Secretary- were available. The team immediately OSCE office in Priµtina in order to file General of the United Nations dated 12 began negotiations with the owner of the reports about human rights violations and June. According to these documents, the building, with a view to leasing it for a to report missing family members. The new OSCE mission in Kosovo will con- new OSCE mission. Also, the Assess- OSCE Assessment Team is working stitute a distinct component within the ment Team found accommodation for together with the International Commit- framework of the United Nations Interim OSCE personnel and parking for OSCE tee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to establish Administration Mission in Kosovo vehicles and established contacts with a mechanism for the transfer of informa- (UNMIK). The OSCE Mission in other key international organizations tion about missing persons to the ICRC. Kosovo will, within this framework, play present in Priµtina. a key role in matters relating to institu- The Assessment Team has been asked to tion- and democracy-building and human The team conducted reconnaissance trips assist the United Nations in identifying rights. The OSCE’s tasks will consist of: to former KVM Regional Centres in Pe\, personnel among the Kosovo Albanian ■ human resources capacity-building, including the training of a new Kosovo police service within a Kosovo Police School which it will establish and operate, the training of judicial per- sonnel and the training of civil admin- istrators; ■ democratization and governance, in- cluding the development of a civil soci- ety, non-governmental organizations; ■ the organization and supervision of elections; ■ the monitoring and protection of Assessment Team members in front of a warehouse previously used by the Kosovo Verifica- human rights. tion Mission For up-to-date information regarding the new OSCE Mission in Kosovo please visit the OSCE Website at www.osce.org NEWSLETTER 2 Vol. 6 no. 6 Ambassador Daan Everts to Lead New OSCE Mission in Kosovo The Chairman-in-Office of the OSCE, Ambassador Everts, a Dutch national, positions at United Nations Agencies, Foreign Minister Knut Vollebæk of Nor- has been serving as Head of the OSCE including at the World Food Program way, has designated Ambassador Daan Presence in Albania since December and the UN Development Programme. Everts to lead the new OSCE Mission to 1997. The work of the OSCE in Albania Kosovo. As agreed between the United has been considered pivotal in fostering In designating Ambassador Everts, the Nations Secretary-General and the democracy and greater stability in the Chairman-in-Office emphasized the OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Ambassador country. Previous to that, from January need for both the OSCE and other inter- Everts will also be appointed Deputy to December 1997, he was Head of the national organizations to become opera- Special Representative of the United European Community Monitoring Mis- tional as soon as possible in order to help Nations Secretary General for Institution sion in the former Yugoslavia. Ambas- assure all parts of the population a secure Building. sador Everts has also held various senior future in Kosovo. Chairman-in-Office visits Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia From 2 to 4 June the OSCE Chairman- in-Office, Norwegian Foreign Minister Knut Vollebæk, visited Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia. The trip was part of an effort of the Norwegian Chair- manship to visit all the countries in which the OSCE is involved. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Chair- man-in-Office visited the OSCE Mission and met with key Bosnian political fig- ures and international representatives. Discussions centred on the status of implementation of the Dayton Agree- ment and the still unresolved political sit- uation in the Republika Srpska. Mr. Vollebæk began his visit in Sarajevo where he met with members of the Mr. Knut Vollebæk (right) with Croatian President, Mr. Franjo Tudjman (left) Bosnian Joint Presidency and Ambas- sador Robert Barry, the Head of the joint institutions, and for the parties to tative for Bosnia and Herzegovina, and OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegov- participate fully and advance the work senior SFOR officials. In a statement to ina. In his meetings, Mr. Vollebæk urged towards the fulfilment of the goals of the the press following his meetings, he all the Bosnian parties to work together Dayton Peace Accords”. emphasized the need to adopt a regional in implementing the Dayton agreement. approach to the return of refugees, He stated: “At this time of increased ten- Mr. Vollebæk also met with Ambassador democratization and military stabiliza- sions, it is very important to de-block the Carlos Westendorp, the High Represen- tion: “As we prepare for peace in Kosovo, NEWSLETTER Vol. 6 no. 6 3 we need to restructure the international lika Srpska politicians and discussed the needed to be made. He welcomed the community’s effort. Refugee return, unresolved political situation in the entity. agreement reached by Croatian political elections, economic restructuring, insti- parties on the electoral law and on amend- tution-building – all must be carried out In Croatia, Mr. Vollebæk met with Pres- ments to the law on Croatian radio and on a regional basis,” he said, “Since the ident Franjo Tudjman, Prime Minister television, but pointed out that a key issue OSCE is the only international body that Zlatko Mateµa and Foreign Minister was that of implementation, so that the now has a mandate throughout the Mate Grani\, as well as representatives upcoming elections would be free and fair. region, it should logically fall to the of Serb parties. Discussions focused on OSCE to provide this desperately needed the forthcoming parliamentary elections, Mr. Vollebæk reiterated the fact that the regional dimension.” Mr. Vollebæk also return of refugees and democratization role of the OSCE Mission to Croatia was emphasized the fact that the OSCE’s of the media.