Kosovo - Political profile

 

Official nameKosovo (under United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244)
Population2.473 million (2004)
Area10.887 km²
Density227 inhabitants per km²
Distribution60% rural population, 40% urban population
Neighboursformer Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Albania, Republic of Montenegro
Population profileAlbanian 88%, Serbian 7%, Other 5% (Bosniak [1.9%], Roma [1.7%], Turkish [1%], Ashkali, Egyptian, Gorani)
LanguagesAlbanian, Serbian and other minority languages
ReligionMuslim, Orthodox, Catholic
Life expectancy69 years
Sources: EUROSTAT, Statistical Office of Kosovo

 

Recent history

As an autonomous province within Serbia and as part of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Kosovo enjoyed a large degree of autonomy, which was abolished by the Milosevic regime in 1989.
Following years of mostly non violent protests and the setting up of an underground parallel system (administration, schooling, etc.) for Kosovo Albanians, a violent conflict erupted in 1998/99.
In March 1999, NATO intervened on humanitarian grounds to put an end to the conflict which had seen a massive displacement of the local population. Subsequently UN Security Council Resolution 1244 established the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) in June 1999.

Political System

UNSC Resolution 1244 establishes the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) to support peace-building activities, to organise and oversee the development of provisional institutions for democratic and autonomous self-government, to protect and promote human rights, to support the reconstruction of key infrastructure and to facilitate the political process of determining Kosovo's future status.
UNMIK is headed by the Special Representative of the Secretary General (SRSG), presently, Mr Joachim Rücker. The SRSG bears the ultimate legislative and executive responsibility for Kosovo and reserves for himself a number of powers, notably in external relations and the rule of law.
The 2001 Constitutional Framework for the Provisional Self-Government of Kosovo established the Provisional Institutions of Self-Government (PISG) to whom powers have been increasingly transferred. The PISG comprise the Assembly, the President of Kosovo, the Government, courts and other bodies and institutions including the Ombudsperson. Kosovo is composed of 30 municipalities, which form the basic territorial units of local self-government.

Main issues: settling Kosovo's future status

On 10 November 2005, former Finnish Prime Minister Martti Ahtisaari was appointed by the UN Secretary General as UN Special Envoy for the future status process for Kosovo. During 18 months of negotiations no agreement could be reached by the two parties and on 15 March 2007, President Ahtisaari delivered his Comprehensive Proposal to the UN Secretary General. The proposal is designed to foster the building of a multi-ethnic, democratic society in Kosovo based on the rule of law. It also contains wide-ranging provisions intended to secure the future of all communities in Kosovo.

The process to decide Kosovo's future status moved to the UN Security Council in April 2007. However, after several draft UN resolutions had been unsuccessfully presented, discussions at the UNSC were provisionally suspended on 20 July 2007.

Subsequently, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon endorsed a new initiative on determining Kosovo's future status, mediated by an EU-US-Russia troika. Germany's ambassador to the United Kingdom, Wolfgang Ischinger was appointed to represent the EU. Russia is represented by the Russian diplomat Alexander Botsan-Kharchenko and the United States by Frank Wisner. During the troika process, various options were presented to and discussed with the parties but the troika failed to bring about a compromise and the process ended in December 2007.

Following the 19 December UNSC debate on the troika report, a joint EU-US statement declared that the UNSC was not in a position to agree on the way ahead and endorsed the view that the potential for a negotiated solution had been exhausted and that the EU stood ready to play a leading role in implementing a settlement defining Kosovo's future status in a careful and coordinated manner.

The EU is fully committed to play a significant role in post-status Kosovo. Therefore, the European Union has decided to intensify preparations for a future EU and international presence in Kosovo, in close coordination with other international actors. Two EU preparation teams are deployed in Kosovo, planning for a future International Civilian Office (ICO) and a possible EU mission in the broader rule of law area under the European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP).

The EU fully supports Kosovo's progress under the Stabilisation and Association Process and integration into the region.

Kosovan provisional authorities under UNSCR 1244 have prioritised the European agenda and committed to a long term European integration process. A permanent technical and political dialogue with Kosovan authorities – called the SAP tracking mechanism (STM) - has been established to provide sound policy advice and guidance to Kosovo's reform efforts. Under the SAP tracking mechanism, regular meetings are held to assess Kosovo's progress in realising European Partnership recommendations. In addition to bi-annual general SAP tracking mechanism meetings, sector meetings under the headings of good governance, economy, internal market, innovation and infrastructure are held, providing a platform for detailed analysis of the conformity of the legislation, practices and policies in Kosovo with European standards.

On 17 Februrary 2008 the Kosovo Assembly adopted a resolution which declares Kosovo to be independent. On 18 February 2008 the Council of the European Union took note of that resolution and noted that Member States will decide, in accordance with national practice and international law, on their relations with Kosovo.
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