UNMIK/PR/466
SRSG Bernard Kouchner last night addressed the people of Kosovo in a 45-minute speech broadcast live over RTK television.
While the speech was to be broadcast over separate satellite channels in both Albanian and Serbian, several viewers who expected the speech in Albanian saw instead the Serb version, due to a technical error at RTK which caused the designated channels to switch. (Viewers of the designated Serb-language channel received the broadcast in Albanian.)
SRSG Kouchner joins the management of RTK in apologizing for any confusion which resulted from this mistake.
The speech will be rebroadcast tonight in Albanian language on the RTK satellite channel, again at 7:30 p.m.
The following is the text of Dr. Kouchner's farewell address:
Dear people of Kosovo,
Sadly the time has come for me to leave you.
When I arrived here on July 15, 1999, I found Kosovo in ruins: physically, mentally, and politically. No infrastructure was functioning; shops were closed and empty. It was a desert. Most of the 800,000 Kosovo Albanian people who had fled were on their way back, struggling to pick up the pieces of their shattered lives.
Kosovo Serbs had just left in great numbers. Some were guilty of atrocities, many were not.
We, the international community, had made the commitment in the spring of 1999 to devote our efforts to the majority, who had been the victims of an oppressive regime for at least 10 years.
Ours was a humanitarian intervention: a new kind of peace-making, which I fought for during 30 years. The protection of an oppressed group, even behind closed doors and sovereign boundaries. The right, or the duty, to intervene on behalf of the victim has been my own personal conviction.
And there I was in Kosovo, in July 1999, sent by Kofi Annan to lead the most challenging mission ever launched in the name of that concept.
In the first part of the intervention, NATO acted to stop the regime of Milosevic from its persecutions in Kosovo.
NATO reached its goal in June 1999. But that was not the end of the story. Then we faced a new, tremendous challenge.
Our job as UNMIK was difficult. We had to rebuild a society and an administration in an immediate post-conflict situation. Moreover, we had to establish a real peace. We were expected to do it quickly, despite the many tremors of conflict that continue to shake Kosovo.
We in UNMIK were dispatched to administer Kosovo and to move it toward self-government, a democratic self-government of an economically viable and tolerant society.
We chose to do it in close partnership with you, the people of Kosovo.
How have we done? How have you done during these past 18 months?
UNMIK arrived to find a total void in administration, no functioning infrastructure, and a bitter competition between so-called parallel governments. This was the rule, from KEK to order in the streets.
Today we have one joint interim administration. We have 20 functioning administrative departments, co-headed by Kosovars and employing more than 50,000 people. There are 27 democratically elected and three appointed Municipal Assemblies. They are all working to run their communities.
And I think that most people are now turning more and more to the future, and less to the past.
The system of proportional representation, which we adopted for the October elections, and my decision to appoint minority members to the assemblies, ensures that Kosovo has at this first stage of self-governance a truly representative local interim government.
These are significant steps towards the goal of democratic self-government.
In the meantime, close to 100,000 houses have been rebuilt; hospitals and health houses are functioning; young Kosovars are going to school and university.
Today, the power is working, not perfectly; the trains are running, not everywhere; and telephones and post offices have connected many of you with the outside world. Banks and insurance companies are also operating.
Voter registration has been carried out. I hope that finally ID cards and travel documents will soon be distributed. Thousands of cars also have their license plates. The major roads are repaved. Hundreds of commercial flights use the airport safely and efficiently every week. We still plan to transform and expand Slatina Airport.
Construction is proceeding non-stop, seven days a week. The shops are full of products from around the world. Kosovo wine is being exported.
This year, Kosovo will rely on its own resources for almost two-thirds of its budget.
Milestones of Our Mission
Let me recall to you more specifically some of the milestones of our mission:
In July 1999, UNMIK established the Kosovo Transitional Council (KTC) as a multi-ethnic, multi-party, and multi-religious advisory body. It has since been expanded to include more national and religious communities, members of civil society, and Kosovo Albanian political parties.
In September 1999, the Kosovo Liberation Army agreed to demilitarize and transform itself into the Kosovo Protection Corps (KPC). The KPC has continuously progressed in preparing itself as an emergency response agency and in taking its new role seriously.
On December 15, 1999, Mr. Thaci and Mr. Rugova agreed to dissolve their parallel structures and join the Joint Interim Administrative Structure. This was a true peace agreement and a landmark on the road toward self-government.
On April 2, the Serb National Council of Gracanica adopted the "Agenda for Coexistence," opening the way for Serb participation in the interim administration and improved services to isolated Serb communities.
Life for the Serbs and other minorities in Kosovo remains precarious. No one should have to live in enclaves or in fear of leaving their home. The security situation for minorities remains unacceptable.
However, as I have said throughout my 18 months here, real peace takes time. Many years, for sure. The main failure of the international community, our main failure, is certainly our inability to offer enough protection to the Serb community and other minorities, even if the situation has improved.
This is also your failure. The future of Kosovo will largely depend on the capacity of Kosovo society to ensure a peaceful life for all its communities.
The spirit of revenge must be eradicated. Violence must stop if Kosovo wants to join the democracies of Europe.
To prepare the ground for a safe and sustainable return of Kosovo Serbs, I established the Joint Committee for the Returns of Kosovo Serbs with KFOR, UNHCR, OSCE, and the Serb National Council.
Last month, I formed a Joint Committee on Returns with the Roma community. These bodies will become increasingly important in the coming year.
Democracy and the Future
UNMIK played a key role in the recent democratic changes in the Balkans when Slobodan Milosevic was finally removed from office. UNMIK's witnessing of the FRY elections in Kosovo prevented fraudulent claims and contributed to the fall of his regime and the beginning of a new democracy in Yugoslavia.
In October, Kosovo's own free and fair municipal elections were held, producing moderate political forces and democratic opposition across the majority of municipalities.
On 23 November, I established the Council of Ministers, elevating the role of department co-heads to strategic advisors contributing to policy and regulatory development.
UNMIK will continue restructuring the Interim Administrative Council and Kosovo Transitional Council, preparing the legal and institutional framework for general elections and substantial autonomy under Resolution 1244.
We must also continue protecting minority communities, ensuring the transfer of authority to local municipal structures, and addressing the unity of Mitrovica.
Justice and Law Enforcement
Today UNMIK Police is nearly at its authorized strength of 4,500 international officers. The Kosovo Police Service now numbers more than 3,000 cadets, with 16% drawn from minority communities.
The Kosovo judiciary, with around 400 judges and prosecutors, is increasingly active and has completed thousands of cases.
We seek to establish the highest standards of international human rights as the basis of law in Kosovo. Yet Kosovo has much catching up to do with these standards, and we must temporarily become stricter in dealing with weapons, crime, and violence.
My Final Message
My final message to the people of Kosovo is simple and grave:
Stop the killings.
If violence continues against minorities, administrators, intellectuals, and elected leaders, then all the pain spent and progress made in Kosovo will be lost.
The image the world has of Kosovo has changed since the spring of 1999. In the eyes of many, the victims have in some ways become the oppressors. Whether you agree or not, this is the reality you face.
If you want general elections this year, you must show the international community your will to stop the violence. This is an absolute condition.
Every step toward substantial autonomy and self-government depends upon your actions.
Young people of Kosovo: if you truly want to join modern Europe as equals, you must understand that violence and extremism are not accepted elsewhere and should not be accepted here.
Reject intolerance. Isolate extremists. Cooperate with the police. Build and strengthen your own civil society.
You must also accept the challenge posed by the new democratic government in Yugoslavia. No more revenge.
Having been a victim is not enough to win the world's enduring support.
Your leaders agree with all this. Support them. Show your determination to build a peaceful Kosovo and become a proud member of Europe.
You rebuilt your houses, started businesses, and conducted democratic elections. Build on these strengths. Open your borders, your minds, and your hearts.
The people of Kosovo can look forward to a bright future if they can free themselves from the hatreds and habits of the past.
You must reconcile with the Serbs. Some were oppressors, but the majority were not. Reconciliation may not happen today, but we must prepare the ground for tomorrow and for your children.
Please take my words seriously. They are the words of a close friend.
I am leaving you with sorrow, but also with deep admiration for a truly remarkable people.
You will win this difficult challenge because of the spirit and determination I have witnessed among the people of Kosovo over the past 18 months.
The most moving moment for me was observing the elections on 28 October. I saw your dignity, pride, and hope as you waited patiently to exercise your democratic right to elect your leaders.
It is that image I will take away with me as I leave Kosovo.
Even if I am far away, I will remain forever close to you, your problems, and your successes. And I will return to visit my friends here in a peaceful Kosovo.
Good luck, Kosovars, and good luck, Kosovo.