UNMIK/PR/552
PRISTINA --- Johan Van Lamoen, Chairman of the Joint Working Group on the Legal Framework, issued the following statement today:
The Joint Working Group on the Legal Framework, which has been meeting regularly since 6 March, has made significant progress during the past few weeks. In addition to the regular meetings of the plenary, a drafting sub-group, composed of international and Kosovo members from the Joint Working Group, has been meeting to prepare texts of agreements reached within the Joint Working Group. Both the Joint Working Group and the drafting sub-group have proceeded with their work in a constructive manner.
Agreement in principle has been reached on the preamble and the basic provisions and basic principles to be observed by the provisional institutions. In addition, a number of sessions have been devoted to elaborating a list of areas in which functions and responsibilities shall be transferred to the provisional institutions of self-government. Certain powers, responsibilities and functions will remain reserved for the SRSG. These are also under discussion within the Joint Working Group, with the understanding that the final authority on the entire legal framework rests with the SRSG who will, after its completion, put the text before the Interim Administrative Council.
In an effort to engage additional communities in the process, the Bosniac member of the Joint Working Group has held two rounds of fruitful consultations with representatives of Kosovo’s Turk, Gorani and Roma communities. During the last round, these representatives discussed various options for the upcoming general elections.
Once again, I wish to express my disappointment over the continued absence of a representative of the Kosovo Serb community and to express my hope that a representative of this community will return to the Joint Working Group as soon as possible.
The work of the Group will continue to proceed as quickly as possible so that the SRSG will be able to call for general elections after the completion of the Legal Framework text.