Mr. President, Excellencies,
The Secretary-General’s report before you details the principal events in Kosovo and the region, as well as the activities of UNMIK, from mid-January to mid-April. However, some developments since the Secretary-General’s last report are of greater significance than routine activities.
Accordingly, today I wish to highlight those developments and offer some broader observations. Having spent much of my professional life on your side of this table, I understand that routine reporting is not always the best use of time in matters on which the Council remains actively engaged.
First of all, Kosovo has been, and continues to be, at the center of issues that are important for overall security in Europe and for broader regional relations.
As I emphasized in my last statement in February, internal political dynamics in Pristina occupied our mission—as well as EU missions and many other actors—for almost a year, culminating in April with the inauguration of a new President of Kosovo.
During the same month, Serbia successfully held general elections, and a new Parliament and Cabinet are currently in the process of formation.
The election of a new President of Kosovo, despite taking place in a divisive political atmosphere, together with the formation of a newly mandated government in Serbia, provides what I believe is an excellent opportunity to draw a line under a period frequently characterized by political infighting and other distractions.
I noted with appreciation the conciliatory messages and forward-looking vision expressed by both Prime Minister Vučić and President Thaçi following their respective electoral successes.
I join other international partners in the hope that these peaceful transitions of power will help stabilize the political landscape and allow greater attention to be devoted to the region’s more fundamental challenges.
Less than two weeks ago, the people of Kosovo received important and welcome news: the European Commission formally proposed to the EU Council and the European Parliament that Kosovo be transferred to the visa-free short-stay list for travel within the Schengen area.
The authorities in Kosovo deserve recognition for their efforts in fulfilling the conditions outlined in the visa liberalization roadmap.
At the same time, they have acknowledged that considerable work remains to translate this important step into the economic and social progress expected by the people of Kosovo.
I also note that one month earlier, the EU Stabilisation and Association Agreement with Kosovo was announced.
Serbia’s Stabilisation and Association Agreement entered into force in September 2013.
Viewed together, these important achievements demonstrate the progress the region is making toward greater integration and the benefits that such integration can bring.
The links between the ongoing peace process—which lies at the heart of UNMIK’s mandate—and these European integration processes are not always explicitly recognized.
In reality, those links are fundamental.
They are reflected not only in Resolution 1244 (1999), but also in the vision articulated at the European Council Summit in Thessaloniki in 2003 and in subsequent initiatives.
The standards and conditions contained within Stabilisation and Association Agreements are not simply ends in themselves. More importantly, they are instruments for promoting peace, prosperity, and well-being.
For both Pristina and Belgrade, the process of integration is closely connected to the EU-facilitated High-Level Dialogue.
The capacity to meet the standards required for integration strengthens the capacity for productive political dialogue and broader cooperation.
Kosovo’s recent progress in advancing its European perspective should reinforce and enhance the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, which remains fundamental both to Kosovo’s future security and to peace in the region.
Mr. President,
A defining feature of the consensus underpinning the EU-facilitated Dialogue is the need for flexibility and innovation.
All possibilities should be on the table and discussed openly if this framework is to achieve more meaningful and timely progress.
With electoral processes now largely concluded on both sides, the present moment appears particularly suitable for reinvigorating the talks and generating new momentum.
I believe this should remain a central objective for both the European Union and the United Nations in the months ahead.
The establishment of the Association/Community of Serb-Majority Municipalities in Kosovo has, ever since it was first agreed in April 2013, been the subject of misunderstanding and controversy within public discourse among different communities.
To borrow the words of EU High Representative Federica Mogherini, who spoke in Pristina ten days ago, the Association/Community represents “a step towards a stronger Kosovo, not a weaker one, and in a more stable region.”
The arrangement was agreed at the highest political level by both sides in order to support the sustainable integration of the Serb community, and other communities, into public life in Kosovo.
During his inaugural address, President Thaçi emphasized reconciliation and spoke of both the difficulty and necessity of moving beyond the past.
The Dialogue and the agreements between Pristina and Belgrade are essential parts of that process and represent genuine steps toward lasting peace.
Mr. President,
Kosovo continues to face significant challenges, including unemployment, inequality, the need to develop a productive economy capable of meeting sustainable development goals, the legacy of impunity, and weaknesses within rule-of-law institutions.
These issues remain serious challenges to the broader objective of promoting peace and stability.
International engagement should remain a central component of efforts to assist Kosovo’s institutions and the wider region in addressing these challenges.
Resources provided through international mechanisms, including through our mission, should be mutually reinforcing and directed efficiently toward achieving these common objectives.
Over recent weeks and months, I have met leaders from all political parties, communities, and backgrounds, and I intend to continue these discussions in the days ahead.
The concerns I hear are familiar to anyone working in a post-conflict environment: the need for economic opportunity, a positive future for families and communities, better healthcare, and a cleaner environment.
During visits to municipalities in northern Kosovo and elsewhere, I observed how important it is for the engagement of the international community—including the United Nations, the European Union, and Member States—to remain focused on the real conditions in which people live their daily lives.
Kosovo politics is, in many respects, local.
What matters most is how local leaders address the day-to-day concerns of their communities, understand grievances, and find practical solutions.
If identity politics was a principal driver of conflict during the dissolution of the former Yugoslavia, what we increasingly observe today is the mobilization of people around issues that are fundamentally social, economic, and environmental.
As I traveled across Kosovo, I observed how much of what we often refer to as the “old world” has become less relevant.
Militant nationalism has lost much of its appeal.
What people are waiting for is a new alternative.
When speaking with young people in Kosovo about their concerns, the two words I hear most often are “jobs” and “justice.”
Within Kosovo’s political sphere, continuing differences and vigorous debate remain essential features of democratic life.
I hope these debates increasingly take place through appropriate democratic channels, where leaders can focus on advancing the real interests of the population.
This necessarily includes a strong and democratic opposition.
Over the past year, parts of the opposition have pursued a strategy marked by a determination to alter the balance of power in the Assembly through confrontation, including at times the use of violence.
I believe that any reconsideration of this approach should not be viewed as a weakening of dissent, but rather as an opportunity to restore healthy democratic norms while preserving robust political debate and disagreement.
Regardless of what political realignments may occur in the future, what matters most is that Kosovo’s political actors act responsibly in addressing the issues most important to the country’s future.
Mr. President,
Our mission remains unique not only because of what it is, but also because of what it is not.
UNMIK no longer administers Kosovo.
It is not a parallel structure.
It is not an obstacle to any institution, objective, or individual.
UNMIK remains important because of the support and legitimacy it can provide, the focus it can encourage, the experience and expertise it shares, and its role as a bridge between this Council and the people and communities of Kosovo and the wider region.
We have been assessing and recalibrating the use of our resources to ensure they most effectively contribute to the fulfillment of our mandate, including in areas such as human rights.
As the leading United Nations presence on the ground, we are working closely with Kosovo institutions and international partners to advance the realization of high human rights standards.
We are contributing to broader efforts to combat corruption, support the rule of law, improve opportunities for families and young people, and strengthen protections for non-majority and vulnerable communities.
We are also drawing on expertise from across the United Nations system, including the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and other specialized organizations, to address challenges such as migration and refugee flows, and to help prevent young people from being drawn toward violent extremism and terrorism.
To function effectively, our mission depends on the informed support of this Council.
Working together with the leadership in Pristina and Belgrade, as well as with the institutions of the European Union, we must remain flexible and adaptable.
With your support, this is the direction in which we intend to take the mission in the period ahead.
Thank you very much.
