UNMIK/PR/123
PRISTINA--At the fourth meeting of the Interim Administrative Council held today, members discussed the allocation of 19 departments to be co-administered by UNMIK and Kosovo political leaders, as well as expanding the Kosovo Transitional Council, the highest-level consultative body of Kosovars to the United Nations interim administration.
Today's agenda was prepared by the Joint Administrative Council Secretariat, composed of Kosovar Albanian and UNMIK representatives, while UNMIK had managed the previous meetings alone.
The IAC agreed that the Secretariat, in cooperation with UNMIK's legal office, would now begin drafting regulations which will define the competencies of the 19 departments.
Bernard Kouchner, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, who chaired the meeting, said the first appointments of UNMIK and Kosovo department co-heads would begin next week.
The IAC discussed the process of selecting department heads, as well as which departments to activate first.
"We have a huge number of departments to be created," Kouchner told the press after the meeting. "This will be done step by step by 31 January."
Dr. Kouchner reiterated his call to members of the Serb minority in Kosovo to take up their seat in the IAC along with the three major Kosovo Albanian parties and to ensure their participation in the various departments.
The IAC also discussed widening the KTC membership in order to include new political forces in Kosovo, as well as members of civil society and more minority representatives.
The next meeting of the IAC will take place on Friday, 7 January, in the UNMIK headquarters.
Asked whether one of the departments would be dedicated to security, Dr. Kouchner said that security would fall under a "bureau," which would be linked directly with the IAC.