UNMIK/PR/1449
PRISTINA – SRSG Søren Jessen-Petersen this morning addressed a conference of the ‘Forum of Bosniaks of Kosovo’. Following is the text of his address:
Prime Minister, Minister Idrizi, Members of Parliament, Mrs. Vllasi, President [of the Forum of Bosniaks of Kosovo] Dzogovic, ladies and gentlemen, thank you very much for your welcome, and thank you for inviting me here today for this important event.
In any society that is divided it is easy, unfortunately, to start thinking in terms of “sides”; here people most of the time talk of the Albanian “side” and of the Serb “side”. I’ve seen similar situations all over the world. Such an approach is beguiling, and it is much loved by journalists and politicians the world over, because it makes difficult problems seem very simple. They present the situation as if one side is wrong, the other side is right; or one side is good, the other side is bad.
The problem with thinking in this way is precisely that it makes people lose sight of the true complexity of such situations. Neither “side” is ever a single entity – they are themselves divided by politics, by family, by regional affiliations, by education, by class. And all too often it ignores too the fact that there are other groups – and in the case of Kosovo, other ethnicities, who are caught up by the divisions in society but who do not consider themselves, and are not considered by others, to be part of any “side”.
We all need constantly to be reminded of this, and that is why events such as today’s are so important. I very much welcome the existence and activities of organisations such as the Forum of Bosniaks of Kosovo. The ethnic groups that exist in Kosovo are a living testament to its history as we just heard from President Dzogovic. The preservation of their identities and their cultures is not only a duty of the authorities here, and of course of the international community – it is a gift to Kosovo and to future generations here - the gift of diversity.
Unfortunately, in the past, this is not necessarily how people have seen things. Too many politicians in this region have toyed with the ideas of mono-ethnicity at one level or another. Not only do I find this idea inhumane, no matter where it comes from, no matter why it is being entertained – since the achievement of mono-ethnicity inevitably means forcing someone else to leave. I also find it frankly boring, because diversity adds cultural and political spice and richness to any society.
From the earliest days of the international community’s presence in Kosovo we have made it clear that Kosovo is, must, and I am confident will, remain a multi-ethnic society. This means that it is imperative that the voices of all of Kosovo’s ethnic and religious groups are heard. And this includes having a voice on the key issues of the day. I note that the subject of “Bosniaks and Kosovo Status Talks” is one that will be discussed today, and I welcome that. The status process will affect, directly, every person and every group in Kosovo, and it is therefore entirely right that minority groups should make their views known on status and that their views should be taken into account. Last Thursday, just two days ago, I held one of my regular meetings with minority communities - Mr. Murati was there - and I promised that I will continue urging the Negotiating Team to reach out to and involve all communities in the status process. I am therefore pleased to note that the Negotiating Team led by President Rugova yesterday decided to establish a consultative council with minorities, and I want to congratulate the Prime Minister as a member of the Negotiating Team.
So what happens after status? The protection of minorities and minority rights is bound to be a significant component of any agreement on Kosovo’s status. Returning to my original point, it is important that these provisions on minority rights are seen as referring to all minority groups, and not only to one. But it is also important to note that, while the interests of minority groups may not always coincide – on many issues they will. Co-operation between minority groups is vital now and will continue to be so in the future. Five voices speaking together are more likely to be heard than five voices saying the same thing separately.
Beyond this it is of course obvious that co-operation between minority groups and the majority community will also be vital in the future. To say “Us and them” in politics is never helpful. Constructive dialogue – and respect for culture and history – needs to work in all directions. The minorities are likely in the future, as now, to have guaranteed representation in the institutions of Kosovo. It is important that the minorities use those rights and that representation to better the conditions not only of their own group, but that of all of Kosovo’s citizens, regardless of ethnicity and not to work along narrow, factional lines.
The make-up of your panel today indicates that minority rights – including the rights of “minority minorities”, if I can use such a bad phrase – is one that is taken increasingly seriously by the political establishment here. I’m delighted that Prime Minister Kosumi is here today as well, and I know that he, like me, will follow the outcome of today’s discussions with great interest and I know that this is not the only such gathering in the coming months.
I wish you well with your discussions today, and I thank you, once again, for inviting me here today. Thank you.