UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Monday that the UN Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) will continue to administer Kosovo in accordance with a mandate authorized by Security Council resolution 1244.
Speaking to the 15-member council in an emergency session, Ban said that recent developments were likely to have "significant operational implications" for UNMIK.
"Pending guidance from the Security Council, UNMIK will continue to consider Security Council resolution 1244 (1999) as the legal framework for its mandate and will continue to implement its mandate in light of the evolving circumstances," Ban said.
"It is my intention to act in an effective, realistic and concrete manner," he said. "In doing so, pending Security Council guidance, I might have to adjust to developments and changes on the ground."
Efforts were aimed at ensuring that the political and security situation in Kosovo and in the wider region remained stable, and that the population of Kosovo and, in particular, the minority communities were protected, he said.
Noting the EU's decision to deploy a judicial mission and an EU special representative to Kosovo, Ban said he would consider that "an enhanced role of the EU in Kosovo would be assessed in the context of the overall concept of operations of UNMIK, the objectives of the UN in Kosovo and the objectives of protecting the UN legacy in Kosovo and the Balkans."
He urged all to reaffirm and act upon their commitments to refrain from any actions or statements that could endanger peace, incite violence or jeopardize security in Kosovo and the region.
The UN chief said his overriding objectives in addressing the situation in Kosovo were to uphold international peace and security, while ensuring Kosovo's overall stability and the security of its population.
At the request of Russia and Serbia, the Security Council met Monday afternoon to discuss the situation after Kosovo's unilateral declaration of independence from Serbia. |
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