SERBIA: REFUGEE COORDINATOR WEEKLY ACTIVITY REPORT: MARCH

UNCLAS BELGRADE 000225 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PREF PGOV PHUM SR KV SUBJECT: SERBIA: REFUGEE COORDINATOR WEEKLY ACTIVITY REPORT: MARCH 3-7, 2008 REF: BELGRADE 0070 UNHCR: NO POPULATION MOVEMENTS FOLLOWING KOSOVO DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE -------------- -------------- ¶1. (SBU) On March 6, Refcord met with UNHCR Serbia Representative Lennart Kotsalainen and deputies Angelita Cecere (Senior Program Officer) and John Young (Senior Protection Officer) to review core UNHCR activities in the coming months. Kotsalainen said there had been no population movements into Serbia following Kosovo's declaration of independence. He assured Refcord that UNHCR, in coordination with its regional offices and partners would continue to monitor the political and security situation in the region, paying close attention any early warning signs of movement. "It's not over yet. How the next six months play out, especially in North Mitrovica, will be important," he said. UNHCR REPORTS CONTINUED ACCESS TO HIGH-LEVEL GOS OFFICIALS -------------- -------------- ¶2. (SBU) Kotsalainen reported continued good access to high-level GOS representatives in key ministries. He had recently met with Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs Feodor Starcevic to tell him UNHCR would continue to work with the GOS on durable solutions for current and any new internally displaced persons (IDPs) from Kosovo. Starcevic told Kotsalainen that the GOS would cooperate with UNHCR under the auspices of UNSC Resolution 1244. Young referenced a February 24 meeting between Deputy Prime Minister Bozidar Djelic and UN Resident Coordinator Lance Clark where Djelic assured Clark of the security of UN premises and staff following the February 21 violence against foreign embassies. In the days following the attacks, Kotsalainen said most UN offices had taken down their UN flags. DURABLE SOLUTIONS FOR CURRENT IDP CASELOAD -------------- ¶3. (SBU) Kotsalainen and Cecere feared the current political situation in Serbia would make it difficult for UNHCR to advocate and pursue durable solutions for the 206,071 IDPs from Kosovo in Serbia. Young said that Serbian authorities continued to "insist, on all levels, for the return of IDPs to Kosovo, refusing to support full integration as an option for IDPs in Serbia." According to UNHCR, only 788 IDPs returned to Kosovo in 2007. Young worried the GOS position would have a negative impact on the type of assistance donors could provide, confining them to limited programs linked only to return. Kotsalainen said UNHCR would continue to press the GOS to support integration for those IDPs unwilling or unable to return to Kosovo. Contingent on GOS support, UNHCR plans to engage donors later this spring to support housing and employment programs which would allow the most vulnerable IDPs to live a dignified life in Serbia. LIKELY DELAYS IN ASYLUM PROCESS -------------- ¶4. (SBU) UNHCR will continue working toward establishing an asylum system in Serbia. The GOS adopted the Asylum Law in November 2007, which is due to go into effect April 1, 2008. Young worried that the current political environment and the lack of interest by the Ministry of Interior to move the process forward would certainly prolong implementation beyond April. DANISH REFUGEE COUNCIL: CROSS-BORDER ACTIVITIES PROGRESSING SMOOTHLY -------------- -------------- ¶5. (SBU) Danish Refugee Council Regional Representative Anders Engberg told Refcord on March 10 that DRC's cross-border operations, including several go-and-see visits in early March were on-track. Engberg will travel to Kosovo this week to monitor activities on the ground. DRC had resumed cross border operations March 3 following a two-week pause post Kosovo declaration of independence. MUNTER