Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09STATE69813
2009-07-06 22:42:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Secretary of State
Cable title:  

KOSOVO - REDUCING THE FREQUENCY OF UNMIK REPORTS

Tags:  UNSC PREL KV 
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VZCZCXYZ0003
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHC #9813 1872304
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 062242Z JUL 09
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 6765
INFO UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHBW/AMEMBASSY BELGRADE PRIORITY 0077
RUEHPS/AMEMBASSY PRISTINA PRIORITY 6013
C O N F I D E N T I A L STATE 069813 

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/05/2019
TAGS: UNSC PREL KV
SUBJECT: KOSOVO - REDUCING THE FREQUENCY OF UNMIK REPORTS
TO UNSC

Classified By: IO/PDAS Gerald Anderson for reason 1.4(b).

C O N F I D E N T I A L STATE 069813

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/05/2019
TAGS: UNSC PREL KV
SUBJECT: KOSOVO - REDUCING THE FREQUENCY OF UNMIK REPORTS
TO UNSC

Classified By: IO/PDAS Gerald Anderson for reason 1.4(b).


1. (U) This is an action request. Please see paragraph 2.

OBJECTIVES AND ACTION REQUEST
--------------


2. (SBU) The Department requests that USUN work with the
Secretariat and UNSC members to reduce the frequency of SYG
reports to the UNSC on the situation in Kosovo under
resolution 1244 to a bi-annual, rather than the current
quarterly schedule. The Department has raised this with
British, French, German, and Italian Balkans Directors and
they have agreed to a coordinated approach in New York. If
compromise is necessary, Department could fall back to three
times per year.

BACKGROUND
--------------


3. (C) Neither UNSCR 1244 nor any other binding resolution
mandates the frequency of the SYG's reports to the UNSC on
the implementation of the resolution, nor does the current
pace or intensity of developments show a need for quarterly
reports. The practice of submitting such reports once per
quarter appears driven by its own inertia. The next report
would normally occur in September when the U.S. is President
of the UNSC. Our Presidency may provide an opportunity to
work with the Secretariat and members on this procedural
change. On June 19, SRSG Zannier told Deputy Secretary
Steinberg that the meetings to discuss these reports have
little value for UNMIK and serve only to provide a forum for
leaders of Kosovo and Serbia to make public remarks directed
at their respective domestic audiences. The resulting media
reaction in Pristina leads to trouble on the ground,
according to Zannier, with each UNSC debate on an UNMIK
report typically followed by premature calls for UNMIK to
depart. Zannier told EUR DAS Stuart Jones that he thought
the Government of Serbia might be open to considering less
frequent reports. Zannier also recommended that the UNSC
discussions of these reports occur in closed sessions.


4. (U) Mission may draw on the following points if needed.

Begin Points:

-- While the UNSC remains seized of the Kosovo issue and
UNSCR 1244 remains in effect, UNSC attention is not required
as frequently as in the past. UNMIK is reconfiguring, the
situation on the ground is generally calm, and the EU-led
EULEX rule of law mission has reached full operational
capability.

-- It is important for the UNSC to hear from UNMIK regularly,
but given the changed circumstances we believe these reports
would be more useful if provided twice per year instead of
the current practice of once per quarter.

-- Kosovo, Serbia, UN staff, and UNSC members have rarely
raised new points of discussion in the last several meetings.
Discussions have hardened positions while producing no
counterbalancing progress on outstanding issues.

--- Leaders of Kosovo and Serbia typically make remarks in
open session directed primarily to their respective domestic
audiences. There is no continued benefit to conducting these
debates in open session.

End points.
CLINTON