United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo

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(Redirected from UNMIK)

Template:Politics of Kosovo The United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo or UNMIK is an interim civilian administration of the province (as part of Serbia and Montenegro) called Kosovo, under the authority of the United Nations. The current head of UNMIK is the Danish international civil servant Søren Jessen-Petersen, who was appointed in 2004. The mission was established on June 10, 1999 by Security Council Resolution 1244.

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Structure

UNMIK is divided into four sections which it calls "pillars". These are:

A NATO-led force called KFOR provides an international security presence in support of UNMIK's work.

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Duties

According to resolution 1244, UNMIK is to:

  • perform basic civilian administrative functions;
  • promote the establishment of substantial autonomy and self-government in Kosovo;
  • facilitate a political process to determine Kosovo's future status;
  • coordinate humanitarian and disaster relief of all international agencies;
  • support the reconstruction of key infrastructure;
  • maintain civil law and order;
  • promote human rights; and
  • assure the safe and unimpeded return of all refugees and displaced persons to their homes in Kosovo.
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Criticism

UNMIK has been widely criticized for failing to achieve its stated objectives. After six years of work (as of 2005), UNMIK has been accused of failing in most of its tasks:

  • Establishment of substantial autonomy and self-government in Kosovo is not promoted; rather, all key political factors maintain that full independence of Kosovo as their immediate goal;[1]
  • A political process to determine Kosovo's future status is not facilitated;
  • Key infrastructure is not reconstructed; specifically, electric distribution is still very problematic;
  • Civil law and order is not maintained;
  • Human rights are not being promoted;
  • There are around 150.000 refugees from Kosovo, the vast majority of whom are Serbs, who still can't return to their homes.
  • The growing ethnic tensions between the peoples of Kosovo were not assessed to as promised.

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UNMIK is also resented by those who perceive it to be an agent of foreign occupation on Serbia's sovereign territory.

The UNMIK administrator, Søren Jessen-Petersen, has also been criticized for being too close to those alleged to have masterminded attacks against Serbian civilians during the Kosovo War.[4]

UNMIK has also been criticized for failing to stop alleged reprisals or "ethnic cleansing" against the Roma and Serb communities of Kosovo.[5]

In June 2005, a BBC article suggested that the European Roma Rights Centre were to sue UNMik over Roma in Mitrovica Camps.

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See also

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External links

de:United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo nl:UNMIK sv:United Nations Mission in Kosovo

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