720^th meeting – 13 September 2000

Item 2.4

The crisis in Kosovo
Reply to CLRAE Recommendations 44 (1998) and 58 (1999)

Decision

The Deputies adopted the following reply to CLRAE Recommendations 44 (1998) and 58 (1999) on the crisis in Kosovo:

"The Committee of Ministers has carefully studied Recommendations 44 (1998) and 58 (1999) of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of Europe on the crisis in Kosovo.

The Committee of Ministers recalls that the Ministers, at the 106^th ministerial Session (10-11 May 2000), took note of and encouraged the ongoing contribution of the Council of Europe to the continued, full and rigorous implementation of Resolution 1244 of the United Nations Security Council, in close co-operation with UNMIK and the OSCE. In this context the Committee of Ministers notes with satisfaction the readiness of the Congress to contribute in its sphere of competence to a final settlement for Kosovo in accordance with the above-mentioned Security Council Resolution 1244. The Committee of Ministers pays tribute to the specific contribution of the Congress to the work of the Council of Europe Secretariat Office in Pristina, including through the secondment of staff. The contribution of the Congress to the setting-up by UNMIK of a provisional administration at the level of municipalities, the creation of an Academy for the training of local staff and the preparation of the provisional law on local administration also deserves to be stressed.

In the press communiqué of the 106^th ministerial Session, the Ministers, with respect to funding for the Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe, also called on financial partners to pay special attention to the need to fund Council of Europe projects, in particular those in key areas of its competence such as the functioning of justice, local democracy and the reform of public administration, taking account of the priorities of the Stability Pact.

Subsequently (June/July 2000), the Ministers’ Deputies, following the request received from the Chairperson-in-Office of the OSCE and the Special Representative of the UN Secretary General in Kosovo, authorised the Secretary General to proceed with the implementation of the observation of the electoral process in Kosovo and the co-ordination of this observation to the extent possible within the limits of the voluntary contributions and secondments confirmed for this purpose, under the leadership of Mr Victor Ruffy, appointed by the Secretary General following a secondment by the Swiss authorities. By the appointment of Mr. Owen Masters, a British member of the Congress, as Deputy to the Head of Mission, the Congress is contributing to the electoral observation process."