This Issue

East Timor

SC Resolution 1246, 11 June 1999

Selected Extracts

"The Security Council,

Decides to establish until 31 August 1999 the United Nations Mission in East Timor (UNAMET) to organise and conduct a popular consultation, scheduled for 8 August 1999, on the basis of a direct, secret and universal ballot, in order to ascertain whether the East Timorese people accept the proposed constitutional framework providing for a special autonomy for East Timor within the unitary Republic of Indonesia or reject the proposed special autonomy for East Timor, leading to East Timor's separation from Indonesia …;

Authorises until 31 August 1999 the deployment within UNAMET of up to 280 civilian police officers to act as advisers to the Indonesian Police in the discharge of their duties and, at the time of the consultation, to supervise the escort of ballot papers and boxes to and from the polling sites;

Authorises until 31 August 1999 the deployment within UNAMET of 50 military liaison officers to maintain contact with the Indonesian Armed Forces in order to allow the Secretary-General to discharge his responsibilities …;

Endorses the Secretary-General's proposal that UNAMET should also incorporate the following components:

• a political component responsible for monitoring the fairness of the political environment, for ensuring the freedom of all political and other non-governmental organisations to carry out their activities freely and for monitoring and advising the Special Representative on all matters with political implications,
• an electoral component responsible for all activities related to registration and voting,
• an information component responsible for explaining to the East Timorese people, in an objective and impartial manner without prejudice to any position or outcome, the terms of the General Agreement and the proposed autonomy framework, for providing information on the process and procedure of the vote and for explaining the implications of a vote in favour or against the proposal;

Notes the intention of the Governments of Indonesia and Portugal to send an equal number of representatives to observe all the operational phases of the consultation process both inside and outside East Timor".

UN Doc: S/RES/1246- 11 June 1999

Kosovo

SG's statement on Kosovo, 9 April 1999

Full Text

"I am deeply distressed by the tragedy taking place in Kosovo and in the region, which must be brought to an end. The suffering of innocent civilians should not be further prolonged. In this spirit, I urgently call upon the Yugoslav authorities to undertake the following commitments:

first, to end immediately the campaign of intimidation and expulsion of the civilian population;

two, to cease all activities of military and paramilitary forces in Kosovo and to withdraw these forces;

three, to accept unconditionally the return of refugees and displaced persons to their homes;

four, to accept the deployment of an international military force to ensure a secure environment for the return of the refugees and unimpeded delivery of humanitarian aid; and

finally, to permit the international community to verify compliance with these undertakings.

Upon the acceptance by the Yugoslav authorities of these conditions, I urge the leaders of the North Atlantic Alliance to suspend immediately the air bombardments upon the territory of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.

Ultimately, the cessation of hostilities I propose is a prelude to a lasting political solution to the crisis, which can only be achieved through diplomacy. In this context, I would urge the resumption of talks on Kosovo among all parties concerned at the earliest possible moment".

UN Doc: SG/SM/6952- 9 April 1999

SC Resolution 1244, 10 June 1999

Selected Extracts

"The Security Council,

Decides that a political solution to the Kosovo crisis shall be based on the general principles in annex 1 and as further elaborated in the principles and other required elements in annex 2;

Welcomes the acceptance by the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia of the principles and other required elements referred to in [annexes 1 and 2], and demands the full co-operation of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in their rapid implementation;

Demands in particular that the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia put an immediate and verifiable end to violence and repression in Kosovo, and begin and complete verifiable phased withdrawal from Kosovo of all military, police and paramilitary forces according to a rapid timetable, with which the deployment of the international security presence in Kosovo will be synchronised;

Confirms that after the withdrawal, an agreed number of Yugoslav and Serb military and police personnel will be permitted to return to Kosovo to perform the functions in accordance with annex 2;

Decides on the deployment in Kosovo, under United Nations auspices, of international civil and security presences, with appropriate equipment and personnel as required, and welcomes the agreement of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia to such presences;

Requests the Secretary-General to appoint, in consultation with the Security Council, a Special Representative to control the implementation of the international civil presence, and further requests the Secretary-General to instruct his Special Representative to co-ordinate closely with the international security presence to ensure that both presences operate towards the same goals and in a mutually supportive manner;

Authorises member states and relevant international organisations to establish the international security presence in Kosovo as set out in point 4 of annex 2 with all necessary means to fulfil its responsibilities …;

Affirms the need for the rapid early deployment of effective international civil and security presences to Kosovo, and demands that the parties co-operate fully in their deployment;

Decides that the responsibilities of the international security presence to be deployed and acting in Kosovo will include:

• Deterring renewed hostilities, maintaining and where necessary enforcing a cease-fire, and ensuring the withdrawal and preventing the return into Kosovo of Federal and Republic military, police and paramilitary forces, except as provided [above];
• Demilitarising the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) and other armed Kosovo Albanian groups as required … below;
• Establishing a secure environment in which refugees and displaced persons can return home in safety, the international civil presence can operate, a transitional administration can be established, and humanitarian aid can be delivered;
• Ensuring public safety and order until the international civil presence can take responsibility for this task;
• Supervising demining until the international civil presence can, as appropriate, take over responsibility for this task;
• Supporting, as appropriate, and co-ordinating closely with the work of the international civil presence;
• Conducting border monitoring duties as required;
• Ensuring the protection and freedom of movement of itself, the international civil presence, and other international organisations;

Authorises the Secretary-General, with the assistance of relevant international organisations, to establish an international civil presence in Kosovo in order to provide an interim administration for Kosovo under which the people of Kosovo can enjoy substantial autonomy within the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, and which will provide transitional administration while establishing and overseeing the development of provisional democratic self-governing institutions to ensure conditions for a peaceful and normal life for all inhabitants of Kosovo;

Decides that the main responsibilities of the international civil presence will include:

• Promoting the establishment, pending a final settlement, of substantial autonomy and self-government in Kosovo, taking full account of annex 2 and of the Rambouillet accords;
• Performing basic civilian administrative functions where and as long as required;
• Organising and overseeing the development of provisional institutions for democratic and autonomous self-government pending a political settlement, including the holding of elections;
• Transferring, as these institutions are established, its administrative responsibilities while overseeing and supporting the consolidation of Kosovo's local provisional institutions and other peace-building activities;
• Facilitating a political process designed to determine Kosovo's future status, taking into account the Rambouillet accords (S/1999/648);
• In a final stage, overseeing the transfer of authority from Kosovo's provisional institutions to institutions established under a political settlement;
• Supporting the reconstruction of key infrastructure and other economic reconstruction;
• Supporting, in coordination with international humanitarian organizations, humanitarian and disaster relief aid;
• Maintaining civil law and order, including establishing local police forces and meanwhile through the deployment of international police personnel to serve in Kosovo;
• Protecting and promoting human rights;
• Assuring the safe and unimpeded return of all refugees and displaced persons to their homes in Kosovo;

… Demands full cooperation by all concerned, including the international security presence, with the International Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia;

Demands that the KLA and other armed Kosovo Albanian groups end immediately all offensive actions and comply with the requirements for demilitarization as laid down by the head of the international security presence in consultation with the Special Representative of the Secretary-General;

… Decides that the international civil and security presences are established for an initial period of 12 months, to continue thereafter unless the Security Council decides otherwise;

Annex 1: Statement by the Chair on the conclusion of the meeting of the G-8 Foreign Ministers held at the Petersberg Centre, 6 May 1999

The G-8 Foreign Ministers adopted the following general principles on the political solution to the Kosovo crisis:

• Immediate and verifiable end of violence and repression in Kosovo;
• Withdrawal from Kosovo of military, police and paramilitary forces;
• Deployment in Kosovo of effective international civil and security presences, endorsed and adopted by the United Nations, capable of guaranteeing the achievement of the common objectives;
• Establishment of an interim administration for Kosovo to be decided by the Security Council of the United Nations to ensure conditions for a peaceful and normal life for all inhabitants in Kosovo;
• The safe and free return of all refugees and displaced persons and unimpeded access to Kosovo by humanitarian aid organisations;
• A political process towards the establishment of an interim political framework agreement providing for a substantial self-government for Kosovo, taking full account of the Rambouillet accords and the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and the other countries of the region, and the demilitarisation of the KLA;
• Comprehensive approach to the economic development and stabilisation of the crisis region.

         Annex 2: Settlement Proposal Presented to the FRY, 2 June

Agreement should be reached on the following principles to move towards a resolution of the Kosovo crisis:

An immediate and verifiable end of violence and repression in Kosovo.

Verifiable withdrawal from Kosovo of all military, police and paramilitary forces according to a rapid timetable.

Deployment in Kosovo under United Nations auspices of effective international civil and security presences, acting as may be decided under Chapter VII of the Charter, capable of guaranteeing the achievement of common objectives.

The international security presence with substantial North Atlantic Treaty Organisation participation must be deployed under unified command and control and authorised to establish a safe environment for all people in Kosovo and to facilitate the safe return to their homes of all displaced persons and refugees.

Establishment of an interim administration for Kosovo as a part of the international civil presence under which the people of Kosovo can enjoy substantial autonomy within the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, to be decided by the Security Council of the United Nations. The interim administration to provide transitional administration while establishing and overseeing the development of provisional democratic self-governing institutions to ensure conditions for a peaceful and normal life for all inhabitants in Kosovo.

After withdrawal, an agreed number of Yugoslav and Serbian personnel will be permitted to return to perform the following functions:

• Liaison with the international civil mission and the international security presence;
• Marking/clearing minefields;
• Maintaining a presence at Serb patrimonial sites;
• Maintaining a presence at key border crossings.

Safe and free return of all refugees and displaced persons under the supervision of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and unimpeded access to Kosovo by humanitarian aid organisations.

A political process towards the establishment of an interim political framework agreement providing for substantial self-government for Kosovo, taking full account of the Rambouillet accords and the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and the other countries of the

region, and the demilitarisation of UCK. Negotiations between the parties for a settlement should not delay or disrupt the establishment of democratic self-governing institutions.

A comprehensive approach to the economic development and stabilisation of the crisis region. This will include the implementation of a stability pact for South-Eastern Europe with broad international participation in order to further promotion of democracy, economic prosperity, stability and regional co-operation.

Suspension of military activity will require acceptance of the principles set forth above in addition to agreement to other, previously identified, required elements, which are specified in the footnote below.¹ A military-technical agreement will then be rapidly concluded that would, among other things, specify additional modalities, including the roles and functions of Yugoslav/Serb personnel in Kosovo:

Withdrawal

Procedures for withdrawals, including the phased, detailed schedule and delineation of a buffer area in Serbia beyond which forces will be withdrawn;

Returning personnel

Equipment associated with returning personnel;

Terms of reference for their functional responsibilities;

Timetable for their return;

Delineation of their geographical areas of operation;

Rules governing their relationship to the international security presence and the international civil mission.

Notes

¹ Other required elements:

• A rapid and precise timetable for withdrawals, meaning, e.g., seven days to complete withdrawal and air defence weapons withdrawn outside a 25 kilometre mutual safety zone within 48 hours;
• Return of personnel for the four functions specified above will be under the supervision of the international security presence and will be limited to a small agreed number (hundreds, not thousands);
• Suspension of military activity will occur after the beginning of verifiable withdrawals;
• The discussion and achievement of a military-technical agreement shall not extend the previously determined time for completion of withdrawals.

Source: Un Doc; S/RES/1244- 10 June 1999

Western Sahara

SC Resolution 1238, 14 May 1999

Selected Extracts

"The Security Council,

Decides to extend the mandate of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) until 14 September 1999 in order to resume the identification process, start the appeals process and conclude all outstanding agreements needed to implement the Settlement Plan, and reaffirms the rights of the applicants, with an expectation that the appeals process will not be turned into a second round of identification;

Supports the proposed increase in staff of the Identification Commission from 25 to 30 members, and the proposed increase also in the necessary support activities, in order to strengthen the Commission and enable it to continue working with full authority and independence, in accordance with its mandate as authorised by the Security Council, and to accomplish its tasks expeditiously".

UN Doc: S/RES/1238- 14 May 1999

Guinea Bissau

SC Resolution 1233, 6 April 1999

Selected Extracts

"The Security Council,

Supports the decision of the Secretary-General to establish a Post-Conflict Peace Building Support Office in Guinea-Bissau (UNOGBIS) under the leadership of a Representative of the Secretary-General which will provide the political framework and leadership for harmonising and integrating the activities of the United Nations system in Guinea-Bissau during the transitional period leading up to general and presidential elections and will facilitate, in close co-operation with the parties concerned, ECOWAS, ECOMOG as well as other national and international partners, the implementation of the Abuja Agreement;

Encourages all agencies, programmes, offices and funds of the United Nations system, including the Bretton Woods institutions, as well as other international partners to lend their support to UNOGBIS and to the Representative of the Secretary-General in order to establish, together with the Government of Guinea-Bissau, a comprehensive, concerted and co-ordinated approach to peace-building in Guinea-Bissau".

UN Doc: S/RES/1233- 6 April 1999

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