Feedback
Email this page
Print VersionUN secretary-general says UNMIK unable to carry out tasks efficiently
18/07/2008
PRISTINA, Kosovo -- UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said on Thursday (July 17th) that given the new reality in Kosovo, UNMIK can no longer efficiently carry out its tasks as a transitory administration. In his report on Kosovo, Ban said that Pristina's declaration of independence disabled UNMIK and that the mission has been "fundamentally challenged, owing to actions taken by the authorities in Pristina and the Kosovar Serbs". Ban has instructed his special representative in Kosovo, Lamberto Zannier, to initiate UNMIK's reconfiguration so the mission can adapt to the new situation on the ground. The UN Security Council will debate the report next week.
In other news Thursday, Kosovo's Anti-Corruption Agency said publicly owned enterprises take the blame in most cases of suspected corruption, followed by the government and courts as public institutions. In its regular six-month report, the agency said 68 cases of corruption registered in the first half of the year caused losses of 6m euros to the budget.
A separate report issued by the UNDP on Thursday ranked Kosovo as the poorest region in Southeast Europe and as having the highest unemployment rate. About 53% of the population live below the poverty line, while the jobless rate is between 45% and 50%. (Koha Ditore, Express, Lajm, Zeri - 18/07/08; RTS, RTK, Reuters, Kohavision, Tanjug - 17/07/08)
