Humanitarian situation of the Kosovo refugees and displaced persons
Reply to Recommendation
| Doc. 8446
| 18 June 1999
Author(s):
Committee of Ministers
Origin
Joint reply to Recommendation 1403 and Recommendation
1404 (1999), adopted by the Committee of Ministers on 15 June 1999
at the 675th meeting of the Ministers’ Deputies. 1999 - Third part-session
The Committee of Ministers, in reply to Parliamentary
Assembly Recommendations
1403 (1999) on the crisis in Kosovo and situation in the Federal
Republic of Yugoslavia and 1404
(1999) on the humanitarian situation of the Kosovo refugees
and displaced persons, wishes to recall the extensive reply adopted
to Parliamentary Assembly Recommendations 1397
(1999) and 1400
(1999) at the 668th meeting
of the Deputies (20-22 and 27 April 1999) (Doc. 8387).
The Committee can now add the following additional information:
The above-mentioned recommendations
were transmitted to member state’s governments, drawing their attention
in particular to paragraph 17, points xiii and xiv, of Recommendation 1403 and to paragraph 10, point iv, of Recommendation 1404;
Concerning the crisis in Kosovo, the Chairman of the Committee
of Ministers published a declaration on the occasion of the 104th Session
of the Committee of Ministers in Budapest on 7 May 1999;
Point 17.iii: Upon instructions
from the Committee of Ministers, the Secretariat participates in preparations,
together with the United Nations, OSCE and the European Commission,
for the civil implementation of Resolution 1244 of the United Nations
Security Council on Kosovo of 10 June 1999. A first co-ordination
meeting has already taken place in Geneva, on 8 June, under the
chairmanship of Mr Bildt and Mr Kukan, special envoys of the United
Nations Secretary General for the Balkans. A first mission to Kosovo
of Secretariat officials is currently (as from 15 June) going on
within the framework of a United Nations advance team, for a needs
assessment in the fields of the judiciary and local administration.
Others are to follow in close co-operation with the United Nations,
OSCE and the European Commission.
Point 17.vi: At its 104th Session
held in Budapest, the Committee of Ministers endorsed the Council
of Europe contribution to the stability programme for south-east
Europe which was appended to the Committee of Ministers’ statutory
report (Doc. 8362, addendum). Furthermore, the Council of Europe has
actively participated and played an important role in the Bonn meeting
of 27 May for the preparation of a Stability Pact for South-East
Europe proposed by the German presidency of the European Union, which
includes ample reference to the possible contribution by the Council
of Europe. It should be stressed that the Council of Europe is a
full participant in this pact and the structures which will be set up
in this context. The pact was adopted on 10 June in the presence
of the Secretary General.
Point 17.iv: The Council of Europe Secretariat has elaborated
a proposal for a joint activity with Unicef for children with refugee
and war traumas, consisting in an emergency training programme for professionals
and volunteers both in Albania and in “the former Yugoslav Republic
of Macedonia”. It should be noted that the Government of Norway
made a voluntary contribution of NOK 500000 for the implementation
of this project. Provided the necessary conditions are met (in particular
the political conditions), this programme could be extended at a
later stage to the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.
Point 17.iv: A Council of Europe expert has visited Albania
with a view to preparing an awareness-raising campaign against trafficking
in female refugees from Kosovo. This mission complements the fact-finding mission
on rape in armed conflict dispatched by the Parliamentary Assembly’s
Committee on Equal Opportunities for Women and Men from 1 to 4 June
1999. Following the expert’s visit it is proposed to organise, in
close co-ordination with the relevant Albanian authorities, other
international organisations active in the field as well as international
and national NGOs concerned with the issues, a prevention campaign
among the refugee population as well as the Albanian public at large,
IGOs and international and local NGOs on the issue of trafficking
and education/training courses for schools, educators, social workers
and counsellors, on trafficking, its consequences and on how to
assist victims. In the longer term support could be given for changes
in the legal field to improve protection of victims as well as the rehabilitation
of women victims of trafficking.
Point 17.ix: In the context of the general review of the
legal status of all the Information and Documentation Centres, steps
have been taken to reinforce the position and role of the Information Centre
in Skopje, including the possibility to develop specific projects
for the region.
Point 17.x: The Council of Europe Office in Tirana has
been reinforced with additional staff from headquarters in Strasbourg
and outside experts. This has allowed the Office to provide support
to the various delegations from the Parliamentary Assembly, the
CLRAE and the Secretariat (with experts) which travelled to Albania.
Point 17.xi: The setting up of a Council of Europe office
in Pristina (and possibly other places) will be considered, when
conditions permit.
Point 17.v and vii: In 1999 financial resources for the
implementation of the initial steps of the Council of Europe programme
in the region will be made available by the reorientation of certain
existing programmes and reallocations of resources in AD ACS (and
related programmes) and by using resources under Vote XI of the
Budget, which was initially foreseen for co-operation with OSCE. Contacts
are underway with the EU Commission on the possible conclusion of
joint projects for the region. However, full implementation of the
Stability Programme will certainly require substantial additional
resources possibly through extra budgetary resources.
For an overview of current and foreseen action of the Council
of Europe in south-eastern Europe (in particular the situation of
refugees and other victims of the conflict), the attention of the
Assembly is drawn to document SG/INF (99) 7. On 4 June 1999, the
Committee of Ministers’ Rapporteur Group on Democratic Stability
(GR-EDS) held an exchange of views with representatives of the Parliamentary
Assembly, CLRAE, the Social Development Fund, the European Commission,
OSCE, UNHCR, SEEC.
