No agreement on who should conduct investigation

UN Security Council members have agreed that it is necessary to conduct an investigation into Dick Marty’s human organ trade allegations in Kosovo. However, they failed to agree on who should lead the probe, EULEX or the UN. No agreement on who should conduct investigation U.S., Britain, Germany and France have assessed that EULEX has the capacity to conduct the investigation. However, the countries that have not recognized Kosovo’s independence led by Russia and China, said that the investigation should be conducted under the UN mandate. Ambassadors of the UN Security Council member states have welcomed the beginning of the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue as a way to solve practical issues. Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin has said that the UN Security Council Resolution 1244 is still in effect and that UNMIK should play a key role in Kosovo. “Moscow supports Serbia’s proposal to form an international investigative body that would answer to the UN and cooperate with EULEX,” he said and added that a detailed investigation would lead to truth and reconciliation. The Russian ambassador explained that EULEX had never conducted such an investigation and expressed belief that the Security Council would get its attention back to the investigation into Marty’s allegations. U.S. Ambassador Rosemary DiCarlo has welcomed EULEX’s decision to investigate the allegations from Marty’s report and assessed that the mission has both jurisdiction and mandate to perform the investigation. She stressed that EULEX had already started a preliminary investigation which was following up on allegations from the Marty report, adding that nothing was stopping EULEX from dealing with it. The U.S. ambassador said that many crimes in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia and Serbia were investigated by domestic courts. British Ambassador Philip Parham pointed out that EULEX had the authority, jurisdiction and ability to conduct a thorough and unbiased investigation and protect the witnesses. “EULEX’s role is becoming more important since it will be running the investigation into Dick Marty’s accusations. Even though some Security Council members and Serbia are worried, we think that EULEX fulfills the conditions set by the UN secretary general when he called for a thorough and unbiased investigation,” Parham stated. German Ambassador Peter Wittig said that Germany was taking Marty’s report seriously and that the investigation into the horrible crimes was necessary. “We have already said that, in our opinion, there is no doubt that EULEX has the capacity to conduct such investigation,” he stressed, adding that EULEX had an independent witness protection unit that could be additionally reinforced. Brazil’s Ambassador Maria Luiza Ribeiro Viotti pointed out that her country was worried about the allegations Marty had made in his reports and assessed that seriousness of the allegations could not be neglected. She said that a thorough and unbiased investigation was necessary, stressing that jurisdiction should be discussed in accordance with the Resolution 1244. The Brazilian ambassador also stated that the investigation could be conducted under the UN Security Council’s patronage. Chinese Ambassador Li Baodong said that his country supported Serbia’s legitimate proposals and urged the UN to conduct the investigation. Indian Ambassador Hardeep Singh Puri pointed out a need for an unbiased investigation into Marty’s allegations, adding that all sides should agree on a mechanism that would help conduct the probe. French Ambassador Gerard Araud underscored that the allegations from Marty’s report had been taken seriously and that EULEX had already started the investigation in order to “shed some light on the allegations” and that “unbiased international investigation is therefore already underway”. He called on all parties to help EULEX during the probe. Serbian Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic has called on the UN Security Council to support the investigation into the trafficking of Kosovo Serbs’ organs and pointed out that Belgrade would not give up on finding out the complete truth. The UN Security Council (Beta)

No agreement on who should conduct investigation

U.S., Britain, Germany and France have assessed that EULEX has the capacity to conduct the investigation.

However, the countries that have not recognized Kosovo’s independence led by Russia and China, said that the investigation should be conducted under the UN mandate.

Ambassadors of the UN Security Council member states have welcomed the beginning of the Belgrade-Priština dialogue as a way to solve practical issues.

Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin has said that the UN Security Council Resolution 1244 is still in effect and that UNMIK should play a key role in Kosovo.

“Moscow supports Serbia’s proposal to form an international investigative body that would answer to the UN and cooperate with EULEX,” he said and added that a detailed investigation would lead to truth and reconciliation.

The Russian ambassador explained that EULEX had never conducted such an investigation and expressed belief that the Security Council would get its attention back to the investigation into Marty’s allegations.

U.S. Ambassador Rosemary DiCarlo has welcomed EULEX’s decision to investigate the allegations from Marty’s report and assessed that the mission has both jurisdiction and mandate to perform the investigation.

She stressed that EULEX had already started a preliminary investigation which was following up on allegations from the Marty report, adding that nothing was stopping EULEX from dealing with it. The U.S. ambassador said that many crimes in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia and Serbia were investigated by domestic courts.

British Ambassador Philip Parham pointed out that EULEX had the authority, jurisdiction and ability to conduct a thorough and unbiased investigation and protect the witnesses.

“EULEX’s role is becoming more important since it will be running the investigation into Dick Marty’s accusations. Even though some Security Council members and Serbia are worried, we think that EULEX fulfills the conditions set by the UN secretary general when he called for a thorough and unbiased investigation,” Parham stated.

German Ambassador Peter Wittig said that Germany was taking Marty’s report seriously and that the investigation into the horrible crimes was necessary.

“We have already said that, in our opinion, there is no doubt that EULEX has the capacity to conduct such investigation,” he stressed, adding that EULEX had an independent witness protection unit that could be additionally reinforced.

Brazil’s Ambassador Maria Luiza Ribeiro Viotti pointed out that her country was worried about the allegations Marty had made in his reports and assessed that seriousness of the allegations could not be neglected.

She said that a thorough and unbiased investigation was necessary, stressing that jurisdiction should be discussed in accordance with the Resolution 1244. The Brazilian ambassador also stated that the investigation could be conducted under the UN Security Council’s patronage.

Chinese Ambassador Li Baodong said that his country supported Serbia’s legitimate proposals and urged the UN to conduct the investigation.

Indian Ambassador Hardeep Singh Puri pointed out a need for an unbiased investigation into Marty’s allegations, adding that all sides should agree on a mechanism that would help conduct the probe.

French Ambassador Gerard Araud underscored that the allegations from Marty’s report had been taken seriously and that EULEX had already started the investigation in order to “shed some light on the allegations” and that “unbiased international investigation is therefore already underway”. He called on all parties to help EULEX during the probe.

Serbian Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremić has called on the UN Security Council to support the investigation into the trafficking of Kosovo Serbs’ organs and pointed out that Belgrade would not give up on finding out the complete truth.