Serbia to ask UNSC for Kosovo probe "mechanism"

The United Nations Security Council will today discuss Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's new report on the situation in Kosovo and Metohija. As announced by the Serbian Foreign Ministry, Serbia will be represented at the session by the country's foreign minister, Vuk Jeremic. Serbia to ask UNSC for Kosovo probe "mechanism" In Belgrade on Wednesday, Jeremic told Tanjug that Serbia will officially request that the UN Security Counci provides an investigative mechanism which would look into the allegations Council of Europe Special Rapporteur Dick Marty put forward in his report on human organ trafficking. “All war crimes committed during the wars in the former Yugoslavia have so far been investigated in scope of the mandate of UN Security Council which has been dully informed of the results of those investigations. Things have do be done in the same way this time as well,” he underlined. Jeremic cautioned that the EU mission in the province, EULEX, "cannot carry out the investigation by itself, since it lacked territorial jurisdiction over the countries in which such an investigation should be launched, as its mandate covered only Kosovo and Metohija". "On the other hand, we have to make it possible for the investigative mechanism, whatever its nature, to have the capacity of protecting witnesses," Jeremic pointed out and recalled that witness protection was also one of the important parts of Marty's report. According to Jeremic, Serbia's diplomacy has had intensive consultations with all UN SC member states over the past few weeks, all with the aim to secure the broadest possible support at today's session. “I do not expect the debate to be completed today. This is just the beginning of the debate and talks in scope of the Security Council. Serbia will continue to insist on the launching of a credible international investigation in scope of the UN Security Council mandate,” Jeremic underscored. The organ trafficking case gained prominence after a report submitted by CoE Rapporteur Dick Marty in December, and a subsequent resolution of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly. It calls for an investigation into allegations that Serb and other civilians were kidnapped in Kosovo by the members of the ethnic Albanian KLA, illegally detained in Albania and had their body parts removed to be sold in the black market. Meanwhile, in his new report seen by Tanjug news agency, Ban stated that the UN mission in Kosovo, UNMIK, is ready to fully support the investigation into the allegations about human organ trafficking in Kosovo, and also expressed expectation that a progress will be made towards the opening of a dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina in the coming period. The report, which refers to the period between October 19 and January 15, reads that UNMIK presented the information and findings on the alleged human organ trafficking to the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) in 2003, and that in late 2008 and early 2009 it had all the documents transferred to EULEX. In his report, Ban expressed regret that the collapse of the ruling coalition in Pristina and the calling of early elections postponed the beginning of the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue. The UN secretary-general expressed hope that visible progress will be made in the dialogue process, and that the developments in Pristina would contribute to political stability that would lead to a prompt initiation of negotiations. Ban estimated the overall situation in Kosovo as a relatively quiet one, but still potentially unstable, as organized crime remains a concern, especially in relation to drug trafficking and smuggling. Vuk Jeremic (Tanjug, file)

Serbia to ask UNSC for Kosovo probe "mechanism"

In Belgrade on Wednesday, Jeremić told Tanjug that Serbia will officially request that the UN Security Counci provides an investigative mechanism which would look into the allegations Council of Europe Special Rapporteur Dick Marty put forward in his report on human organ trafficking.

“All war crimes committed during the wars in the former Yugoslavia have so far been investigated in scope of the mandate of UN Security Council which has been dully informed of the results of those investigations. Things have do be done in the same way this time as well,” he underlined.

Jeremić cautioned that the EU mission in the province, EULEX, "cannot carry out the investigation by itself, since it lacked territorial jurisdiction over the countries in which such an investigation should be launched, as its mandate covered only Kosovo and Metohija".

"On the other hand, we have to make it possible for the investigative mechanism, whatever its nature, to have the capacity of protecting witnesses," Jeremić pointed out and recalled that witness protection was also one of the important parts of Marty's report.

According to Jeremić, Serbia's diplomacy has had intensive consultations with all UN SC member states over the past few weeks, all with the aim to secure the broadest possible support at today's session.

“I do not expect the debate to be completed today. This is just the beginning of the debate and talks in scope of the Security Council. Serbia will continue to insist on the launching of a credible international investigation in scope of the UN Security Council mandate,” Jeremić underscored.

The organ trafficking case gained prominence after a report submitted by CoE Rapporteur Dick Marty in December, and a subsequent resolution of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly. It calls for an investigation into allegations that Serb and other civilians were kidnapped in Kosovo by the members of the ethnic Albanian KLA, illegally detained in Albania and had their body parts removed to be sold in the black market.

Meanwhile, in his new report seen by Tanjug news agency, Ban stated that the UN mission in Kosovo, UNMIK, is ready to fully support the investigation into the allegations about human organ trafficking in Kosovo, and also expressed expectation that a progress will be made towards the opening of a dialogue between Belgrade and Priština in the coming period.

The report, which refers to the period between October 19 and January 15, reads that UNMIK presented the information and findings on the alleged human organ trafficking to the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) in 2003, and that in late 2008 and early 2009 it had all the documents transferred to EULEX.

In his report, Ban expressed regret that the collapse of the ruling coalition in Priština and the calling of early elections postponed the beginning of the Belgrade-Priština dialogue.

The UN secretary-general expressed hope that visible progress will be made in the dialogue process, and that the developments in Priština would contribute to political stability that would lead to a prompt initiation of negotiations.

Ban estimated the overall situation in Kosovo as a relatively quiet one, but still potentially unstable, as organized crime remains a concern, especially in relation to drug trafficking and smuggling.