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AGREEMENT ON OSCE KOSOVO VERIFICATION MISSION
(Between OSCE and "Federal Republic of Yugoslavia" Oct. 16)
21 October 1998
[NOTE: On October 16, OSCE Chairman-in-Office Bronislaw Geremek
signed an agreement with "Federal Republic of Yugoslavia" Foreign
Minister Zivadin Jovanovic in Belgrade; the agreement outlined the
parameters of the OSCE Kosovo Verification Mission.]
(Begin text)
OSCE KOSOVO VERIFICATION MISSION
Preambular Language
- Devoted to the respect of the principles of the UN Charter and to
the Principles of the Helsinki Final Act on peace, stability and
cooperation in Europe, as well as to the Paris Charter,
- Considering in particular the importance of reaching a peaceful,
democratic and lasting solution of all existing problems in the
Province of Kosovo and Metohija, based on the equality of all citizens
and national and ethnic communities,
- Devoted to the respect of the sovereignty and territorial integrity
of all states in the region,
- Agreeing to comply with and willing to contribute to the FRY
implementation of Resolutions 1160 and 1199 of the UN Security
Council,
- The Federal Government of the FR of Yugoslavia, on one side,
- and, The OSCE, on the other,
- have reached the following,
AGREEMENT:
Establishment and Termination
- The OSCE Kosovo Verification Mission will be established by the OSCE
Permanent Council pursuant to a resolution of the United Nations
Security Council calling upon OSCE to establish the Mission.
- The FRY government has informed the OSCE Chairman-in-Office of its
endorsement of the establishment of the Mission.
- OSCE will request member states to contribute personnel and funding
for the Verification Mission in accordance with established
procedures.
- OSCE will establish coordination with other organizations it may
deem appropriate to allow the Verification Mission to accomplish all
its objectives most effectively.
- KDOM will act in place of the OSCE Verification Mission pending its
establishment. Once OSCE is operational, KDOM will be absorbed by the
Verification Mission.
- The FRY government hereby guarantees the safety and security of the
Verification Mission and all its members.
- In the event of an emergency situation in Kosovo which in the
judgment of the Mission Director threatens the safety of members of
the Verification Mission, the FRY shall permit and cooperate in the
evacuation of Verification Mission members.
- The FRY government will accept the OSCE Verification Mission as a
diplomatic entity in terms of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic
Relations. The Mission will enjoy the privileges and immunities
conferred by such status, as will its members, in accordance with the
Vienna Convention.
- The FRY government and its entities will designate formal liaison
officers to work with the Verification Mission in Belgrade, Pristina,
and field locations. The FRY, Serbian, and Kosovo authorities will
undertake to provide full cooperation and support to the Verification
Mission. This will include, but not be limited to, billets, frequency
or frequencies, visas and documentation, customs facilities, vehicle
registration, fuel, medical support, airspace access for support
aircraft, and access to Belgrade, Pristina and other airports in
accordance with normal procedures.
- The OSCE and the FRY agree on a Verification Mission for one year,
with extensions upon the request of either the OSCE Chairman-in-Office
or the FRY government.
General Responsibilities, Roles and Missions
- To verify compliance by all parties in Kosovo with UN Security
Council Resolution 1199, and report instances of progress and/or non-
compliance to the OSCE Permanent Council, the United Nations Security
Council and other organizations. These reports will also be provided
to the authorities of the FRY.
- To establish permanent presences at as many locations throughout
Kosovo as it deems necessary to fulfil its responsibilities;
- To maintain close liaison with FRY, Serbian and, as appropriate,
other Kosovo authorities, political parties and other organizations in
Kosovo and accredited international and non-government organizations
to assist in fulfilling its responsibilities;
- To supervise elections in Kosovo to ensure their openness and
fairness in accordance with regulations and procedures to be agreed.
For the elections, the Mission may be augmented with elections support
personnel;
- To report and make recommendations to the OSCE Permanent Council,
the UN Security Council, and other organizations on areas covered by
UN Security Council Resolution 1199.
Specific Terms of Reference
- The Verification Mission will travel throughout Kosovo to verify the
maintenance of the cease-fire by all elements. It will investigate
reports of cease-fire violations. Mission personnel will have full
freedom of movement and access throughout Kosovo at all times.
- The Verification Mission will receive weekly information from
relevant FRY/Serbian military/police headquarters in Kosovo regarding
movements of forces during the preceding week into, out of, or within
Kosovo. Upon request of the Verification Mission Director, Mission
personnel may be invited to accompany police within Kosovo.
- The Verification Mission will look for and report on roadblocks and
other emplacements which influence lines of communication erected for
purposes other than traffic or crime control. The Mission Director
will contact the relevant authorities upon receipt of such reports.
These authorities will explain the reasons for the emplacements or
else direct that the emplacements be removed immediately. The
Verification Mission will also receive notification should emergent
circumstances lead to the establishment of a roadblock for other than
traffic or crime control-related reasons. The Mission Director may
request the removal of any roadblock.
- The Verification Mission will maintain liaison with FRY authorities
about border control activity and movements by units with border
control responsibilities through areas of Kosovo away from the border.
The Verification Mission, when invited by the FRY authorities or upon
its request, will visit border control units and accompany them as
they perform their normal border control roles.
- When invited or upon request, the Verification Mission will
accompany police units in Kosovo as they perform their normal policing
roles.
- The Verification Mission will, to the extent possible, assist UNHCR,
ICRC, and other international organizations in facilitating the return
of displaced persons to their homes, the provision of facilitative and
humanitarian assistance to them by the FRY, Serbian, and Kosovo
authorities as well as the humanitarian organizations and NGOs. The
Mission will verify the level of cooperation and support provided by
the FRY and its entities to the humanitarian organizations and
accredited NGOs in facilitating procedural requirements such as
issuance of travel documentation, expedited customs clearance for
humanitarian shipments, and radio frequencies. The Mission will make
such representations as it deems necessary to resolve problems it
observes.
- As the political settlement defining Kosovo's self-government is
achieved and implementation begins, the Mission Director will assist,
both with his own resources and with augmented OSCE implementation
support, in areas such as elections supervision, assistance in the
establishment of Kosovo institutions, and police force development in
Kosovo.
- The Mission Director will receive periodic updates from the relevant
authorities concerning eventual allegations of abusive actions by
military or police personnel and status of disciplinary or legal
actions against individuals implicated in such abuses.
- The Verification Mission will maintain liaison with FRY, Serbian
and, as appropriate, Kosovo authorities and with ICRC regarding ICRC
access to detained persons.
- The Mission Director will, as required, convene representatives of
national communities and authorities to exchange information and
provide guidance on implementation of the agreement establishing the
Verification Mission.
- The Mission Director will report instances of progress and/or non-
compliance or lack of full cooperation from any side to the OSCE and
other organizations.
Composition and Facilities
- A Director, together with headquarters staff to be determined by
Verification Mission requirements.
- 2,000 unarmed verifiers from OSCE member states will be permitted.
Headquarters and support staff included in this total. The Mission may
be augmented with technical experts provided by OSCE.
- A headquarters in Pristina.
- Field presence in locations around Kosovo to be determined by the
Mission Director.
- A small liaison office in Belgrade.
- Vehicles, communications, and other equipment along with locally-
hired interpreters and support staff which the Director deems to be
required for the performance of the responsibilities of the Mission.
Field Presence
- Coordination centers will be established in the capital of each
opstina in Kosovo with specific areas of responsibility, under the
Mission Director located in Pristina.
- Many opstina coordination centers will have one or more sub-stations
in smaller towns/villages in the opstina. The number and location of
sub-stations will vary from opstina to opstina, depending on the
verification environment and past conflict situation.
- The chief of each coordination center will maintain a liaison
relationship with the opstina authorities and the local leadership of
the ethnic Albanian and other communities. Each sub-station will be
responsible for coordination with the local authorities, including the
local leadership of main ethnic groups.
- The number of verification personnel assigned to each coordination
center and sub-station would depend on the complexity of verification
issues in the particular area.
- Each coordination center and sub-station would have appropriately
configured vehicles with which to patrol its assigned area of
responsibility.
FOR THE ORGANIZATION FOR COOPERATION AND SECURITY IN EUROPE
H.E. Bronislaw Geremek
Chairman-in-Office
FOR THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF YUGOSLAVIA
H.E. Zivadin Jovanovic
Minister of Foreign Affairs
(end text)
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