United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244 – Kosovo
Resolution 1244 (1999)
The Security Council,
Bearing in mind the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations, and the primary responsibility of the Security Council for the maintenance of international peace and security,
Recalling its resolutions 1160 (1998) of 31 March 1998, 1199 (1998) of23 September 1998, 1203 (1998) of 24 October 1998 and 1239 (1999) of14 May 1999,
Regretting that there has not been full compliance with the requirements ofthese resolutions,
Determined to resolve the grave humanitarian situation in Kosovo, Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, and to provide for the safe and free return of all refugees and displaced persons to their homes,
Condemning all acts of violence against the Kosovo population as well asall terrorist acts by any party,
Recalling the statement made by the Secretary-General on 9 April 1999,expressing concern at the humanitarian tragedy taking place in Kosovo,
Reaffirming the right of all refugees and displaced persons to return totheir homes in safety,
Recalling the jurisdiction and the mandate of the International Tribunalfor the Former Yugoslavia,
Welcoming the general principles on a political solution to the Kosovocrisis adopted on 6 May 1999 (S/1999/516, annex 1 to this resolution) andwelcoming also the acceptance by the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia of theprinciples set forth in points 1 to 9 of the paper presented in Belgrade on 2 June 1999 (S/1999/649, annex 2 to this resolution), and the Federal Republicof Yugoslavia’s agreement to that paper,
Reaffirming the commitment of all Member States to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and the other Statesof the region, as set out in the Helsinki Final Act and annex 2,
Reaffirming the call in previous resolutions for substantial autonomy and meaningful self-administration for Kosovo,
Determining that the situation in the region continues to constitute athreat to international peace and security,
Determined to ensure the safety and security of international personnel andthe implementation by all concerned of their responsibilities under the presentresolution, and acting for these purposes under Chapter VII of the Charter ofthe United Nations,
- Decides that a political solution to the Kosovo crisis shall be basedon the general principles in annex 1 and as further elaborated in the principlesand other required elements in annex 2;
2. Welcomes the acceptance by the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia of theprinciples and other required elements referred to in paragraph 1 above, anddemands the full cooperation of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in theirrapid implementation;
3. Demands in particular that the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia put an immediate and verifiable end to violence and repression in Kosovo, and begin and complete verifiable phased withdrawal from Kosovo of all military, police and paramilitary forces according to a rapid timetable, with which the deployment ofthe international security presence in Kosovo will be synchronized;
4. Confirms that after the withdrawal an agreed number of Yugoslav andSerb military and police personnel will be permitted to return to Kosovo toperform the functions in accordance with annex 2;
5. Decides on the deployment in Kosovo, under United Nations auspices, ofinternational civil and security presences, with appropriate equipment andpersonnel as required, and welcomes the agreement of the Federal Republic ofYugoslavia to such presences;
6. Requests the Secretary-General to appoint, in consultation with theSecurity Council, a Special Representative to control the implementation of theinternational civil presence, and further requests the Secretary-General toinstruct his Special Representative to coordinate closely with the internationalsecurity presence to ensure that both presences operate towards the same goalsand in a mutually supportive manner;
7. Authorizes Member States and relevant international organizations toestablish the international security presence in Kosovo as set out in point 4 ofannex 2 with all necessary means to fulfil its responsibilities underparagraph 9 below;
8. Affirms the need for the rapid early deployment of effectiveinternational civil and security presences to Kosovo, and demands that theparties cooperate fully in their deployment;
9. Decides that the responsibilities of the international security personnel to be deployed and acting in Kosovo will include:
(a) Deterring renewed hostilities, maintaining and where necessaryenforcing a ceasefire, and ensuring the withdrawal and preventing the returninto Kosovo of Federal and Republic military, police and paramilitary forces,except as provided in point 6 of annex 2;
(b) Demilitarizing the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) and other armed KosovoAlbanian groups as required in paragraph 15 below;
(c) Establishing a secure environment in which refugees and displacedpersons can return home in safety, the international civil presence can operate,a transitional administration can be established, and humanitarian aid can bedelivered;
(d) Ensuring public safety and order until the international civilpresence can take responsibility for this task;
(e) Supervising demining until the international civil presence can, asappropriate, take over responsibility for this task;
(f) Supporting, as appropriate, and coordinating closely with the work ofthe international civil presence;
(g) Conducting border monitoring duties as required;
(h) Ensuring the protection and freedom of movement of itself, theinternational civil presence, and other international organizations;
10. Authorizes the Secretary-General, with the assistance of relevantinternational organizations, to establish an international civil presence in Kosovo in order to provide an interim administration for Kosovo under which thepeople of Kosovo can enjoy substantial autonomy within the Federal Republic ofYugoslavia, and which will provide transitional administration whileestablishing and overseeing the development of provisional democratic self-governing institutions to ensure conditions for a peaceful and normal life forall inhabitants of Kosovo;
11. Decides that the main responsibilities of the international civilpresence will include:
(a) Promoting the establishment, pending a final settlement, ofsubstantial autonomy and self-government in Kosovo, taking full account ofannex 2 and of the Rambouillet accords (S/1999/648);
(b) Performing basic civilian administrative functions where and as longas required;
(c) Organizing and overseeing the development of provisional institutionsfor democratic and autonomous self-government pending a political settlement,including the holding of elections;
(d) Transferring, as these institutions are established, its administrative responsibilities while overseeing and supporting theconsolidation of Kosovo’s local provisional institutions and other peace-building activities;
(e) Facilitating a political process designed to determine Kosovo’s futurestatus, taking into account the Rambouillet accords (S/1999/648);
(f) In a final stage, overseeing the transfer of authority from Kosovo’sprovisional institutions to institutions established under a political settlement;
(g) Supporting the reconstruction of key infrastructure and other economic construction;
(h) Supporting, in coordination with international humanitarian organizations, humanitarian and disaster relief aid;
(i) Maintaining civil law and order, including establishing local police forces and meanwhile through the deployment of international police personnel to serve in Kosovo;
(j) Protecting and promoting human rights;
(k) Assuring the safe and unimpeded return of all refugees and displaced persons to their homes in Kosovo;
12. Emphasizes the need for coordinated humanitarian relief operations,and for the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia to allow unimpeded access to Kosovo by humanitarian aid organizations and to cooperate with such organizations so asto ensure the fast and effective delivery of international aid;
13. Encourages all Member States and international organizations tocontribute to economic and social reconstruction as well as to the safe returnof refugees and displaced persons, and emphasizes in this context the importanceof convening an international donors’ conference, particularly for the purposesset out in paragraph 11 (g) above, at the earliest possible date;
14. Demands full cooperation by all concerned, including the international security presence, with the International Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia;
15. Demands that the KLA and other armed Kosovo Albanian groups endimmediately all offensive actions and comply with the requirements for demilitarization as laid down by the head of the international security presencein consultation with the Special Representative of the Secretary-General;
16. Decides that the prohibitions imposed by paragraph 8 of resolution1160 (1998) shall not apply to arms and related matériel for the use of theinternational civil and security presences;
17. Welcomes the work in hand in the European Union and otherinternational organizations to develop a comprehensive approach to the economic development and stabilization of the region affected by the Kosovo crisis,including the implementation of a Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe withbroad international participation in order to further the promotion ofdemocracy, economic prosperity, stability and regional cooperation;
18. Demands that all States in the region cooperate fully in theimplementation of all aspects of this resolution;
19. Decides that the international civil and security presences areestablished for an initial period of 12 months, to continue thereafter unlessthe Security Council decides otherwise;
20. Requests the Secretary-General to report to the Council at regularintervals on the implementation of this resolution, including reports from theleaderships of the international civil and security presences, the first reportsto be submitted within 30 days of the adoption of this resolution;
21. Decides to remain actively seized of the matter.
Adopted by the Security Council at its 4011th meeting,on 10 June 1999.
