United Nations Radio

The UN Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) has been engaged in planning for a reconfiguration of its presence which takes into account the changing circumstances in the country.

The UN special envoy in Kosovo Lamberto Zannier(photo) says attempts to impose his legal authority are simply not heeded.

And he says regular working meetings to decide upon key governance matters no longer take place.

But special envoy Zannier says he's optimistic that the UN mission in Kosovo can continue to have an important role in facilitating dialogue among different parties on matters affecting all communities in Kosovo:

"Let me express my hope and trust that the path we have taken to ensure continued relevance and effectiveness of UNMIK will allow the UN to protect its legacy in Kosovo while adapting itself to circumstances and maintaining a still-essential monitoring and mediating capacity, in full cooperation with other international actors."

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in a report says the ability of the UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo to carry out its tasks has been "fundamentally challenged owing to actions taken by both the authorities in Pristina and the Kosovo Serbs."

Therefore, he says he has decided to move forward with the reconfiguration of the structure and profile of UNMIK.

This is Donn Bobb reporting for United Nations Radio.

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