S/2017/707 - Report to the United Nations on the operations of the Kosovo Force (Apr.-Jun. 2017).

United Nations
Security Council

S/2017/707
Distr.: General
14 August 2017
Original: English

Letter dated 11 August 2017 from the Secretary-General addressed to the President of the Security Council

Pursuant to Security Council resolution 1244 (1999), I have the honour to transmit a letter, dated 8 August 2017, from the Deputy Secretary-General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, Rose E. Gottemoeller, transmitting the quarterly report on the international security presence in Kosovo, covering the period from 1 April to 30 June 2017 (see annex).

I should be grateful if you would bring the present letter and its annex to the attention of the members of the Security Council.

(Signed) António Guterres

Annex

In accordance with paragraph 20 of Security Council resolution 1244 (1999), I attach the quarterly report on the operations of the Kosovo Force (KFOR) covering the period from 1 April to 30 June 2017 (see enclosure). I would appreciate your making the report available to the members of the Security Council.

(Signed) Rose E. Gottemoeller

Enclosure

Report to the United Nations on the operations of the Kosovo Force

1. The present report is submitted in accordance with Security Council resolution 1244 (1999) and covers the operations of the Kosovo Force (KFOR) during the period from 1 April to 30 June 2017.

2. As at 15 June 2017, the total number of KFOR troops in theatre remained at approximately 4,200, with 21 North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and 8 non-NATO troop-contributing nations involved in the mission.

3. There were no major security incidents during the reporting period and no requirement for the direct intervention of KFOR.

Security situation and operations update

4. During the reporting period, the overall security situation did not change significantly, and remained generally stable, although fragile. In general, the trend was incrementally positive, as Serbia and Kosovo remained committed to the European Union-led dialogue process.

5. As indicated in the previous report (S/2017/378), on 5 March 2017, following the announcement by Hashim Thaci that he intended to amend the law on the mandate of the Kosovo Security Force to effectively transform the Force into an armed force, the Secretary-General of NATO issued a statement declaring that such a unilateral action, without a constitutional change, was unhelpful and would oblige NATO to review its current level of commitment towards Kosovo. That statement was backed by several allies. As a consequence, on 10 May 2017, Mr. Thaci informed NATO of his decision to ask the national Assembly to postpone the discussion on the proposed legislation and launched a new outreach effort to promote an inclusive and transparent process for all communities for the transformation of the Kosovo Security Force into the Kosovo Armed Forces through a constitutional amendment.

6. KFOR continues to work in close cooperation and coordination with the Kosovo Police and the European Union Rule of Law Mission (EULEX). One example of this cooperation was the biannual exercise Silver Sabre 2017-1, jointly executed with other security providers in Kosovo (the Kosovo Police, EULEX, the Kosovo Security Force and the Emergency Management Agency) in April 2017. The exercise was focused on the planning, coordination and interoperability of participants, while working within each unit's respective mandate, and was related to the current political environment.

7. As part of its efforts to maintain an effective force posture in all sensitive areas and respond immediately if required, KFOR has continued training and conducted operational rehearsal activities to verify the readiness of operational reserve forces.

8. KFOR, in support of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), as mandated in Security Council resolution 1244 (1999), contributed to the effective execution of the Serbian presidential election in Kosovo of 2 April 2017 and the Kosovo snap election of 11 June 2017. KFOR provided a static and mobile presence in the vicinity of the most important collection centres and polling stations identified by OSCE.

Summary

9. KFOR continues to contribute to maintaining a safe and secure environment and ensuring freedom of movement as part of a comprehensive international effort. The close coordination on the ground between KFOR, in its capacity as third responder, EULEX and the Kosovo Security Force continues to be effective.

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14Aug17

Report to the United Nations on the operations of the Kosovo Force (Apr.-Jun. 2017)