On eve of Kosovo final status decision, Mercy Corps warns that progress depends on confidence-building, government competence
Source: Mercy Corps
Mercy Corps
Website: http://www.mercycorps.org
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January 30, 2007 Contact: Jeremy Barnicle 503-367-7738
*Recommendations to policymakers and aid groups informed by 14 years on the ground*
Pristina, Kosovo - As UN Special Envoy for Kosovo Martti Ahtisaari shares with the public his plan for the final status of Kosovo, a new report from the global humanitarian agency Mercy Corps warns that progress in the region depends on renewed confidence-building measures between Kosovar Serbs and Albanians and major investments in sound governance.
Mercy Corps, which has worked in Kosovo for more than 14 years, is one of the longest serving humanitarian groups in the region. The agency undertook the report to study how governments, the diplomatic community, and aid groups could use the lessons of the last decade to chart the most promising course toward peace and stability.
"The implementation of the final status agreement - whatever it looks like - is critical for Kosovo," says Kristin Griffith, Mercy Corps' Kosovo Mission Director. "If we do it right, we will help consolidate peace and accelerate development. If we do it wrong, progress will stagnate and we could see a return to instability.
The report, titled Lessons for Kosovo's Next Transition, makes two overarching recommendations to policymakers and international organizations in a position to influence Kosovo's next phase:
Competence in governance, administration, and social service delivery should be a top priority in the next phase of Kosovo's development. It will be critical in this transitional phase that Kosovo's diverse population experiences the benefits of peace and decentralized government.
Local officials need to build confidence among citizens of all backgrounds that their interests will be represented and their security will be guaranteed as the final status agreement is implemented. Minority populations need to be reassured that they will not be marginalized under any new arrangement in Kosovo.
Analysts expect that Ahtisaari, a former president of Finland, will present his final status plan to representatives of Serbia and Kosovo this week, then will bring his proposal to the UN Security Council for approval in the coming months.
For a copy of the executive summary of Mercy Corps' report and the full set of recommendations, please visit www.mercycorps.org/kosovoreport.
About Mercy Corps:
Mercy Corps works amid disasters, conflicts, chronic poverty and instability to unleash the potential of people who can win against nearly impossible odds. Since 1979, Mercy Corps has provided more than $1 billion in assistance to people in 94 nations. Supported by headquarters offices in North America, Europe, and Asia, the agency's unified global programs employ nearly 3,200 staff worldwide and reach more than 13.5 million people in nearly 40 countries. Over the past five years, more than 90 percent of the agency's resources have been allocated directly to programs that help people in need. For more information, visit www.mercycorps.org.
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