Shattered Cities, Seared Souls.

Following the resolution of the Kosovo conflict, the Security Council on 10 June adopted resolution 1244 (1999), authorizing the Secretary-General to oversee a comprehensive peace-building operation to restore a multi-ethnic civil order and the rule of law in the war-ravaged province. So far, UNMIK has deployed a total of 880 international personnel on the ground, including about 430 UN civilian staff. The Mission will unfold in several integrated phases towards a final settlement of the status of Kosovo. UNMIK will first set up administrative structures, deploy international civilian police, provide emergency assistance for returning refugees and displaced people, restore public services and train local police and judiciary. It will also develop a phased economic recovery plan and seek to establish a self-sustaining economy. It will then focus on administration of social services and utilities, and consolidation of the rule of law. Administration of such sectors as health and education could be transferred t o local and possibly regional authorities.

What are the constraints and problems the United Nations and its partners faced so far in establishing UNMIK's authority throughout the province?

The conflict led to the exodus of some 850,000 residents--nearly half of the 1.7 million population. Destruction and damage was widespread. The three-month conflict devastated Kosovo's infrastructure, left the economy in shambles and led to the total collapse of all civil administrative functions in the province. The immediate concern for the international community was to quickly establish a security presence on the ground through the multinational peacekeeping force, known as the Kosovo Force (KFOR). At the same time, in order to assess and develop a durable peace-building and reconstruction effort, the Secretary-General sent an advance team to Pristina on 13 June; within 20 days, it had set up UNMIK and finalized a comprehensive operational concept for the four substantive components, or "pillars", of the Mission: civil administration, led by the United Nations; humanitarian affairs, coordinated by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR); institution-building, overseen by the Organizat ion for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE); and reconstruction, carried out by the European Union. In order to advance the peace process, UNMIK will prepare for and conduct free and fair elections for the Kosovo Transitional Authority. It will then help Kosovo's elected representatives set up provisional institutions for democratic and autonomous self-government. As these are established, UNMIK will transfer its remaining administrative responsibilities while continuing to support the consolidation of Kosovo's provisional institutions. In the concluding phase, the Mission will oversee the transfer of authority from Kosovo's provisional institutions to institutions established under a political settlement.

On 28 July, the General Assembly authorized the Secretary-General to spend up to $200 million for the Mission's operations, which includes the $50 million already allocated to fund UNMIK's initial operations. As of 27 September, some $34.5 million had been received. The European Union and the World Bank chaired a Donor's Conference for reconstruction and development in Brussels on 28 July. More than $2 billion were pledged for long-term economic development.

Civil administration is the direct responsibility of the United Nations. The Special Representative has appointed regional administrators in the five districts of the province-Pristina, Prizren, Pec, Mitrovica and Gnjilane-who oversee the reintegration of workforces in public institutions, as well as their smooth functioning.

* For the first three months, UNMIK will pay...