The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) will convene today for its second regular session of the year dedicated to the situation in Kosovo.
Milbert Dongjon Shin, Deputy Special Representative and Officer-in-Charge of the UN Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), is expected to brief the Council on the latest report of the UN Secretary-General regarding UNMIK. The report, distributed to Council members on October 10, covers developments in Kosovo from March 16 to September 15.
Focus on Political and Security Developments
During the session, Shin is expected to highlight key political and security developments in Kosovo during the reporting period. He will discuss the implementation of EU-facilitated agreements, including the February 2023 Agreement on the Path to Normalization (also known as the Ohrid Agreement), noting that tensions between Serbia and Kosovo remain persistent.
According to the report, on June 9 and September 11, EU Special Representative for the Kosovo-Serbia Dialogue, Peter Sørensen, facilitated two tripartite meetings in Brussels between the chief negotiators — Besnik Bislimi for Kosovo and Petar Petković for Serbia. The talks focused on implementing previous agreements, including the Ohrid Agreement and the May 2023 Declaration on Missing Persons.
“Neither meeting resulted in a declared outcome,” the report noted. “The September 11 session ended without significant progress due to differing views on the pace of implementing prior commitments.”
Although both sides had formally agreed in December 2024 to establish a Joint Commission on Missing Persons, its inaugural meeting has yet to take place. During today’s session, Shin is expected to urge Kosovo and Serbia to engage in good faith and to advance the normalization process under the EU-facilitated dialogue framework.
Debate on UNMIK’s Future Role
At the same time, several Security Council members have previously argued that conditions in Kosovo have evolved significantly since the mission’s establishment in 1999, calling for a strategic review of UNMIK’s mandate.
However, Russia is expected to oppose any changes to the mission’s mandate, staffing, or budget, maintaining its long-standing stance in support of Serbia’s position.
The meeting is likely to underscore ongoing divisions within the Council over Kosovo’s international status and the future role of UNMIK in a region still marked by fragile peace and political tension.
