Regional Representation (Technical Dialogue Agreement)

Export agreement:

Export agreement coding (PDF)

Country/entity: Kosovo
Serbia
Yugoslavia (former)
Region: Europe and Eurasia
Agreement name: Regional Representation (Technical Dialogue Agreement)
Date: 24 Feb 2012
Agreement status: Multiparty signed/agreed
Interim arrangement: Yes
Agreement/conflict level: Interstate/intrastate conflict(s)
Balkan Conflicts (1991 - 1995) (1998 - 2001)
Former Yugoslavia

The disintegration of former Yugoslavia post cold war saw conflicts which became mediated and produced peace agreements in Slovenia (where the brief independence conflict was mediated by the EC Troika in 1991), Croatia (between Croatian and Serb populations 1991-1995), in Bosnia (between Croatian, Serb and Bosniak populations 1992-1995), in Macedonia (where mediation played a key pre-emptive role in preventing large scale conflict in 2001), in Kosovo (between Kosovar Albanians and Serbian population and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY), but also between FRY and NATO, 1998-1999), and a conflict in the Presevo Valley (between Albanians in South Serbia and FRY, 2000-2001). The continued fall-out of the disintegration of former Yugoslavia also saw mediated agreement and ultimate dissolution of the Union between Serbia and Montenegro.

Bosnia-Herzegovina

In 1991, after nationalist parties won the first multi-party elections in the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, a violent process of disintegration commenced. With its mixed population, Bosnia-Herzegovina became the centre of the following civil war that began in 1992 between the newly formed army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina (mostly Muslim Bosniacs), and the parastatal forces of self-declared Bosnian Croat (Herzeg-Bosnia) and Bosnian Serb (Republika Srpska) entities within Bosnia-Herzegovina, supported by Croatia and Serbia, with various, often short-lived, coalitions. The General Framework Agreement (Dayton Peace Agreement), signed in 1995, split the country into two ethno-federal entities, the Bosniak-Croat Federation and the Republika Srpska, and included continued peacekeeping and institutional administration by international actors.

Kosovo

The conflict between Serbs and Kosovar Albanians has a long history and always involved territorial disputes as well as ethno-political, cultural and linguistic factors. The most recent phase of the conflict began in November 1997 when the Albanian Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA or UCK) began their campaign for the independence of Kosovo from the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY – then Serbia and Montenegro). The subsequent war lasted until the NATO intervention, which undertook bombing campaigns of Belgrade and other places in Serbia during spring 1999. The main agreements solving the conflict were internationally driven and, finally, a UNSC resolution imposed a post-conflict arrangement in the wake of what was essentially a NATO military victory. In February 2008, Kosovo’s parliament declared independence, but independence is still internationally disputed.
Stage: Framework/substantive - partial
Conflict nature: Government/territory
Peace process: Kosovo-Serbia Normalisation Process
Parties: Agreement unsigned, parties believed to be the Kosovo delegation, led by Dr. Edita Tahiri and the Serbian delegation led by Mr. Borko Stefanovic.
Third parties: Agreement unsigned, meeting was chaired by the EU facilitator, Mr. Robert Cooper.
Description: Short agreement in which the parties confirmed their commitment to effective, inclusive and representative regional cooperation. It set out modalities regarding names and symbols of Kosovo within regional meetings and European integration processes.

Agreement document: KV_120224_Regional representation (Technical Dialogue Agreement).pdf (opens in new tab) | Download PDF

Groups

Children/youth: No specific mention.
Disabled persons: No specific mention.
Elderly/age: No specific mention.
Migrant workers: No specific mention.
Racial/ethnic/national group: No specific mention.
Religious groups: No specific mention.
Indigenous people: No specific mention.
Other groups: No specific mention.
Refugees/displaced persons: No specific mention.
Social class: No specific mention.

Gender

Women, girls and gender: No specific mention.
Men and boys: No specific mention.
LGBTI: No specific mention.
Family: No specific mention.

State definition

Nature of state (general): No specific mention.
State configuration: No specific mention.
Self determination: No specific mention.
Referendum: No specific mention.
State symbols: Summary: the entire agreement relates to appropriate use of symbols for one of the parties in regional meetings.

Page 1, 2. To this effect 'Kosovo*' is the only denomination to be used within the framework of regional cooperation.

Page 1, 3. The footnote to be applied to the asterisk in para 2 above will read “This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UNSC 1244 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo declaration of independence.”

Page 1, 4. 'Kosovo*' participates on its own account and speaks for itself at all regional meetings.

Page 1, 5. Where new agreements are to be initialled and/or signed, a representative of 'Kosovo*' will sign under the designation in paras 2 and 3 above.

Page 1, 7. Hosts of meetings will be encouraged to avoid the display of national symbols except for their own and those of the EU, taking into account the statutes of relevant organisations.

Page 1, 8. The EU as Facilitator will inform relevant regional organisations and entities of these arrangements for denomination, representation and signature. They should be reflected in the practical organisation of regional meetings. The EU will monitor the implementation of these arrangements.
Independence/secession: No specific mention.
Accession/unification: No specific mention.
Border delimitation: No specific mention.
Cross-border provision: No specific mention.

Governance

Political institutions (new or reformed): No specific mention.
Elections: No specific mention.
Electoral commission: No specific mention.
Political parties reform: No specific mention.
Civil society: No specific mention.
Traditional/religious leaders: No specific mention.
Public administration: No specific mention.
Constitution: No specific mention.

Power sharing

Political power sharing: No specific mention.
Territorial power sharing: No specific mention.
Economic power sharing: No specific mention.
Military power sharing: No specific mention.

Human rights and equality

Human rights/RoL general: No specific mention.
Bill of rights/similar: No specific mention.
Treaty incorporation: No specific mention.
Civil and political rights: No specific mention.
Socio-economic rights: No specific mention.

Rights related issues

Citizenship: No specific mention.
Democracy: No specific mention.
Detention procedures: No specific mention.
Media and communication: No specific mention.
Mobility/access: No specific mention.
Protection measures: No specific mention.
Other: No specific mention.

Rights institutions

NHRI: No specific mention.
Regional or international human rights institutions: No specific mention.

Justice sector reform

Criminal justice and emergency law: No specific mention.
State of emergency provisions: No specific mention.
Judiciary and courts: No specific mention.
Prisons and detention: No specific mention.
Traditional Laws: No specific mention.

Socio-economic reconstruction

Development or socio-economic reconstruction: No specific mention.
National economic plan: No specific mention.
Natural resources: No specific mention.
International funds: No specific mention.
Business: No specific mention.
Taxation: No specific mention.
Banks: No specific mention.

Land, property and environment

Land reform/rights: No specific mention.
Pastoralist/nomadism rights: No specific mention.
Cultural heritage: No specific mention.
Environment: No specific mention.
Water or riparian rights or access: No specific mention.

Security sector

Security Guarantees: No specific mention.
Ceasefire: No specific mention.
Police: No specific mention.
Armed forces: No specific mention.
DDR: No specific mention.
Intelligence services: No specific mention.
Parastatal/rebel and opposition group forces: No specific mention.
Withdrawal of foreign forces: No specific mention.
Corruption: No specific mention.
Crime/organised crime: No specific mention.
Drugs: No specific mention.
Terrorism: No specific mention.

Transitional justice

Transitional justice general: No specific mention.
Amnesty/pardon: No specific mention.
Courts: No specific mention.
Mechanism: No specific mention.
Prisoner release: No specific mention.
Vetting: No specific mention.
Victims: No specific mention.
Missing persons: No specific mention.
Reparations: No specific mention.
Reconciliation: No specific mention.

Implementation

UN signatory: No specific mention.
Other international signatory: No specific mention.
Referendum for agreement: No specific mention.
International mission/force/similar: Page 1, 6. As concerns modifications to existing agreements signed by UNMIK, nothing in these conclusions will be interpreted as prejudicial to UNMIK's legal rights. A representative of the United Nations Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) will be invited to meetings organised within the framework of arrangements for which it is a signatory. It is for UNMIK to decide whether to attend any particular meeting.

Page 1, 8. The EU as Facilitator will inform relevant regional organisations and entities of these arrangements for denomination, representation and signature. They should be reflected in the practical organisation of regional meetings. The EU will monitor the implementation of these arrangements.
Enforcement mechanism: No specific mention.
Related cases: No specific mention.
Source: Government of the Republic of Serbia, Negotiation process with Pristina
http://www.kim.gov.rs/eng/pregovaracki-proces.php

Regional representation

1. Both parties confirm their commitment to effective, inclusive and representative regional cooperation.

2. To this effect 'Kosovo*' is the only denomination to be used within the framework of regional cooperation.

3. The footnote to be applied to the asterisk in para 2 above will read “This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UNSC 1244 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo declaration of independence.”

4. ' Kosovo*' participates on its own account and speaks for itself at all regional meetings.

5. Where new agreements are to be initialled and/or signed, a representative of 'Kosovo*' will sign under the designation in paras 2 and 3 above.

6. As concerns modifications to existing agreements signed by UNMIK, nothing in these conclusions will be interpreted as prejudicial to UNMIK's legal rights.

A representative of the United Nations Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) will be invited to meetings organised within the framework of arrangements for which it is a signatory.

It is for UNMIK to decide whether to attend any particular meeting.

7. Hosts of meetings will be encouraged to avoid the display of national symbols except for their own and those of the EU, taking into account the statutes of relevant organisations.

8. The EU as Facilitator will inform relevant regional organisations and entities of these arrangements for denomination, representation and signature.

They should be reflected in the practical organisation of regional meetings.

The EU will monitor the implementation of these arrangements.

9. Both parties and the EU will urge partners to support these arrangements and to assist in their implementation.

10. The regional organisations referred to in these conclusions are existing and future intergovernmental organisations or arrangements whose aim is to promote cooperation or integration in the Balkan region. “

Regional meetings” includes meetings of these organisations and also ad-hoc or informal meetings with similar aims.

It also includes meetings with EU institutions in the context of the European agenda.

11. These arrangements are adopted on an interim basis.