UN official praises peaceful Kosovo elections, urges progress on missing persons and trust-building

A UN official reporting to the Security Council said Kosovo's Feb. 9 parliamentary elections were "notably peaceful," despite technical problems and party appeals, and highlighted gains in women's representation that increased seats in the Kosovo Assembly beyond the 30% gender quota established in the law on general elections. "I congratulate the people of Kosovo on yet another peaceful and inclusive election," the official said, and noted that results certified on March 27 make it possible for coalition negotiations to proceed toward forming the next government.

The official urged prompt formation of a government and stressed that, once formed, it should prioritize the well-being of Kosovo residents and implement commitments from the EU-facilitated dialogue. The statement welcomed the January appointment of Peter Sørensen as the European Union Special Representative (EUSR) for the Belgrade–Pristina dialogue and said his early engagement offers an opportunity to support progress on issues agreed in December, including the terms of reference for a joint commission on missing persons.

"I urge all to make full use of this joint commission in tandem with the existing working group on missing persons to proceed without further delay and help families obtain clarity…