Editing Kosovo (section)

=== United Nations administration ===
{{Main|United Nations Administered Kosovo|United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo|Kosovo status process}}

[[File:Clintons visit Stenkovic 1 Refugee Camp.jpg|upright|thumb|left|US President [[Bill Clinton]] with Albanian children during his visit to Kosovo, June 1999]]

On 10 June 1999, the UN Security Council passed [[UN Security Council Resolution 1244]], which placed Kosovo under transitional UN administration (UNMIK) and authorised [[Kosovo Force]] (KFOR), a NATO-led peacekeeping force. Resolution 1244 provided that Kosovo would have autonomy within the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, and affirmed the [[territorial integrity]] of Yugoslavia, which has been legally succeeded by the Republic of Serbia.<ref>{{cite news |title=Resolution 1244 (1999) |date=17 June 1999 |work=BBC News |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/371562.stm |access-date=19 February 2008 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080407233507/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/371562.stm |archive-date=7 April 2008}}</ref>

Estimates of the number of Serbs who left when Serbian forces left Kosovo vary from 65,000<ref>European Stability Initiative (ESI): [http://www.esiweb.org/pdf/esi_document_id_53.pdf The Lausanne Principle: Multiethnicity, Territory and the Future of Kosovo's Serbs (.pdf)] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090324234708/http://www.esiweb.org/pdf/esi_document_id_53.pdf |date=24 March 2009}}, 7 June 2004.</ref> to 250,000.<ref>Coordinating Centre of Serbia for Kosovo-Metohija: [https://web.archive.org/web/20040416201639/http://www.serbia.sr.gov.yu/coordination_centre/index.html Principles of the program for return of internally displaced persons from Kosovo and Metohija].</ref> Within post-conflict Kosovo Albanian society, calls for retaliation for previous violence done by Serb forces during the war circulated through public culture.<ref name="Herscher14">{{harvnb|Herscher|2010|p=14}}.</ref> Widespread attacks against Serbian cultural sites commenced following the conflict and the return of hundreds of thousands of Kosovo Albanian refugees to their homes.<ref name="Riedlmayer11">{{cite web|url=http://www.heritage.sense-agency.com/assets/kosovo/sg-6-06-riedlmayer-foreword-interfaith-eng.pdf|title=Introduction in Destruction of Islamic Heritage in the Kosovo War, 1998–1999|author=András Riedlmayer|page=11|access-date=29 September 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190712133659/http://heritage.sense-agency.com/assets/kosovo/sg-6-06-riedlmayer-foreword-interfaith-eng.pdf|archive-date=12 July 2019}}</ref> In 2004, prolonged negotiations over Kosovo's future status, sociopolitical problems and nationalist sentiments resulted in the [[2004 unrest in Kosovo|Kosovo unrest]].<ref name="RauschBanar246">{{harvnb|Rausch|Banar|2006|p=246}}.</ref><ref name="Egleder79">{{harvnb|Egleder|2013|p=79}}.</ref> 11 Albanians and 16 Serbs were killed, 900 people (including peacekeepers) were injured, and several houses, public buildings and churches were damaged or destroyed.

International negotiations began in 2006 to determine the final status of Kosovo, as envisaged under [[UN Security Council Resolution 1244]]. The UN-backed talks, led by UN [[Diplomatic rank|Special Envoy]] [[Martti Ahtisaari]], began in February 2006. Whilst progress was made on technical matters, both parties remained diametrically opposed on the question of status itself.<ref>"[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6034567.stm UN frustrated by Kosovo deadlock] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160307072437/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6034567.stm |date=7 March 2016}} ", ''BBC News'', 9 October 2006.</ref>

In February 2007, Ahtisaari delivered a draft status settlement proposal to leaders in Belgrade and Pristina, the basis for a draft [[UN Security Council Resolution]] which proposed 'supervised independence' for the province. A draft resolution, backed by the [[United States]], the [[United Kingdom]] and other European members of the [[Security Council]], was presented and rewritten four times to try to accommodate Russian concerns that such a resolution would undermine the principle of state sovereignty.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.setimes.com/cocoon/setimes/xhtml/en_GB/newsbriefs/setimes/newsbriefs/2007/06/29/nb-07|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070702211016/http://www.setimes.com/cocoon/setimes/xhtml/en_GB/newsbriefs/setimes/newsbriefs/2007/06/29/nb-07|archive-date=2 July 2007 |title=Russia reportedly rejects fourth draft resolution on Kosovo status |author=Southeast European Times |date=29 June 2007 |access-date=24 July 2009}}</ref>

Russia, which holds a veto in the Security Council as one of five permanent members, had stated that it would not support any resolution which was not acceptable to both Belgrade and Kosovo Albanians.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://setimes.com/cocoon/setimes/xhtml/en_GB/newsbriefs/setimes/newsbriefs/2007/07/10/nb-02|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071012154347/http://setimes.com/cocoon/setimes/xhtml/en_GB/newsbriefs/setimes/newsbriefs/2007/07/10/nb-02|archive-date=12 October 2007 |title=UN Security Council remains divided on Kosovo |author=Southeast European Times |date= 10 July 2007 |access-date=24 July 2009}}</ref> Whilst most observers had, at the beginning of the talks, anticipated independence as the most likely outcome, others have suggested that a rapid resolution might not be preferable.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/985caa90-de5a-11db-afa7-000b5df10621.html?nclick_check=1 |title=A long reconciliation process is required |author=James Dancer |date=30 March 2007 |website=Financial Times |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080208151642/http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/985caa90-de5a-11db-afa7-000b5df10621.html?nclick_check=1 |archive-date=8 February 2008}}</ref>

After many weeks of discussions at the UN, the United States, United Kingdom and other European members of the Security Council formally 'discarded' a draft resolution backing Ahtisaari's proposal on 20 July 2007, having failed to secure Russian backing. Beginning in August, a "[[wikt:troika|Troika]]" consisting of negotiators from the European Union ([[Wolfgang Ischinger]]), the United States ([[Frank G. Wisner]]) and Russia (Alexander Botsan-Kharchenko) launched a new effort to reach a status outcome acceptable to both Belgrade and Pristina. Despite Russian disapproval, the U.S., the United Kingdom, and France appeared likely to recognise Kosovar independence.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/international/story/0,,2209907,00.html |title=Bosnian nightmare returns to haunt EU |author=Simon Tisdall |date=13 November 2007 |work=The Guardian |location=UK |access-date=15 December 2016 |archive-date=7 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220307171451/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2007/nov/13/international.mainsection |url-status=live}}</ref> A declaration of independence by Kosovar Albanian leaders was postponed until the end of the [[2008 Serbian presidential election|Serbian presidential elections]] (4 February 2008). A significant portion of politicians in both the EU and the US had feared that a premature declaration could boost support in Serbia for the nationalist candidate, [[Tomislav Nikolić]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6386467.stm |title=Europe, Q&A: Kosovo's future |work=BBC News |date=11 July 2008 |access-date=20 July 2009 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090123190828/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6386467.stm |archive-date=23 January 2009}}</ref>

In November 2001, the [[Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe]] supervised the [[2004 Kosovar parliamentary election|first elections]] for the [[Assembly of Kosovo]].<ref>"[http://www.osce.org/kosovo/13208.html OSCE Mission in Kosovo&nbsp;– Elections] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080509143621/http://www.osce.org/kosovo/13208.html |date=9 May 2008}} ", Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe</ref> After that election, Kosovo's political parties formed an all-party unity coalition and elected [[Ibrahim Rugova]] as president and [[Bajram Rexhepi]] (PDK) as Prime Minister.<ref>"[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/1846264.stm Power-sharing deal reached in Kosovo] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160825081955/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/1846264.stm |date=25 August 2016}}", [[BBC News]], 21 February 2002.</ref> After Kosovo-wide elections in October 2004, the LDK and AAK formed a new governing coalition that did not include PDK and Ora. This coalition agreement resulted in [[Ramush Haradinaj]] (AAK) becoming Prime Minister, while Ibrahim Rugova retained the position of President. PDK and Ora were critical of the coalition agreement and have since frequently accused that government of corruption.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.publicinternationallaw.org/docs/BW2005/Balkan_Watch.11April_05.pdf |title=Publicinternationallaw.org |access-date=28 April 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081121041814/http://www.publicinternationallaw.org/docs/BW2005/Balkan_Watch.11April_05.pdf |archive-date=21 November 2008}}</ref>

[[2007 Kosovar parliamentary election|Parliamentary elections]] were held on 17 November 2007. After early results, [[Hashim Thaçi]] who was on course to gain 35 per cent of the vote, claimed victory for PDK, the [[Democratic Party of Kosovo]], and stated his intention to declare independence. Thaçi formed a coalition with president [[Fatmir Sejdiu]]'s [[Democratic League of Kosovo|Democratic League]] which was in second place with 22 percent of the vote.<ref>"[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7179850.stm Kosovo gets pro-independence PM] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080408184153/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7179850.stm |date=8 April 2008}}", BBC News, 9 January 2008.</ref> The turnout at the election was particularly low. Most members of the Serb minority refused to vote.<ref>[http://www.euronews.net/index.php?page=info&article=454473&lng=1 EuroNews: Ex-guerilla chief claims victory in Kosovo election] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080206035607/http://www.euronews.net/index.php?page=info&article=454473&lng=1 |date=6 February 2008}}. Retrieved 18 November 2007.</ref>