UN Secretary-General urges for civilian police

UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan on Tuesday urgently appealed for the quick deployment of civilian police to Kosovo as well as money to pay civil servants before public services collapsed entirely. "Their early arrival is essential if we are to stem the tendency toward lawlessness which is taking hold in some areas,'' Annan said. So far 41 countries plus several hundred more for border units and special task forces have pledged about 1,900 police, a senior U.N. official said. But he said he had received only 968 names of officers who would actually go to the Yugoslav province beginning on July 17. Annan also said, in a report to the Security Council, that the peacekeeping mission will have 5 phases: first will consist of civilian police deployment, organizing refugee return and planning reconstruction. Second phase is to boost political parties' development and transferring part of the power on local governments third will be preparing the elections which would take place in the fourth phase. The last step would be the complete transfer of power from the UN to the locals.

Source: Free Serbia

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