UN Security Council discusses Kosovo this month, sees no progress in dialogue with Serbia

The UN Security Council is expected to hold its first report this year on the situation in Kosovo in April.

In this session, the Special Representative and Head of the UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), Peter Due, will report on recent developments and the Secretary-General's latest report.

According to the document, "there has been no significant progress in the EU-mediated dialogue on the normalization of relations between" Kosovo and Serbia.

In an effort to revive the process, the EU's special envoy for the dialogue, Peter Sorensen, reportedly held separate meetings with senior officials in Pristina and Belgrade during January and February, including with Prime Minister Albin Kurti and Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić.

On January 22, Soirensen convened the chief negotiators of Kosovo and Serbia in Brussels for the first meeting of the Joint Commission on Missing Persons, a trilateral body that oversees the implementation of the 2023 Declaration on Missing Persons.

Meanwhile, it is noted that on January 16, Kurti announced plans for the gradual integration of Serbian-supported health and education institutions in Serb-majority areas into the Kosovo system.

In this regard, Sorensen stressed that "any such integration must be inclusive, consistent with previous commitments and designed to avoid disruption of essential services", adding the need for structured consultations with the Serbian community in Kosovo.

The UN Security Council report notes that security rhetoric in the region has intensified in recent months.

“On February 11, Albania, Croatia and Kosovo agreed to the first joint exercise for 2026, following a meeting of their defense officials. The move prompted a strong reaction from Belgrade, with the Serbian Defense Ministry condemning the trilateral meeting and related security plans as a violation of Resolution 1244, stressing that KFOR remains the only legitimate armed formation in Kosovo with a clearly defined mandate,” the report said.

Furthermore, the report also criticizes the post-December 28 election period, stating that although the Vetëvendosje Movement won over half of the votes with 57 seats in parliament, the post-election process was subsequently prolonged by a nationwide recount and an investigation into vote manipulation, in which the authorities arrested more than 100 people, although the election result did not change.

"On February 11, parliament approved a new government led by Kurti, ending more than a year of political deadlock."

“However, expectations that the new government would restore political stability proved short-lived. On 5 March, the Kosovo parliament failed to elect a president within the constitutional deadline, as the ruling party failed to secure the support and turnout necessary to proceed with voting for its candidate. Osmani dissolved parliament on 6 March and called early elections, but the Constitutional Court then intervened. After initially temporarily barring Osmani from setting an election date before 31 March, the court ruled on 25 March that the decree dissolving parliament had no legal effect and gave the assembly 34 days to elect a president,” the UNSC report says.

The Council says that maintaining stability in Kosovo and promoting the reduction of tensions in the north remains a key priority.

A second key issue is whether the Council can help maintain the momentum behind the EU-facilitated dialogue and the implementation of existing commitments.

“Another issue facing the Council is how to foster constructive discussion on this politically sensitive issue. During the Council’s open reporting on Kosovo, Belgrade and Pristina typically present deeply contrasting positions on the sources of regional instability. These meetings often turn into an arena for public statements, rather than substantive engagement. This dynamic can dampen any positive momentum and return attention to mutual accusations.”

“Instead of open reporting, Council members may wish to consider holding closed consultations – or private meetings, which would also be closed but would allow for the participation of Kosovo and Serbian officials, unlike closed consultations. This could allow for a more candid exchange on the obstacles to implementing commitments under the EU-facilitated dialogue and advancing the normalization process,” the UNSC report on Kosovo said.

In response to the multiple challenges facing Kosovo, the Council said it could also consider adopting a presidential statement that “expresses support for Sorensen, urges Belgrade and Pristina to engage in good faith and implement the expected commitments without preconditions, and stresses that any measures affecting the Kosovo Serb community should avoid disruption of essential services and encourage inclusive implementation in line with previous dialogue commitments.”

The report goes on to say that the majority of Council members support the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue, but divisions among the permanent members remain deep.

“Among the five permanent members of the Council, France, the United Kingdom and the United States recognize Kosovo’s independence and tend to support its government; China and Russia do not recognize its independence and strongly support Serbia’s position and its claim to territorial integrity. Elected members Bahrain, Colombia, Denmark, Latvia, Liberia, Pakistan and Panama recognize Kosovo’s independence, while the Democratic Republic of Congo and Greece do not. Somalia reportedly recognized Kosovo’s independence in May 2010, although its recognition has been opposed by Serbian officials in recent years and has subsequently been reaffirmed by Kosovo authorities,” the report says, reports Klankosova, reports Periskopi.

Meanwhile, regarding UNMIK's mandate, the report says that the idea of ​​closing it is a controversial issue among Council members, saying that "the US has been the most vocal supporter of reviewing UNMIK's operations and ultimately phasing it out."

“In its briefing to the Council on 21 October 2025 on Kosovo, the US described UNMIK as a ‘bloated peacekeeping mission without peacekeepers’ and called for its functions to be transferred to agencies more suited to carry them out.”

"Denmark and the United Kingdom similarly argued that a strategic review was overdue."

“France has taken a more cautious stance, expressing support for both ‘reasonable efforts to improve and rationalize peacekeeping missions through efficiency measures’ and for extending UNMIK’s mandate for as long as necessary, stressing that the mission’s mandate is closely linked to the normalization process.”

"Russia, in contrast, has opposed changes to UNMIK's mandate or budget, maintaining that the mission continues to play an essential role," the UN Security Council report, which is expected to be discussed this month, stressed.