On behalf of the Minister for Foreign Affairs, who is at the talks in Stormont, I move:
That Dáil Éireann approves the dispatch, pursuant to section 2 of the Defence (Amendment) (No. 2) Act, 1960, as applied by the Defence (Amendment) Act, 1993, of a contingent of the Permanent Defence Force for service with the international security presence in Kosovo, known as KFOR, established under the authority of the UN Security Council Resolution 1244, and that it further approves the terms of the exchanges of letters with the Secretary-General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation on Ireland's financial responsibility arising from participation in KFOR, a copy of which was laid before Dáil Éireann on 29th June, 1999."
At the outset, I am sure the House will join me in fully supporting the efforts of the Taoiseach, the British Prime Minister and other Ministers involved in their work at Stormont today to bring the negotiations to a successful conclusion.
The purpose of this motion, which is required under section 2 of the Defence Act, 1960, as applied by the Defence Act, 1993, is to enable the dispatch of an Irish contingent for service with the UN-authorised international security presence in Kosovo, which was established under the authority of UN Security Council Resolution 1244 of 10 June 1999. The motion also provides for approval of the terms of an exchange of let ters with the Secretary General of NATO clarifying Ireland's financial position arising from participation in KFOR. Copies of the proposed exchange have been laid before the House. This exchange clarifies that Ireland, like all other non-NATO troop contributing nations to KFOR, will be responsible for its own costs. A similar procedure was followed in relation to Ireland's participation in SFOR, in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
In commending the motion to the House, I wish to underline a number of key points at the outset. First, KFOR's presence is central to the international community's co-ordinated efforts to restore security and normalisation in Kosovo, to protect the civilian population in Kosovo, whether Serb or Albanian, and to facilitate the safe return of refugees to their homes. Second, KFOR was established under the authority of the UN Security Council, through Security Council Resolution 1244. Third, Irish participation in KFOR is in keeping with our foreign policy traditions and objectives. It is particularly in keeping with our long and respected tradition of peacekeeping that Ireland should participate in this UN authorised force.
I wish to set out the background to KFOR. The UN Security Council, acting under Chapter VII of the UN Charter, adopted Resolution 1244 on 10 June 1999, which among other things, authorised the establishment and deployment of an international security presence in Kosovo, known as KFOR, with all necessary means to fulfil its responsibilities. The Security Council envisages that KFOR, with substantial North Atlantic Treaty Organisation participation, must be deployed under a unified command and control with the aim of establishing a safe environment for all people in Kosovo and facilitating the safe return to their homes of all displaced persons and refugees. KFOR is thus structured around a substantial NATO core and is commanded by a NATO General, Lt. General Jackson of the British Army, on a basis broadly similar to the Stabilisation Force – SFOR – in Bosnia and Herzegovina in which Ireland already participates. KFOR's deployment is accepted by the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. The UN Security Council Resolution established KFOR for an initial period of 12 months from June 1999, to continue thereafter unless the Security Council decides otherwise.
KFOR will work closely with the international civil presence in Kosovo whose establishment was authorised by the same Security Council resolution. The international civil presence will draw on the assistance of relevant international organisations to provide an interim administration for Kosovo. Many international organisations and institutions, including the UN, the European Union, the OSCE, NATO, the World Bank, and the Council of Europe will have parts to play in the stabilisation of Kosovo and indeed the whole south-eastern Europe region. This process will entail democratisation, full respect for human rights, economic reconstruction and effective security. The Security Council has specifically welcomed the work in hand in the EU and other international organisations in this connection.
KFOR is in the process of being fully deployed in Kosovo. Present strength is approximately 30,000 of the currently envisaged total of 55,000. Agreement has been reached with Russia on deployment of Russian troops with KFOR and on the sharing of Pristina Airport. Russia will supply a Deputy to the Force Commander with responsibility for Russian affairs and Russian deployment of between 3,500 and 4,000 troops is well under way.
On the basis of a separate agreement drawn up with the Belgrade authorities, KFOR has overseen the withdrawal within the deadline of all Belgrade's security forces from the province of Kosovo. A further agreement has been reached between KFOR and the Kosovo Liberation Army, KLA, on the latter's demilitarisation and partial disarmament within a 90 day period. This agreement foresees a political role for the KLA.
The responsibilities of KFOR under Security Council Resolution 1244 include deterring renewed hostilities, maintaining and where necessary enforcing a ceasefire, and ensuring the withdrawal and preventing the return into Kosovo of Serbian and FRY forces, except for very limited and agreed purposes; demilitarising the Kosovo Liberation Army, KLA, and other armed Kosovo Albanian groups; establishing a secure environment in which refugees and displaced persons can return home in safety, the international civil presence operate, a transitional administration can be established and humanitarian aid can be delivered; ensuring public safety and order until the international civil presence can take responsibility for this task; supervising de-mining until the international civil presence can take over responsibility for this task; supporting and co-ordinating closely with the work of the international civil presence, whose establishment was also authorised by Resolution 1244; and conducting border monitoring duties; ensuring protection and freedom of movement for itself and for the international civil presence and other international organisations. Countries which are contributing, or which plan to contribute, to KFOR include all our EU partners, allied and non-allied, as well as a broad range of NATO and non-NATO nations.
The Kosovo crisis is a major challenge for all European democracies, including Ireland, and is a key foreign and security policy issue for the European Union. It is likely to be a central element of the EU's agenda for the foreseeable future. Irish participation in KFOR would be in line with Ireland's commitment to play an active role in the new approach to UN-mandated peacekeeping and in promoting peace and stability in Europe. Participation would also be in line with the Government's underlying and constant approach to the Kosovo crisis, namely, that it should be resolved in accordance with the principles set out by the international community and with the active engagement of the UN Security Council, and that the refugees must have the right of full and safe return.
The situation in Kosovo remains complex. Thousands of Kosovo Albanian refugees in FYROM – Macedonia – and Albania have been returning to Kosovo spontaneously. The UN agencies are now co-ordinating the return of refugees, assisted by the stabilising presence of KFOR. On the other hand, many Kosovo Serbs are leaving. Estimates are that up to 120,000 out of 200,000 Kosovo Serbs may have fled in the wake of the withdrawal of Serbian forces from Kosovo. Evidence of appalling war crimes against Kosovar Albanians has been unearthed. There are also well documented reports of Albanian revenge attacks on Serb and Roma Gypsy houses and villages. While these persist, it is unlikely that many of those Serbs who have already left will return and more may leave. It is regarded as important by the international community that Kosovo should remain multi-ethnic. The full and speedy deployment of KFOR is crucial to engendering a sense of security for the entire civilian population.
On 21 June agreement was reached between the KFOR force commander, General Jackson, and Hashim Thaci, the head of the KLA "Provisional Government" of Kosovo on the "demilitarisation /disarming" of the KLA in compliance with UN Security Council Resolution 1244. The KLA is to renounce all provocation and reprisals against Serbs in Kosovo and hand over its heavy weapons at central collection points. The agreement contains clauses which will allow the KLA to propose its members for an anticipated police and civil administration. It is recognised that securing effective KLA compliance with the resolution is important if Kosovo's Serbs are to return.
Following discussions between the Department of Foreign Affairs and my Department, and in anticipation of the adoption of Resolution 1244, NATO was informed on 9 June of Ireland's general interest in participation in KFOR, subject to approval by the Government and the Dáil. The NATO secretariat had identified a KFOR requirement for a transport element, in line with what Ireland could contemplate providing to the force. A formal invitation to participate in KFOR will be received in the next few days.
It is envisaged that the proposed Irish contingent will comprise a transport company of between 80 and 100 personnel, equipped with 32 vehicles. The proposed contingent is based on experience gained from the contribution of a similar unit to the multinational operation in Somalia in the early 1990s. Current indications from the KFOR planning staff are that the transport company will form part of a larger group of battalion strength – 400 personnel – which will in turn form part of a KFOR support service element, possibly with Norway as lead nation. The company will be based in Pristina, and respond to the headquarters of KFOR. The Pris tina area, as well as being the location for the headquarters of KFOR, is part of the British brigade area.
The transport company, given its role as a support element for the force as a whole, is expected to be mobile throughout the KFOR area of operations. It is envisaged that a small number of staff appointments within the headquarters of KFOR will, if requested, be filled by officers of the Defence Forces. A military fact finding mission to the Supreme Headquarters of Allied Powers in Europe – SHAPE – Mons, Belgium, took place yesterday to seek clarification on a number of matters in order to expedite deployment. It will be necessary to send a reconnaissance party to the mission area prior to deployment and before a final decision is made on the composition of the transport company.
The initial indications are that it will perform the following range of duties – carry out humanitarian resupply tasks initially to villages and towns, deliver equipment and material to facilitate the completion of essential infrastructure improvements to alleviate human suffering, as part of an international transport battalion and carry out general resupply and transport tasks for the KFOR mission.
It is estimated by Irish military authorities that deployment to the area of operations could commence a minimum of six weeks after Dáil approval. The Irish commitment to KFOR will initially be until June 2000. Rotation will be at six monthly intervals. The Government will review the question of continued participation in light of developments on the ground as well as other factors, such as security requirements at home and other overseas commitments.
KFOR operates under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter. It is entitled to use force to implement its mandate and to protect itself and the international civil presence, established in accordance with Resolution 1244. The protective element of the chapter mandate has become the norm in UN authorised operations in recent years, such as those in Somalia and eastern Slavonia and the SFOR operation in Bosnia.
Troop contributing countries are increasingly unwilling to commit troops to operations unless there is a Chapter VII authorisation to enable the peacekeeping force to take all necessary measures to protect itself. Implementation of the provisions of UN Security Council Resolution 1244 by KFOR is a challenging and complex undertaking. However, normalisation of the security situation is a priority for the currently deployed elements of KFOR.
Based on information from SHAPE, the current situation in Kosovo is assessed as fragile but stable with sporadic incidents of low level violence threatening that stability. Full and rapid deployment of KFOR will be a stabilising and confidence building act. The conclusion of the Irish military authorities is that the mission area remains volatile, but the current overall security situation is considered satisfactory. A serious threat lies in the numbers of landmines and unexploded ordnance that remain throughout Kosovo. Our experience in SFOR also testifies to the threat posed by mines in conflict zones of the former Yugoslavia. Dealing with this problem will be a major task for KFOR.
The Irish contingent will be fully trained in mine awareness techniques and measures. Ongoing risk assessments will take account of developments as the situation in the region stabilises. The safety of Defence Forces personnel serving on overseas missions is always a matter of serious concern and I assure the House that this aspect was fully taken into account by the Government in making its decision. In this connection, I refer to the UN Convention on the Safety and Security of UN and Associated Personnel which was adopted by the Sixth Committee of the UN on 9 December 1994. Ireland intends to accede to the convention, which came into force on 15 January 1999.
As the Irish contingent to KFOR will exceed 12 in number and will be armed, Dáil approval of the dispatch of the contingent is required under the terms of the Defence Acts. As with SFOR, all contributors to KFOR are responsible for all their own costs and this is set out in the terms of the financial exchange of letters with NATO. The terms of the financial exchange must be approved by Dáil Éireann under Article 29 of the Constitution, and this motion incorporates these terms. I estimate that the additional costs to the Defence Vote arising out of Defence Forces participation in KFOR until June 2000 as proposed on the basis of commencement on, for example, 1 September, will total £2.8 million.
For Ireland, as a non-NATO member contributing a contingent to KFOR, the KFOR command and control arrangements are analogous to those which currently apply to our participation in SFOR in Bosnia-Herzegovina. KFOR is an important expression, not only of the international community's commitment to peace in Kosovo, but also of the mutually reinforcing and co-operative approach to ensuring international peace and security, which Ireland advocates. Participation in KFOR would be a further concrete example of our commitment to inclusive co-operative security in Europe in general and to helping the people of Kosovo in their search for peace and normal political life.
Ireland has a long standing reputation in UN peacekeeping which is a legitimate source of pride for all of us. I attach great importance to our involvement in the mainstream of peacekeeping and our participation in KFOR is important in this regard. The Government's approach to the Kosovo crisis has been clear, consistent and unwavering. The prompt and proactive decision by the Government, in proposing that the Dáil approve participation in the UN authorised KFOR, is further evidence of its readiness to play a full part in addressing the humanitarian, political and security challenges posed by the crisis in Kosovo and neighbouring areas in a way which is consistent with our own traditions, capabilities and objectives. I commend the motion to the House.
