UNESCO To Vote On Kosovo’s Membership

UNESCO’s General Conference has begun debating whether to admit Kosovo as a member in the United Nations cultural agency in a heated vote that’s dividing countries along old battle lines.

The vote had been fiercely opposed by Russian Federation and Serbia, which attempted to get it postponed earlier in the day.

The Albanian-dominated region, which declared independence from Serbia in 2008, will need the backing of a two-third majority in the 195-member UNESCO. According to the latest data, Kosovo fell short of collecting 95 votes required for joining the global organization.

Ninety-two UNESCO member states voted in favour, with 50 voting against and dozens of abstentions. “This decision reflects our intention never to give up Kosovo”, foreign minister Ivica Dacic said in hailing the diplomatic triumph.

“This is a just and moral victory in nearly impossible conditions”, Nikolic said in a statement.

Serbia had warned that Orthodox monuments would be at risk if Kosovo took over their management, citing instances of attacks and looting since the 1998-99 war between the two sides.

Russia, a close ally of Serbia, has blocked Kosovo’s bid to become a full United Nations member.

Resolution 1244 of the UN Security Council passed on June 10, 1999, envisages a set of measures to resolve the situation in Kosovo by granting “substantial autonomy and real self-administration” to the region while observing “the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Yugoslavia”.

But Father Sava Janjic, a Serb Orthodox monk at the UNESCO-listed Decani monastery in Kosovo, who ran a social media campaign backing the UNESCO drive, said on Twitter he was encouraged despite the defeat.

“Kosovo’s road is unstoppable and we will apply and join other organisations, including UNESCO once again”, Thaci said.