Some key elements of the U.N. Security Council resolution authorize an international force to move into Kosovo and provide for the safe return of an estimated 860,000 ethnic Albanian refugees.
Sponsors of the resolution are the eight countries whose foreign ministers drew up the measure in Cologne, Germany, the United States, Russia, Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Japan. The Netherlands, Slovenia and Ukraine also joined as co-sponsors.
The resolution calls for an international peacekeeping force with NATO at its core to be deployed to Kosovo for an initial 12 months and indefinitely beyond then unless the Security Council decides otherwise.
The force is responsible for deterring renewed hostilities, demilitarizing the Kosovo Liberation Army, the rebel group of ethnic Albanians, and establishing a secure environment for refugees to return.
The resolution authorizes U.N. member states and international organizations to use "all necessary means" to implement its provisions.
The resolution authorizes the U.N. secretary-general to establish an interim civilian administration for Kosovo that would allow for the return of refugees and promote the establishment of substantial autonomy and self-government for the province within Yugoslavia.
The administration would establish a local police force and oversee the development of provisional democratic institutions, including elections, based on the Rambouillet accords. It would support the economic reconstruction of Kosovo and help with humanitarian and disaster relief.
A special representative of the secretary-general would oversee the civilian administration.
The resolution demands full cooperation by all governments and the international security force in Kosovo with the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia. Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic was indicted by the tribunal for crimes against humanity last month.
The resolution encourages governments and international organizations to contribute to the economic and social reconstruction of Kosovo and emphasizes the need to convene a donors' conference as soon as possible. It welcomes work by the European Union and other international organizations to develop a comprehensive approach to the economic development and stabilization of the region affected by the Kosovo crisis.
The resolution demands an immediate and verifiable end to violence and repression in Kosovo and the withdrawal of all military, police and paramilitary forces from Kosovo according to a rapid timetable. It confirms that a number of Serb military and police personnel will be allowed to return to maintain a presence at key border crossings and cultural sites, to mark and clear minefields and to maintain contacts with the military and civilian missions.
The resolution demands that the Kosovo Liberation Army and other armed Kosovo Albanian groups end all offensive actions immediately and comply with the requirements for demilitarization which will be spelled out by the head of the international military force.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.