It would have to safeguard the human and civil rights of all inhabitants of Kosovo, whatever their ethnic origin. Stability in Kosovo was also linked to progress in the democratisation process in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia as a whole.

NATO supported and reinforced international efforts to bring about a solution by agreeing on 30 January 1999 to the use of air strikes if required, and by issuing a warning to both sides in the conflict. The negotiations in Rambouillet took place from 6 to 23 February and were followed by a second round in Paris, from 15 to 18 March, culminating in acceptance of the proposed peace agreement by the Kosovar Albanians. However, the talks broke up without agreement from the Serbian delegation.

Following the failure of the negotiations, Serbian military and police forces stepped up the intensity of their operations against the ethnic Albanians, moving extra troops and modern tanks into the region. Tens of thousands of people began to flee their homes in the face of this offensive. On 20 March 1999, the OSCE Kosovo Verification Mission was withdrawn from the region, when obstruction from Serbian forces made it impossible for it to fulfil its task. US Special Envoy Richard Holbrooke then flew to Belgrade, in a final attempt to persuade President Milosevic to stop attacks on the Kosovar Albanians or face imminent NATO air strikes. Milosevic refused to comply, and on 23 March the order was given to commence air strikes.

NATO's objectives in relation to the conflict in Kosovo were set out in the Statement issued at the Extraordinary Meeting of the North Atlantic Council held at NATO on 12 April 1999 and were reaffirmed by Heads of State and Government in Washington on 23 April 1999.