Presenting the report, the head of the Office, Helena Stimac Radin, cited a series of legislative and institutional changes that have been introduced in Croatia since 1998 with a view to promoting gender equality.
Radin also mentioned a positive opinion of the European Commission, which said that Croatia had adopted most of the basic laws and established the necessary institutional mechanisms in this domain.
The UN committee was informed of the progress made in Croatia with regard to the participation of women in political life as the representation of women in the Croatian parliament is above the European average.
The UN committee welcomed the legislative reform in Croatia and its demonstrated readiness to introduce measures aimed at strengthening national mechanisms for gender equality. It also stressed the need to implement the existing regulations with a view to further improving the general position of women.
Committee vice-president Hanna Beate Schopp-Schilling praised the Croatian government office for cooperating with non-governmental organisations and establishing county commissions for gender equality, and offered cooperation with similar institutions in Germany.
She stressed the importance of Croatia joining the European Union and of support to the Croatian government in its efforts to relate EU directives on gender equality to the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women.