UN ZAGREB OFFICE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS CLOSING DOWN

ZAGREB, Aug 20 (Hina) - Croatian Deputy Prime Minister Ante Simonic on Tuesday met Juan Pablo Ordonez, the head of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in Croatia, who said that the office was closing down and that a new form of co-operation relating to human rights protection would be established. #L# As reported by the government's public relations office, the two officials also discussed setting up a human rights centre in Croatia and the problem of the Romany community in Medjimurje County. Deputy Prime Minister Simonic conveyed the government's commitment to developing an effective system of human rights protection in Croatia as well as continuing co-operation with international institutions. The establishment of a non-political and non-government institution such as the centre for human rights, which would operate as an independent office, represents one of the ways of advancing the work and stimulating the strengthening of the civil sector, it was said at the meeting. The government entirely supports the International Congress on Human Rights to be held in Dubrovnik next year, the office said in a statement. Speaking about the problem of segregation of Romany children in schools, Ordonez expressed concern, however, he emphasised that the same problem was encountered in many European countries. Simonic stressed that the Croatian government had recognised the problems that the Romany community was faced with. The Croatian government has taken a comprehensive approach to resolving this specific problem, the statement reads. Among other things, it will come up with a National Programme for the Romany, which will be preceded by a seminar to be held in Cakovec in early September in the organisation of the Office for National Minorities, the statement reads. (hina) sp sb