INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS CONFERENCE BEGINS IN DUBROVNIK

DUBROVNIK, Oct 8 (Hina) - The recent terrorist attacks in the United States have shown that the world need act in unison in its fight against terrorism, honouring the common values, human rights and tolerance, said a Croatian Deputy Prime Minister, Zeljka Antunovic, opening an international conference on human rights and democratisation in Dubrovnik. Three-day conference, organised by Croatia's authorities, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and the European Commission, focuses on general trends in the human rights promotion in Europe, Central Asia and the Transcaucasus. The purpose of this event, which has drawn officials from 45 European countries and eight former Soviet republics in central Asia and Caucasus as well as representatives of non-governmental organisations, is to establish the United Nations' priorities in the development of concrete plans for achieving progress in the human rights protection both at national and regional level. I am positive that this conference will confirm our resolve to respect the common basic values, human rights and tolerance, Zeljka Antunovic said at the opening. She added that the motive behind the Croatian government's decision to help organise the conference was "to support activities aimed at strengthening mechanisms for the protection and promotion of human rights not only at the national but also on the regional level." Besides, Croatia has become a country where the conditions were created for the adequate protection and promotion of human rights for all of its residents, Antunovic said adding that "the international community has recognised such changes." "Until recently Croatia was the subject of almost all the possible forms of monitoring of the human rights situation - from the UNHCR- led monitoring to the monitoring by the Council of Europe and the OSCE. Thanks to positive changes in the Croatian society, almost all forms of the monitoring were terminated in the meantime," she said. Present at the event will be the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mary Robinson, the Council of Europe Secretary-General, Walter Schwimmer, and the OSCE (Organsation for Security and Cooperation in Europe) human rights office's head, Gerard Stoudmann as well as senior Croatian officials. The participants in the conference will, in particular, discuss the democratisation and the development of civil society, the issue of multiculturalism, and exchange stands of leading regional and sub- regional organisations on this matter. (hina) ms