CROATIA SIGNS PROTOCOL OF CONVENTION ON WOMEN

NEW YORK, June 5 (Hina) - Croatia on Monday signed an optional protocol to the convention on elimination of all forms of discrimination against women. During an extraordinary session of the UN General Assembly on women, a Croatian Deputy Prime Minister Zeljka Antunovic signed the document in New York. Croatia is the 37th state that accepted the protocol. The protocol is ratified by only two countries, and it can come into effect only after at least ten countries ratify it. Countries-signatories accept that the UN committee for the elimination of discrimination against women can receive and consider applications of individuals or groups who take action against cases of the violation of this Convention. They can submit the application after they use all possibilities for the protection before national institutions. The committee alone can instigate a procedure for the examination of the member-countries' conduct in case of grave and systematic breaches of women's rights. MP Antunovic is leading a Croatian delegation at the UN General Assembly's special session which should consider what has been achieved since the 1995 World Conference on Women in Beijing. The New York session has drawn about 15,000 participants. The UN General Assembly will finish the session on Friday with the adoption of a Joint Declaration and a working document which should define further actions in the implementation of the Beijing platform. (hina) jn ms