CROATIA SATISFIED WITH UN COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS - SAYS OFFICIAL

NEW YORK, June 6 (Hina) - Croatian Deputy Premier Zeljka Antunovic and United Nations high commissioner for human rights Mary Robinson held talks in New York on Tuesday discussing the human rights situation in Croatia and cooperation with the UN in this field. Antunovic on this occasion signed an agreement on the status of the UN Commission on Human Rights Office in Zagreb. She said the Croatian government had secured space for a documentation centre of the UN agency, and that she was satisfied with past cooperation with this UN agency and a technical assistance programme for Croatia. Robinson and Antunovic separately addressed the refugee return process. Croatia's deputy premier said there was political will to step up the process, but that programmes came to a halt due to lack of money. Broadly speaking about the level of human rights in Croatia, Antunovic said improvement in great part depended on material possibilities where Croatia, besides issues oppressing all countries in transition, was facing the consequences of last decade's war. Antunovic briefed UN commissioner Robinson on Croatia's preparations for an international conference on racism and xenophobia, which is to take place in South Africa next year. She said Croatia was willing and wanted to host in Dubrovnik an international conference on the protection of human rights. (hina) ha jn