SIMONOVIC:CROATIA FULFILS ITS COMMITMENTS TO UN AND COUNCIL OF EUROPE

ZAGREB/NEW YORK, Oct 20 (Hina) - Croatia, being a member-country of the United Nations and the Council of Europe, has honoured all obligations it assumed and hopes that the UN special rapporteur for human rights will underline it in the report, Croatian Ambassador to the United Nations, Ivan Simonovic said on Friday. "Recently, the Parliamentary Assembly decided to end the monitoring procedure (in Croatia), welcoming the significant progress Croatia has made towards honouring its commitments and obligations, as a Member State since its accession in 1996 and in particular, since the parliamentary and presidential elections held earlier this year," Croatian Ambassador said addressing the UN General Assembly, which discussed the cooperation between the UN and the Council of Europe. "In light of the circumstances, the Republic of Croatia expects that these achievements and continuing progress on its part should act as a pertinent benchmark to be adequately and appropriately reflected in the report of the Special Rapporteur of the Commission on Human Rights ..." Simonovic added. He recalled that in 1992 monitoring by the Special Rapporteur of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights was established and subsequent to the membership of Croatia in the Council of Europe in 1996, the Council of Europe monitoring was established covering both human rights and democratic development. Simonovic added in his speech that "as a member of the Council of Europe and the United Nations, Croatia has actively contributed to the work of both organisations." (hina) ms