ZAGREB, Oct 25 (Hina) - Croatia believes now is the right time for UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Jiri Diestbier to be relieved of his duties as supervisor of the human rights situation in Croatia, Croatia's permanent
representative at the United Nations, Ivan Simonovic, said on Wednesday.
ZAGREB, Oct 25 (Hina) - Croatia believes now is the right time for UN
Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Jiri Diestbier to be relieved of
his duties as supervisor of the human rights situation in Croatia,
Croatia's permanent representative at the United Nations, Ivan
Simonovic, said on Wednesday. #L#
Simonovic made this statement in a speech before the U.N. General
Assembly within a discussion on the 29th item of the agenda
regarding the cooperation between the U.N. and the Organisation for
Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).
Croatia believes that a recent decision by the Council of Europe to
discontinue its monitoring in Croatia allows the reduction of
duties of the U.N. Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Bosnia-
Herzegovina, Croatia and Yugoslavia by excluding Croatia from his
mandate, the ambassador said.
The mandate of OSCE police monitors in the Croatian Danube River
region expires on October 31 2000, which bears witness to the fact
that the process of reconciliation and establishment of trust
between the two communities in the war-stricken area is progressing
well, Simonovic said adding this was another step toward the
completion of the OSCE mandate in Croatia.
Croatia supports a recent appeal by OSCE chairwoman Benita Ferrero
Waldner and UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan for Yugoslavia to apply
for membership in the OSCE and UN, Simonovic said.
He warned, though, that any membership application by Yugoslavia
should have to be considered from the internationally approved
position that Yugoslavia is only one of equal successors to the
former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SFRY).
Simonovic said Croatia supported OSCE's efforts to promote
democratic values and lay foundations for a democratic society in
neighbouring Bosnia-Herzegovina and Kosovo.
He stressed, however, that the balance between the rights of
individuals and the collective rights of the three constituent
peoples in Bosnia-Herzegovina must be maintained.
In helping Bosnia organise the elections, it is very important to
keep the balance of individual civil rights on the one hand and the
collective rights of the three constituent peoples on the other, as
well as to respect the Constitution in that sense, Simonovic said.
(hina) rml