MINISTER MINTAS-HODAK TO TRAVEL TO STRASBOURG NEXT WEEK

ZAGREB, March 6 (Hina) - Ljerka Mintas-Hodak, a Croatian Deputy Prime Minister and minister for Croatia's bids to join European integration processes, will conduct a 7-11 March visit to Strasbourg where she will sign the Social Charter of the Council of Europe and the European Convention on Children's Rights. In Strasbourg, the Croatian minister will meet the Council of Europe's Secretary-General, Daniel Tarschys, his deputy Hans- Christian Krueger and other officials. The aim of the social charter, which Mintas-Hodak is to sign on Monday in the presence of Tarschys, is the protection of social rights and the prevention of discrimination on the grounds of a worker's sex, race, religion, political opinions, nationality and social origins. The charter has been open for signing since 1961 and envisages that every man has the right to work and to have fair conditions for his work, security and safety at the job and a salary which can ensure satisfactory conditions for life. After a country signs and ratifies the charter, the Council of Europe oversees how the obligations from the charter are being fulfilled. The European Convention on Children's Rights has been open for signing since 1996. Only a dozen countries have signed the convention and merely two countries have ratified it so far. Therefore, the convention has not yet come into effect. (hina) ms