GENEVA, Oct 18 (Hina) - The task force for democratisation and human rights of the Stability Pact for Southeast Europe held its inaugural conference in Geneva on Monday. The two-day gathering is attended by a Croatian delegation,
which is headed by the national coordinator for the Stability Pact, Assistant Foreign Minister Vladimir Drobnjak. The task force for democratisation and human rights is the last to begin with its work of three task forces which are components of a regional task force, a mechanism envisaged for the implementation of the Stability Pact. The task force for economy convened in Bari, Italy on 9 October, and the task force for security issues in Norwegian capital Oslo on 13 and 14 October. The purpose of the democratisation and human rights task force is to incite regional initiatives which should lead to standards of democracy and the protection of human rights as st
GENEVA, Oct 18 (Hina) - The task force for democratisation and human
rights of the Stability Pact for Southeast Europe held its
inaugural conference in Geneva on Monday.
The two-day gathering is attended by a Croatian delegation, which
is headed by the national coordinator for the Stability Pact,
Assistant Foreign Minister Vladimir Drobnjak.
The task force for democratisation and human rights is the last to
begin with its work of three task forces which are components of a
regional task force, a mechanism envisaged for the implementation
of the Stability Pact. The task force for economy convened in Bari,
Italy on 9 October, and the task force for security issues in
Norwegian capital Oslo on 13 and 14 October.
The purpose of the democratisation and human rights task force is to
incite regional initiatives which should lead to standards of
democracy and the protection of human rights as stipulated in the
principles of the UN Charter, documents of the Organisation for
Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), and Council of Europe
conventions.
The chairman of the task force is OSCE High Commissioner for
national minority issues Max Van Der Stoel.
The task force for democratisation and human rights should focus on
the rule of law, responsible governing, the return of refugees, and
the building of a civil society. In that respect, special attention
should be placed upon the protection of human and the rights of
minorities, the role the media and education play in the building of
civil society, local government and self-government, inter-
parliamentary cooperation, and the equality of the sexes.
Croatia holds the fields of activity of the task force as a very
important and complex part of the Stability Pact. Given they
existence of mechanisms and institutions which deal with those
fields, such as the OSCE and the Council of Europe, Croatia believes
it is unnecessary to create new mechanisms and thus bureaucratise
the work of the task force. Croatia's position is that the task
force should be conceived as a forum which will examine and incite
necessary tasks by using extant mechanisms.
Given the unavoidable role of NGOs in the democratisation of human
rights, Van Der Stoel scheduled a separate meeting in Geneva with
representatives of those which expressed interest in participating
in Stability Pact projects.
(hina) ha jn