NEW YORK, Nov 6 (Hina) - A Croatian representative on Friday presented a number of objections to the latest report by Special UN Human Rights Rapporteur for the former Yugoslavia, Jiri Dienstbier, saying he had failed to mention
positive facts regarding the human rights situation in Croatia.
NEW YORK, Nov 6 (Hina) - A Croatian representative on Friday
presented a number of objections to the latest report by Special UN
Human Rights Rapporteur for the former Yugoslavia, Jiri
Dienstbier, saying he had failed to mention positive facts
regarding the human rights situation in Croatia. #L#
Reacting to Dienstbier's speech before the UN General Assembly's
Human Rights Committee, the Croatian representative warned it was
not even reported that Croatia had implemented recommendations
Dienstbier had given in his earlier reports, such as the one that
Serb minority representatives be entitled to proportionate
appointment to state posts.
"The report does not mention at all that an OSCE Monitoring Mission
has been operating in Croatia since June 1996, and that its 250
members are monitoring the fulfilment of Croatia's obligations and
publishing weekly, monthly and quarterly reports", the
representative said.
It is also warned that the Special Rapporteur has been failing for
several years to draw up a full survey of progress Croatia has made
since 1991 in the field of human rights protection.
Dienstbier's statement which describes the situation in Croatia,
Bosnia and Yugoslavia as same, because employees with the offices
of the UN High Representative for Human Rights are working under
very difficult conditions, was rejected as unfounded. The head of
the Zagreb office has personally, on several occasions, expressed
satisfaction with the readiness of Croatian authorities to
cooperate, the representative said.
Dienstbier compiled his report on the situation in Croatia after a
visit which lasted from July 25 to August 4, the Croatian
representative said. The Special Rapporteur was actually on summer
holiday which, as he himself stated, he spent for the most part in
the northern Adriatic resort of Opatija and other towns in Istria,
the Croatian representative said, adding Dienstbier also visited
Knin, Split, and Zagreb.
The fact that during his visit to Split Dienstbier concentrated on
the registration of a young basketball player Bruno Sundov with a US
team "the Croatian Embassy sees as a compliment regarding the human
rights situation, but this also indicates that it is necessary to
clarify the mandate of the Special Rapporteur in Croatia and assess
whether its automatic extension is correct".
The Croatian delegation at the U.N. in New York is expected to
submit a full reply to Dienstbier's report and speech on Monday.
(hina) jn rml