OSCE AND UNHCR SUPPORT ARTICLE 11 COMMISSION COMMUNIQUE

( Editorial: --> 0676 ) ZAGREB, April 30 (Hina) - Heads of the OSCE and UNHCR missions in Croatia Thursday expressed dissatisfaction with parts of a Croatian Government document on the individual return of refugees. Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe mission head Tim Guldimann and United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees mission head Robert Robinson thus supported a communique issued by the Article 11 Commission in Zagreb yesterday. The Commission communique contains a rounded assessment made by the international community, Guldimann said speaking about the communique focusing on the Procedure for Individual Return of Persons ho Left the Republic of Croatia, which the Government passed on April 27. The OSCE mission head said a conference on the reconstruction of Croatia had not been cancelled, but postponed. We have suspended our participation in the donors' conference pending concrete action and explanations from the Croatian Government, Guldimann told reporters. UNHCR mission head Robinson said this was not a punishment. The international community must have concrete Croatian procedures by which it will estimate the means necessary for return and reconstruction, he explained. At the moment there is no plan on the basis of which the international community might act, but this does not mean that projects in course will be stalled, Robinson said. A regional conference on the return was held in Banja Luka, Bosnia- Herzegovina, on April 28. It was said that a donors' conference on the reconstruction and development of Croatia scheduled for May would most probably take place in July. Supporting the Article 11 Commission's assessment of the Croatian Government's document on the return procedure, Guldimann and Robinson pointed out the international community never endorsed a mass return. The UNHCR would never advocate a mass return which might endanger the security issue, Robertson said. According to the OSCE's Guldimann, the Croatian Government's document does not express the unconditional right to return clearly. Robinson said the Croatian Constitution was very good and that it precisely specified the concept of citizenship. However, persons who before the war spent their whole life in Croatia should not seek citizenship, but just have their citizenship status verified by competent authorities, he said. We seek clearly defined return deadlines which at present are non- existent, Guldimann said, adding this might lead to bureaucratic delays. Also, the issue of war crimes suspects and their citizenship should not be linked, he and Robinson said. War criminals must be sentenced, but as citizens of Croatia and following trial, Robinson said. He concluded by saying that the UNHCR considered return a humanitarian issue, and that it seeks a solution for all and not just one ethnic group. (hina) ha jn/mb 301818 MET apr 98