OSCE & UNHCR MISSIONS LIMIT SUPPORT FOR GOVERNMENT RETURN PLAN

( Editorial: --> 3737 ) ZAGREB, June 25 (Hina) - The draft Programme of Return and Care of Displaced People and Refugees, which has been tabled for discussion in the Croatian National Parliament, contains statements which are not in line with principles and actions agreed on with the international community, reads a statement released by the OSCE and UNHCR Missions in Zagreb on Thursday. The OSCE and UNHCR Missions have welcomed the Programme of Return, that is the document the Croatian Government has drawn up with expert assistance from the international community, the statement reads. However, we have now seen the whole text of a much longer document titled "Draft Programme of Return and Care of Displaced People and Refugees", which has been tabled for parliamentary discussion. This longer document contains, under Section IV (Chapter 6), the earlier mentioned Programme of Return. In order to avoid any doubt which might arise, we stress that our positive remarks refer only to this part (Section IV, Chapter 6) of the longer document, the statement said. The Government had assured the international community at the highest level that the Programme of Return would be presented to the Croatian National Parliament as a separate document, the statement claims. However, the inclusion of that document into the Draft Programme of Return and Care of Displaced People and Refugees, as its constituent part, is not in line with that commitment, the statement reads. The OSCE and UNHCR believe that the document presented to Parliament contains statements which are not in accordance with the principles and actions from the Programme of Return that the Missions have agreed to. They added that the longer document contains rhetoric which could negatively affect the decisions of potential returnees. At the end of the statement, the OSCE and UNHCR said their support for the Programme of Return was based on an agreement with the Croatian Government that the principles and actions in question were in no way qualified by or made conditional upon statements elsewhere in the Draft Programme of Return and Care of Displaced People and Refugees. (hina) jn rml /mbr 251954 MET jun 98