ZAGREB, Dec 11 (Hina) - The Croatian Sabor's Human Right's +Committee held a special session Thursday night to mark the Human +Rights Day and the 50th anniversary of the adoption of the +Declaration on Human Rights.+ In his opening
speech, Committee chairman Miroslav Kis said the +international community had in this region failed to pass a test in +human rights protection.+ He expressed conviction that because of its citizens, not because +of anybody's advice and pressures, Croatia would build a democracy +and a human rights system which would exceed international +standards.+ The Chairwoman of the National State Committee for the marking of +the 50th anniversary of the human rights declaration, Ljerka +Mintas-Hodak, stressed that with all the achievements in the +protection of human rights, the world has a long way to go in the +achievement of all human rights guaranteed by the UN Declaration. +She reca
ZAGREB, Dec 11 (Hina) - The Croatian Sabor's Human Right's
Committee held a special session Thursday night to mark the Human
Rights Day and the 50th anniversary of the adoption of the
Declaration on Human Rights.
In his opening speech, Committee chairman Miroslav Kis said the
international community had in this region failed to pass a test in
human rights protection.
He expressed conviction that because of its citizens, not because
of anybody's advice and pressures, Croatia would build a democracy
and a human rights system which would exceed international
standards.
The Chairwoman of the National State Committee for the marking of
the 50th anniversary of the human rights declaration, Ljerka
Mintas-Hodak, stressed that with all the achievements in the
protection of human rights, the world has a long way to go in the
achievement of all human rights guaranteed by the UN Declaration.
She recalled the period of aggression on Croatia when all human
rights had been brutally violated.
"Despite the war and transition period, Croatia has in accordance
with European standards established an envious legal and
constitutional framework for the protection and promotion of human
rights," Mintas-Hodak stressed.
She added that the injustices brought on by the war had thus been
greatly diminished.
"Despite the aggression and difficult circumstances, Croatian
state institutions have ensured the rights of 500,000 refugees, the
rights of victims of the Homeland War and socially endangered
persons, and through the Amnesty Law, it has ensured the rights of
those who had raised arms against Croatia," Croatian President's
envoy Ivica Kostovic stressed.
He pointed out that the Government's Return Programme had enabled
more than 50,000 Croatian Serbs to return to their homes.
Croatian National Sabor vice-president Vladimir Seks said that the
20th century had been marked by the idea and struggle for human
rights and freedoms.
"In Croatia this idea and struggle have always been tightly
entwined with the aspirations of the Croatian people to exercise
their right to freedom and independence," Seks said.
He recalled the tenth anniversary of a public protest of a group of
Croatian intellectuals who on December 11, 1988, signed a petition
requesting a respect of the freedom of movement to persons whose
former authorities had taken away passports.
The session participants were informed about numerous conferences,
actions, exhibitions, seminars and publications aimed at marking
the 50th anniversary of the Human Rights Declaration.
Present at the session were also numerous Church officials,
representatives of national minorities, international
organisations and prominent people of Croatia's cultural and
political life.
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