SARAJEVO, 27 March (Hina) - A lack of political will at the highest political levels is the biggest obstacle for the acceleration of the return of Bosnian refugees to their homes, said the U.N. Special Rapporteur for human rights in
former Yugoslavia, Elizabeth Rehn, speaking at a press conference in Sarajevo on Thursday.
REHN
SARAJEVO, 27 March (Hina) - A lack of political will at the highest
political levels is the biggest obstacle for the acceleration of the return
of Bosnian refugees to their homes, said the U.N. Special Rapporteur for
human rights in former Yugoslavia, Elizabeth Rehn, speaking at a press
conference in Sarajevo on Thursday. #L#
The conference was held after Rehn's several-day mission during which
she visited Mostar, Stolac, Capljina, Jablanica, Gorazde and Foca.
Refugees were not returning in expected numbers even when local
authorities were willing to secure their return, because the process of the
return was being blocked from higher levels, Rehn stated.
The position of those who made political decisions was often unclear
and some were even considering possible division of the country. Such
actions would certainly not contribute to respect for human rights, Rehn
said.
According to Rehn, it was extremely important that political leaders
show real readiness to implement the Dayton agreement as it was the only way
to change the current situation in the area of human rights.
Bosnia and Herzegovina and the international community were now at a
cross-roads and it was high time that they took decisive steps, Rehn said,
adding that she would include concrete suggestions in her special report to
the U.N. headquarters in Geneva.
Certain things had been done in improving the situation of human
rights in the past period, but that was not enough, Rehn said. In some
cases, the situation even deteriorated, she added.
People in Bosnia had only one possibility - to choose between new
conflicts and divisions on one side and the final reconciliation on the
other.
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