1. Basic Decisions

Establishment:
Permanent Council, 18 April 1996, PC.DEC/112 (Subject to a silence procedure which expired on 19 April 1996 at 4 pm)

Terms of reference:
Permanent Council, 26 June 1997, PC.DEC/176
Permanent Council, 17 July 1997, PC.DEC/181
Permanent Council, 25 June 1998, PC.DEC/239
Permanent Council, 21 September 2000. PC.DEC/373
Permanent Council, 14 December 2000, PC.DEC/396
United Nations Security Council Resolution No. 1145 (19 December 1997)

2. Tasks

In the Decision of 18 April 1996 the Permanent Council noted the reports of the Fact-Finding Mission of the OSCE to Croatia (6 to 10 October 1995), and of the Personal Representative of the Chairman-in-Office on his visit to Croatia (20 to 23 February 1996), reaffirmed the OSCE's principles and commitments and its full support for the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Croatia, and welcomed the invitation of the Government of Croatia for an OSCE Mission.

The Permanent Council decided that:

• "The Mission will provide assistance and expertise to the Croatian authorities at all levels, as well as to interested individuals, groups and organizations, in the field of the protection of human rights and of the rights of persons belonging to national minorities. In this context and in order to promote reconciliation, the rule of law and conformity with the highest internationally recognized standards, the Mission will also assist and advise on the full implementation of legislation and monitor the proper functioning and development of democratic institutions, processes and mechanisms.
• In carrying out its tasks, the Mission will co-operate with and use the expertise of the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities and of the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights. It will also co-operate with other international organizations and institutions, notably the Council of Europe, the ECMM, the Special Envoy for Regional Issues, UNHCR, the ICRC and relevant NGOs.
• The Mission will offer close co-operation to UNTAES (United Nations Transitional Authority in Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Sirmium), in particular as regards confidence-building and reconciliation, as well as the development of democratic institutions, processes and mechanisms at the municipal and district/county level."

In the Decision No. 176 of 26 June 1997 the Permanent Council made the following amendments to its Decision No. 112 of 18 April 1996:

The Permanent Council decided to:

• "Pursue OSCE tasks in the Republic of Croatia on the basis of PC Decision No. 112 of 18 April 1996, as amended by this Decision;
• Reaffirm the availability of all OSCE institutions to assist in the development of democratic institutions, processes and mechanisms;
• Authorize the Mission:
  • To assist with and to monitor implementation of Croatian legislation and agreements and commitments entered into by the Croatian Government on:
    - Two-way return of all refugees and displaced persons and on protection of their rights, and
    - The protection of persons belonging to national minorities;
  • To make specific recommendations to the Croatian authorities and refer, as appropriate, urgent issues to the Permanent Council."

The Permanent Council in the Decision No. 239 of 25 June 1998 recalled its Decisions Nos. 112 and 176 and the United Nations Security Council Resolution No. 1145 of 19 December 1997 and also welcomed the understanding reached between the Chairman-in-Office and Croatian authorities and the readiness and commitment of the Government of Croatia to ensure the appropriate implementation of the Decision, as expressed in the letter from the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Croatia, Dr. Mate Granic, to the Chairman-in-Office (CIO.GAL/32/98 Restr.). Further, the Permanent Council expressed:

"...the readiness of the OSCE to deploy civilian police monitors to assume the responsibilities of the United Nations Police Support Group (UNPSG) personnel deployed in the Croatian Danubian region, which will be based on the following understandings:

• the overall number of OSCE police monitors deployed in the Danubian region will not exceed 120;
• Actual deployment of the OSCE personnel will take place with a view to ensuring a proper transition from United Nations to OSCE police monitoring in anticipation of the end of the UNPSG mandate on 15 October 1998;
• No financial implications for the 1998 budget of the OSCE Mission to Croatia are envisaged."

The Permanent Council in its Decision No. 373, of 21 September 2001, referred to the Chairperson's perception expressed at the Permanent Council Meeting on 13 July 2000 (PC.DEL/386/00) and the proposal by the OSCE Mission to Croatia of 11 August 2000 that the Police Monitoring Group in the Danube region of Croatia should be downsized and phased out (CIO.GAL/74/00), acknowledged the fact that the OSCE Police Monitoring Group had contributed to the peaceful integration of the Danube Region and took note of the fact that the security situation in the Danube region had remained stable during 2000. Further, the Permanent Council:

• Decided "that the Police Monitoring Group will cease operations as a distinct unit within the OSCE Mission to Croatia by 31 October 2000;"
• Authorized "the OSCE Mission to Croatia, on the basis of the proposal by the OSCE Mission to Croatia of 11 August 2000 (CIO.GAL.74/00), to appoint experienced international civilian police officers and integrate them administratively and operationally into the Mission, as appropriate;"
• Authorized the Mission "to continue playing its civilian police monitoring and advisory role in the Danube region, as well as in other parts of Croatia;"
• Requested the Mission "to continue to report to the Permanent Council on the security situation in the Danube region, as well as in other parts of Croatia, on a regular basis;"
• Instructed the Mission "to reflect these reductions in savings in the Mission's year 2000 budget."

3. Deployment

The Mission started working in Zagreb on 4 July 1996. The regional office in Knin opened on 13 August 1996. The regional office in Vukovar opened in 30 August 1996.

Pursuant to the PC Decision No. 126 of 29 June 1997 the Mission transformed the Knin and Vukovar Regional Offices into Co-ordination Centres (CC), established two more CCs in Sisak and Daruvar and a Zagreb area office co-located with the HQ.

The Mission was composed of a Headquarters in Zagreb and Field Centres in Knin, Vukovar and Sisak. In addition, the Mission had six Field Offices and six sub-offices.

4. Duration

The Mission's original mandate lasted until 31 December 1996. Subsequent prolongations were decided at:

- 94th PC Meeting, PC.DEC/146, 12 December 1996: until 30 June 1997;
- 121st PC Meeting, PC.DEC/176, 26 June 1997: until 31 December 1998;
- 199th PC Meeting, PC.DEC/271/Corr., 19 November 1998: until 31 December 1999;
- 261st PC Meeting, PC.DEC/327, 9 December 1999: until 31 March 2000;
- 276th PC Meeting, PC.DEC/345, 23 March 2000: until 31 December 2000;
- 314th PC Meeting, PC.DEC/396, 14 December 2000: until 31 December 2001;
- 375th PC Meeting, PC.DEC/455, 21 December 2001: until 31 December 2002;
- 426th PC Meeting, PC.DEC/514, 12 December 2002: until 31 December 2003;
- 488th PC Meeting, PC.DEC/578, 18 December 2003: until 31 December 2004;
- 538th PC Meeting, PC.DEC/644, 16 December 2004: until 31 December 2005;
- 580th PC Meeting, PC.DEC/695, 17 November 2005: until 31 December 2006;
- 639th PC Meeting, PC.DEC/748, 23 November 2006: until 31 December 2007.

The mandate of the Mission to Croatia expired on 31 December 2007, and was replaced by the Office in Zagreb.

5. Composition

The modalities (PC.DEC/112) foresaw that "the Mission would establish its headquarters in Zagreb and regional offices in Knin and Vukovar. It was composed of up to 8 members at headquarters, and of up to 3 members at each regional office. The appointment of the Head of Mission by the Chairman-in-Office will be subject to consultation with the authorities of the host country."

The PC Decision No. 176 of 26 June 1997 authorized the Mission to "build up Mission personnel, starting July 1997, to a ceiling of 250 expatriates with a view to full deployment by October 1998. The current number of Mission members is 64. The personnel will be deployed by decision of the Head of Mission."

The PC Decision No. 181 of 17 July 1997 "agrees that the Secretariat may recruit a maximum of four key administrative and support posts at the Mission Headquarters..... The principle of providing international staff for OSCE Missions exclusively on a secondment basis remains valid."

In the understanding reached between the Chairman-in-Office and Croatian authorities a temporary and technical increase in the ceiling to a maximum of 280 international personnel could be authorized. Permanent Council Decision No. 345, of 23 March 2000, reduced the authorized level of international personnel to 225. Permanent Council Decision No. 396, of 14 December 2000, further reduced the ceiling to 120. Permanent Council Decision No. 424 of 28 June 2001 authorised the Mission to maintain up to 100 international personnel. This number was further reduced to 90 international personnel by Permanent Council Decision No. 455 of 21 December 2001 and to 67 by Permanent Council Decision No. 514 of 12 December 2002. The total number of international staff was progressively reduced to reach 51 in July 2005 and 39 by 2006.

The Mission employed 30 internationals and 117 nationals, totaling 147 staff members.

The Head of Mission (since May 2005) was Ambassador Jorge Fuentes Monzonis-Vilallonga of Spain (currently the Head of the Office in Zagreb).