Letter by the High Commissioner on National Minorities to Croatia
When
23 August 1996 (All day)
(OSCE)The Max van der Stoel Award is presented by the Government of the Netherlands every two years. It honours the memory of distinguished Dutch statesman and the first OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities, Max van der Stoel (seen here in Vukovar, Croatia). (OSCE) Photo details
High Commissioner Max van der Stoel sent a letter to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Croatia expressing his concern regarding the situation of the country's displaced ethnic Serb population.
In particular, he noted the issue of older identity documents that had lost their validity for refugees wanting to return.
Referring to reports from international organizations about the harassment faced by nearly 10,000 mostly elderly Serbs who remained in the Krajina area, van der Stoel recommended that steps be taken without delay to provide them with more adequate protection. The High Commissioner visited Croatia from 9 to 13 June.