OSCE Mission report encourages strengthening of human rights protection in Croatia

ZAGREB, 2 June 2004 - The OSCE Mission to Croatia today presented a report calling on the Croatian authorities to enhance human rights protection by strengthening domestic institutions and harmonizing legislation with the European Convention on Human Rights.

The report, which was presented to the Croatian Parliamentary Committee on Human Rights and the Rights of National Minorities, provides an analysis of all cases involving Croatia accepted for review by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR).

Speaking before the Committee, the Head of the OSCE Mission to Croatia, Ambassador Peter Semneby, said that the large number of cases before the ECHR demonstrated the need to strengthen the Constitutional Court as an effective remedy for all human rights issues guaranteed by the European Convention on Human Rights.

'In terms of parliamentary procedure, the report underscores the importance of considering the norms of the Convention in the work on legislation," Semneby said.

"Such reform would also be consistent with recent recommendations of the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers emphasizing that human rights protection is primarily the responsibility of CoE member states."

Ambassador Semneby also noted that the main observations of the report are echoed in the European Commission's Opinion on Croatia's EU membership application.

The OSCE Mission Head called for the reform of the Administrative Court to ensure that all fair trial guarantees are consistent with a decision of the Constitutional Court in 2000 and recommended strengthening the Ombudsman Institution in line with an expert report issued by the OSCE Mission in 2003.

Ambassador Semneby thanked the Parliamentary Committee for organizing the discussion. The Croatian State Agent to the ECHR said the Government was committed to act in line with the recommendations of the report.