OSCE Office in Zagreb presents activities report

ZAGREB, 12 December 2008 - The Head of the OSCE Office in Zagreb, Ambassador Jorge Fuentes, presented a report today on the activities of his Office which focuses on war crimes accountability and access to housing for former occupancy/tenancy rights holders.

The report was prepared for and delivered to the OSCE Permanent Council in Vienna.

"Our Office continued comprehensive monitoring of all national war crimes proceedings, including the Ademi-Norac case referred from the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, and continues to advocate for systematically addressing suspected war crimes which as yet remain unprosecuted," said Fuentes.

He added that in 2008, Croatia improved its system of investigating and prosecuting war crimes and the OSCE Office was pleased with the latest initiatives and documents produced by Croatia in this field.

"But further legal consolidation, like the Criminal Procedure Code, is necessary for individuals with information or documentation to come forward in confidence and free of intimidation," said Fuentes.

The OSCE Office will continue monitoring progress in implementing the Government's Housing Care Programmes designed to provide housing for some 5,000 former occupany/tennancy rights holders.

"The OSCE Office is satisfied that a number of cases have been solved, and with the quality of housing achieved and the timeframe in which Croatia is responding to these needs with specific programmes. We can now consider the 2007 benchmark accomplished and the 2008 one progressing correctly, although with some delay," said Fuentes.