Croatian Government and OSCE Mission launch public awareness campaign on refugee return

ZAGREB, 15 September 2004 - The Government of Croatia and the OSCE Mission to Croatia today released a report on the return of refugees which will form the basis of a public awareness campaign.

The report was introduced at a press conference, attended by the Croatian Minister for Sea, Tourism and Development, Bozidar Kalmeta, Foreign Minister, Miomir Zuzul, and the Head of the OSCE Mission to Croatia Ambassador, Peter Semneby.

Funded by the US Agency for International Development (USAID), the report reflects the results of a survey conducted by the Puls Agency on the "Motivational and Emotional Factors for the Return of Refugees to their Homes and the Acceptance of their Return by the Local Population".

According to Ambassador Peter Semneby, the report shows that more can be done to positively influence the conditions for sustainable return through raising information awareness and by the promoting tolerance among refugees and the receiving communities.

"Creating an atmosphere conducive to return also requires that the actual conditions for return are being addressed, most importantly access to housing," said Ambassador Semneby.

As a joint initiative by the Croatian Government and its international partners, the purpose of the Public Awareness Campaign would be two-fold: encourage refugees and internally displaced persons to make an informed decision on whether they want to return; and secondly to contribute to establishing a climate conducive to sustainable return by promoting the importance of tolerance in building an integrated society, based on European values.

"The Croatian Government has already taken several initiatives to improve the atmosphere for return. The political agreement with Serb minority representatives and other steps of reconciliation towards minorities have had an important positive impact," said Ambassador Semneby. Croatia's EU integration efforts would play an equally positive role as a common vision and a catalyst for creating conditions for return.

The campaign is designed to facilitate the resolution of the remaining tasks related to refugee return. The Government is launching another information campaign on the housing programmes for those former occupancy/tenancy rights holders who wish to return. This is the last major refugee category without a housing option.

Partners in the Public Awareness Campaign on Reconciliation and Sustainable Return are the Croatian Government, OSCE Mission to Croatia, the EC Mission to Croatia, USAID, and the UNHCR Mission to Croatia.