OSCE mission prepares to leave Croatia

After 11 years and many dramatic changes, OSCE says its mandate in Croatia has been fulfilled, SETimes reported.

Izvor: Southeast European Times

Friday, 18.05.2007.

14:07

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OSCE mission prepares to leave Croatia

The situation has changed markedly since April 1996, when the mission was established. At the time, Croatia faced serious human rights problems and other obstacles characteristic of a country in transition. The OSCE's task was to help Croatia move forward.

Speaking recently to the Croatian weekly Globus, OSCE's first ambassador to Croatia said he had a "difficult job in the latter half of the 1990s".

Both he and the organization were considered to be "foreign watch dogs, not always welcomed by the highest Croatian authorities", Tim Guldimann said.

Early on, OSCE activities focused on addressing the material destruction caused in the 1990s conflict, the reconciliation of different ethnic groups and the reintegration of the territory controlled by the Serbs during the war. Other priorities included implementing the rule of law, the return and integration of refugees, political and police affairs, development of a civil society and freedom of the media.

The OSCE regularly publishes progress reports on Croatia. By the end of 2006, the mission has noted, Croatia made enormous progress in fulfilling its international commitments and obligations. This is why the present head of the OSCE mission, Jorge Vilallonga, decided to begin closing the OSCE offices in Vukovar, Sisak, Karlovac, Gospic, Zadar and Split, followed by the headquarters in Zagreb.

Many domestic NGOs say there is still more work for OSCE to do, and that the organization should continue its presence on a smaller scale, even after its mandate officially retires

"The OSCE can speed things up just by being present when certain activities are in question. This is of great importance, especially in smaller and remote communities," says Žarko Puhovski, a prominent NGO activist.

However, Croatian officials and most of the general public think that after 11 years of activity, OSCE has done what it set out to do, and is ready to leave.

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