The latest OSCE status report recognizes this capacity increase as a result of the ongoing political reforms and a demonstration of the Government?s renewed commitment to fulfil its international obligations. As a consequence of the reforms, the progress in the development of political institutions in Croatia, especially the police and the judiciary, as well as media has been noted. (19-NOV-05)

 Credit: OSCE Croatia

The progress noted by the OSCE coincides with the positive assessment of the Croatian cooperation with the ICTY and the EU Ministers decision on 3 October to open accession talks with Croatia. As indicated in the report, this principle political event seemed to inspire the Croatian Government for further efforts in assuring preconditions for final steps regarding the completion of the OSCE mandate.

Reforms still needed in 2006
The OSCE Report made a positive assessment of the improvements related to media freedoms, civil society and the democratization of the police. In addition, the Report underlines that the pace of the reforms needs to remain high, or proceed at higher level, in order to face remaining challenges in 2006: the establishment of conditions for the return of the refugees, adequate adjudication of the transferred ICTY war crime trials, serious electoral reform and improvement of under-participation of the national minorities representatives.

New impetus for refugee return
Being the most complex and most urgent OSCE mandate related area at the same time, the solution of the refugee return received decisive impetus with the Ministerial Decision on refugee return which was signed by the Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and Serbia and Montenegro at the Regional Conference held in Sarajevo on 31 January 2005. Consequently, parties involved adopted national Road Maps containing financial and timeframe commitments for their full implementation.

Improvement of working atmosphere
Moreover, unlike previously, the Report also highlighted the change of Governments attitudes towards the OSCE Mission resulting in more intensive cooperation between them. One of the most visible results has been the mutual agreement between the Minister of Maritime Affairs, Tourism, Transport and Development and the principals of the OSCE, UNHCR, European Commission Delegation and US Embassy to hold regular monthly meetings, to take stock of progress in refugee return and to jointly focus energies and resources on problem solving, stands in the report.

-We are aware that the great financial resources needed for the implementation of the Road Map may be an obstacle for the return of all refuges by the end of 2006. However, the Croatian authorities have already recognized this issue and the dynamic approach of the Minister Kalmeta is the best signal for adequate solution of this big problem – said ambassador Jorge Fuentes, the Head of the OSCE Mission while presenting the Report to the public.

The full text of the Report is available at www.osce.org/croatia