CROATIA

[Nina]

Delegation from Croatia
Represented by Darko Kerekeš

Position Paper for the General Assembly
Human rights education and world economic crisis

Global economic and human development must remain in the focus of interest of all
nations worldwide. Croatia supports the commitments regarding the goals and targets
deriving from the UN Summits in Monterrey and Johannesburg and related processes
such as the Doha Development Agenda and the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness.
Croatia is aware that a greater mobilization of domestic resources, and mobilizing
financial resources for development and the effective use of those resources in
developing countries are central to a global partnership for development. As a
contributor to various UN programs and funds, Croatia confirms its capability to support
the activities of the UN in numerous fields. Croatia will increasingly continue to do so in
order to help achieving the Millennium Development Goals in all regions and states in
the world.

Human rights education
World Conference on Human Rights in Vienna and the Vienna Declaration and
Programme of Action already recognized human rights education, training and public
information as crucial factor for harmonious relations among communities, mutual
understanding, tolerance and peace. Our country fully supports this declaration, and we
are making very strong efforts in promotion of those principles. Our institutions and
laws already obey human rights and promote democracy and the rule of law as subjects
in the curricula of all learning institutions in formal and non-formal settings. In the
Republic of Croatia, human rights are protected by the Constitution of the Republic of
Croatia, international treaties to which Croatia is a signatory and the Law. Article 14 of
the Constitution of the Republic of Croatia proclaims that each person in the Republic of
Croatia shall enjoy all rights and freedoms regardless of race, colour, sex, language,
religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth, education,
social status or other characteristics. All shall be equal before the law. Stemming from
the Constitution of the Republic of Croatia, many Croatian laws and regulations at all
levels give practical significance to the fundamental rights and freedoms of the
individual. This refers to a great number of varying regulations, which include, for
example, health care, social services, criminal legislation, protection against various
forms of discrimination, education system, etc. This is very important for us, as our
country has recently ended a war conflict, which resulted in violation of majority of
human rights. Those reforms and laws were necessity in democratic society building, as
they are now needed in Caucasus region which evidences many human right violations,
and immediate action is of great importance.
The Republic of Croatia has also ratified a large number of international treaties at the
global and regional level, which guarantee the protection and promotion of human
rights. These treaties, including six Conventions of the United Nations which include the
obligation to report to the treaty bodies of the United Nations, as well as the European
Convention on the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms are,
according to the Constitution of the Republic of Croatia, part of the internal legal order
of the Republic of Croatia and above the law.
Within the state administration, special bodies have been established with the aim of
promoting and advancing the system of human rights protection. Human rights or
especially sensitive groups’ issues are handled by specially founded national bodies
established for this purpose. We also formed National Committee for Human Rights
Education.
As we already said our country promotes the policy of protecting the human rights of all
persons in all countries, in accordance with the accepted human rights protection
standards. Croatia actively supports the protection and promotion of all human rights
contained within the international instruments its is a party of, advocating their
universal ratification. In its international activities in the field of human rights, Croatia
specifically advocates: universality, interconnectedness and conditionality of all human
rights; equal opportunities for all persons to enjoy human rights, with a special emphasis
on the rights of children, women and ethnic minorities; right to life and complete
abolition of death penalty; complete abolition of all forms of torture and maltreatment,
and other forms of inhuman and degrading treatment and punishment.
Croatia has also confirmed its active contribution through its activities in the
international bodies for the protection and promotion of human rights, membership in
the UN Economic and Social Council (2000-2002), Commission for Human Rights (2002-
2004), and Commission for the Status of Women (2000-2004, 2006-2009).

Global financial crisis
In 2008 the world faced a global economic crisis which was a consequence of several
important indicators of economic downturn. Crisis was mainly caused because of high oil
prices which increased food prices and historical inflation all over the globe and in
addition resulted in stagflation and global recession.
Our country believes that UN should play a central role in the search for crisis solutions
and the implementations of them, because UN is the only international organization with
worldwide representation and therefore the only one that can represent a forum for
common decision-making. Some solutions and possible action plans have already been
given on WEF in Davos.
The immediate action is needed. International community must take such actions that
will stabilize financial system, try to give importance to the monetary policy support, try
to increase a usage of fiscal measures in order to stimulate domestic demand, to help
emerging and developing economies gain access to finance in current difficult financial
conditions, including through liquidity facilities and program support.