Situation of human rights in Bosnia and Herzegovina,
the Republic of Croatia and the Federal
Republic of Yugoslavia
Economic and Social Council decision 1998/272
At its 46th plenary meeting, on 30 July 1998, the Economic and Social Council, taking note of Commission on Human Rights resolution 1998/79 of 22 April 1998.
(a) Endorsed the Commission’s decision to renew the mandate of the Special Rapporteur for one year, and welcomed the appointment of a new Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Republic of Croatia and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia;
(b) Approved the Commission’s request to the new Special Rapporteur, in addition to the activities mandated in Commission resolutions 1994/72 of 9 March 1994,See Official Records of the Economic and Social Council, 1994, Supplement No. 4 (E/1994/24), chap. II, sect. A. 1996/71 of 23 April 1996Ibid., 1996, Supplement No. 3 (E/1996/23), chap. II, sect. A. and 1997/57 of 15 April 1997:Ibid., 1997, Supplement No. 3 (E/1997/23), chap. II, sect. A.
(i) To work with the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on behalf of the United Nations in dealing with the question of missing persons, including by participation in the International Commission on Missing Persons advisory group and other groups involved in missing persons issues, such as those chaired by the Office of the High Representative and the International Committee of the Red Cross, and to include in his report to the Commission on Human Rights information about activities concerning missing persons in the former Yugoslavia;
(ii) To pay particular attention to the situation of persons belonging to ethnic minorities, displaced persons, refugees and returnees who fall within his mandate;
(iii) To address human rights issues that transcend the borders between the States covered by his mandate and that could be addressed only through concerted action in more than one country;
(c) Also approved the Commission’s requests that the Special Rapporteur carry out missions to:
(i) Bosnia and Herzegovina;
(ii) The Republic of Croatia, including Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Sirmium;
(iii) The Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, including to Kosovo, as well as to Sandjak and Vojvodina;
(d) Also endorsed the Commission’s decisions:
(i) To request the Special Rapporteur to report to the Commission, at its fifty-fifth session, on the work carried out in fulfilment of his mandate, and to present interim reports to the General Assembly at its fifty-third session;
(ii) To request the Secretary-General to continue to make the Special Rapporteur’s reports available to the Security Council and to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe;
(iii) To urge the Secretary-General, within existing resources, to make all necessary resources available for the Special Rapporteur to carry out his mandate successfully, in particular to provide him with adequate staff based in the countries of the mandate to ensure effective continuous monitoring of the human rights situation in those countries and coordination with other international organizations involved.
46th plenary meeting
30 July 1998