A/HRC/30/14
unemployment rate (68 per cent) among minority returnees. It also noted that minority
returnees faced problems regarding their right to a pension.
32.
Brazil commended Croatia for strengthening its national legal and institutional
human rights framework through the entry into force, in 2011, of the Act on the
Ombudsman, which also performs the functions of a national preventive mechanism, and
the Act on Professional Rehabilitation and Employment of Persons with Disabilities.
33.
Bulgaria commended the implementation of key strategic documents and efforts to
combat hate crime, ensure free legal aid and improve education on human rights. It
appreciated concrete measures taken to strengthen the effectiveness of its efforts to protect
women’s rights and combat domestic violence. Bulgaria noted the adoption of some
progressive legislation on gender-based violence. It acknowledged the efforts within the
national preventive project entitles “Living without violence”, which involves different
stakeholders including police and non-governmental organizations.
34.
Canada welcomed the support of Croatia for the 2010 universal periodic review
recommendation to take measures to eliminate discrimination against the Roma
community. Canada expressed concern about reports that Roma are often unable to access
State services because they lack legal status inside the country.
35.
Chile commended the commitment to human rights and the ratification of human
rights treaties. It welcomed the adoption of laws on discrimination against national
minorities, gender equality and the right to legal assistance. It highlighted the entry into
force of the Act on the Ombudsman in 2011. It also commended the establishment of an
office to promote gender equality.
36.
With regard to the rights of persons with disabilities, the head of the Croatian
delegation emphasized deinstitutionalization as the leitmotif of current policies and said
that this was a process for people with both physical and mental disabilities. A number of
institutions that used to be centres where people with disabilities lived had been
transformed to provide outpatient services within the community. People with disabilities
had achieved integration through assisted living, among other means, and children with
disabilities had achieved integration by attending regular schools. Assistance was provided
where it was necessary. People with mental and intellectual disabilities specifically were
being integrated, including by having voting rights. A measure introduced in order to
further facilitate the employment of persons with disabilities stipulated that every company
with more than 20 employees had to employ at least one person with disabilities; that figure
increased as the number of employees increased.
37.
Concerning the questions about domestic violence, changes had been made to the
Criminal Code, namely the stipulation that domestic violence was a criminal offence. Dual
arrests (the arrest of the victim and the perpetrator) were no longer happening. Information
was provided on the measures in place during and after the proceedings to separate the
perpetrator from the victim and the home. Croatia had 19 safe houses for victims of
domestic violence.
38.
On the fight against corruption, Croatia had taken a bold and controversial step in
prosecuting and investigating officials at the highest levels in order to address the issue at
the highest possible levels. The anti-corruption strategy for 2015–2020, which had been
adopted in February 2015, had been developed in a participatory manner: over 40
participants took part in designing it, including non-governmental organizations.
39.
On gender equality, the pervasive, covert discrimination against women in the area
of employment was noted. To eliminate the disadvantage faced by women seeking
employment, paternity leave had been introduced.
7
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