OSCE Mission to Croatia was the field mission of the

Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) is the world's largest regional security-oriented intergovernmental organization with observer status at the United Nations. Its mandate includes issues such as arms control, prom ...

operating in

Croatia , image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg , anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland") , image_map = , map_caption = , capit ...

in from July 1996 until the December 2007. The Mission become preeminent international organization in Croatia after the departure of

UNTAES The United Nations Transitional Administration for Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Sirmium (UNTAES) was a UN peacebuilding transitional administration in the Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Syrmia in the eastern parts of Croatia ...

forces from the

Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Syrmia Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Syrmia may refer to: * SAO Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Syrmia (1991–1992) * Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Syrmia (1995–98) See also * United Nations Transitional Administration for Easte ...

. Original Mission's was supposed to last until the 1999 and it consisted of 280 international personnel (including 120 police monitors) and 320 national staff deployed in twenty field offices and three regional coordination centers as well as the

Zagreb Zagreb ( , , , ) is the capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Croatia#List of cities and towns, largest city of Croatia. It is in the Northern Croatia, northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slop ...

headquarters. The first mandate adopted by the Permanent Council in April 1996 authorized the Mission to ''"provide assistance and expertise to the Croatian authorities at all levels, as well as to interested individuals, groups and organisations, in the field of the protection of human rights and of the rights of the persons belonging to national minorities. In this context and in order to promote reconciliation, the rule of law and conformity with the highest internationally recognised standards, the Mission will also assist and advise on the full implementation of legislation and monitor the proper functioning and development of democratic institutions, processes and mechanisms".'' On the 14 July 1997

United Nations Security Council Resolution 1120 United Nations Security Council resolution 1120, adopted unanimously on 14 July 1997, after recalling previous United Nations Security Council resolution, resolutions on Croatia including United Nations Security Council Resolution 1023, 1023 (1995 ...

urged the

Government of the Republic of Croatia The Government of Croatia ( hr, Vlada Hrvatske), formally the Government of the Republic of Croatia ( hr, Vlada Republike Hrvatske), commonly abbreviated to Croatian Government ( hr, hrvatska Vlada), is the main executive branch of government ...

to cooperate fully with the OSCE mission in return of all

refugees A refugee, conventionally speaking, is a displaced person who has crossed national borders and who cannot or is unwilling to return home due to well-founded fear of persecution.

and displaced persons, protection of their rights, and the protection of persons belonging to

national minorities The term 'minority group' has different usages depending on the context. According to its common usage, a minority group can simply be understood in terms of demographic sizes within a population: i.e. a group in society with the least number o ...

. The annual budget of the Mission in 2000 was 21,086,900

euros The euro (symbol: €; code: EUR) is the official currency of 19 out of the member states of the European Union (EU). This group of states is known as the eurozone or, officially, the euro area, and includes about 340 million citizens . T ...

. Along the Zagreb headquarters mission was operating from three co-ordination Centres in

Vukovar Vukovar () ( sr-Cyrl, Вуковар, hu, Vukovár, german: Wukowar) is a city in Croatia, in the eastern region of Slavonia. It contains Croatia's largest river port, located at the confluence of the Vuka and the Danube. Vukovar is the seat of ...

Sisak Sisak (; hu, Sziszek ; also known by other alternative names) is a city in central Croatia, spanning the confluence of the Kupa, Sava and Odra rivers, southeast of the Croatian capital Zagreb, and is usually considered to be where the Posavin ...

and

Knin Knin (, sr, link=no, Книн, it, link=no, Tenin) is a city in the Šibenik-Knin County of Croatia, located in the Dalmatian hinterland near the source of the river Krka, an important traffic junction on the rail and road routes between Zagr ...

and 14 field offices. In the region of former Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Syrmia mission operated the Police Monitoring Group in the 1998-2000 period but close it down in September 2000 due to the stable security situation in Croatia and notably in the Danube region. On the 21 December 2007 OSCE Permanent Council decided on closing the OSCE Mission to Croatia, on 31 December 2007, and keeping only the OSCE office in Zagreb. This office itself was closed on 17 January 2012. Croatia became full member state of

NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two No ...

in 2009 and

European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been des ...

in 2013.

References

Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe 1996 establishments in Croatia 2007 disestablishments in Croatia 1990s in Croatia 2000s in Croatia History of Baranya (region) History of Syrmia History of Slavonia Political history of Croatia Human rights in Croatia Diplomatic missions in Croatia {{OSCE