In September, the Council of Europe Group of Experts on Action against Violence against Women and Domestic Violence praised steps taken to stop domestic violence, but urged the authorities to do more, including implementing comprehensive policies to address all forms of violence against women and increase the number of shelters and other support for victims. RIGHT TO TRUTH, JUSTICE AND REPARATION Women victims of wartime rape faced numerous barriers when applying for the status of civilian victims of sexual violence during the war, which guaranteed certain welfare benefits. According to civil rights organizations, victims had to provide excessive and difficult to obtain documentation and witness testimonies, while some applicants were wrongfully rejected because they were suspected of being related to members of the Serb military or the perpetrator was a member of the Croatian forces. The CERD Committee expressed concern that some provisions of the Law on Civilian Victims of War were being interpreted in a discriminatory way against members of the Serb ethnic minority group and prevented them from exercising their rights as victims of war. DISCRIMINATION LGBTI PEOPLE Over 10,000 people gathered in Zagreb in June to participate in the biggest annual Pride march to date. The march took place without incident, but in the weeks beforehand, LGBTI people faced widespread discriminatory speech, threats and harassment, both in public spaces and on social media platforms. Conservative groups proposed an initiative to hold a referendum to constitutionally define marriage as a lifelong union between a woman and a man, which would rule out the possibility of legalizing same-sex marriage. 142 ROMA, SERBS AND ETHNIC MINORITIES Roma continued to face extreme poverty and live in substandard conditions in segregated neighbourhoods and informal settlements without proper infrastructure. In October, the CERD Committee expressed concern about reports of racial discrimination against members of Roma and Serb minorities, particularly in employment and education, as well as the prevalence of discriminatory speech against minority groups and non-citizens, including by politicians and other public figures. RIGHT TO A HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT Despite the recent expansion of and a good potential for renewables, Croatia’s energy consumption remained dominated by fossil fuels. Nevertheless, Croatia’s 2030 target of 36.4% for renewables was ambitious and above the EU goal of 32%. CUBA Republic of Cuba Repression of dissent continued as activists, political opponents and journalists were harassed, persecuted and imprisoned. Human rights defenders faced obstacles and attacks, and some continued to be incarcerated without due process. The economic and humanitarian crisis continued with shortages of food, fuel and electricity. Discrimination remained prevalent, affecting Afro-descendants, women and girls, LGBTI people, political dissidents, and members of religious communities. BACKGROUND Cuba lacked a national human rights institution in compliance with the Paris Principles, the country remained closed to international human rights organizations, and the international media faced obstacles in monitoring the trials of political dissidents. In November, the EU and Cuba held their fourth human rights dialogue, at which the The State of the World’s Human Rights