(ANSA) - STRASBOURG - "I am concerned that reconciliation has stalled and is being superseded by mounting ethnic divisions and polarization in the region". The alarming judgment is contained in an issue paper in which Nils Muiznieks, the Council of Europe human rights commissioner, evaluates the reconciliation process in these last ten years and declares that "it is high time for the region's political leaders to work jointly to address issues of the past and to forge a common vision of the future". The commissioner underlines that "in the last decade countries in the region made important steps to bring their legislation and practice in line with European and international standards" but that "the current signs of regression in the region risk compromising the progress made so far". Muiznieks points in particular to "the denial of genocide, glorification of war criminals and attempts to rehabilitate persons involved in crimes committed during the 1990s' wars, historical revisionism, inflammatory discourse by certain political leaders, and persisting ethnic segregation in education". The commissioner says that "in order to reverse these negative trends, drawing from the lessons of the past, all political actors need to put their short-term political goals aside and focus on strengthening social cohesion instead of amplifying ethnic divisions". Muiznieks also underlines the importance of "establishing the truth about missing persons, fighting impunity for war-time related crimes at the international and domestic levels, and guarantying war victims' access to justice and reparations". (ANSA)