IRU Parliament's Resolutions, January 2002


Reply-To: [email protected]
Sender: [email protected]
From: MINELRES moderator <[email protected]>
Date: Mon, 28 Jan 2002 09:34:53 +0200 (EET)
Message-Id: <[email protected]>
Subject: IRU Parliament's Resolutions, January 2002

From: MINELRES moderator <[email protected]>

Original sender: Ariel Eliyahu <[email protected]>

IRU Parliament's Resolutions, January 2002



RESOLUTION

The Parliament of the International Romani Union Sitting in Skopje on
18 to 20 January 2002

Addresses its wishes to the Spanish Presidency of the European Union.
Being Spain the member State in the Union with the hugest presence of
Roma individuals, and addresses the warmest wishes to the Convention
chaired by President Valery Giscard d'Estaing charget to reform the
institutional assets of the Union toward its enlargement; - declares
these wishes to be deeply connected tothe will for the implementation
of the decisions taken in the 5. Congress of the International Romani
Union held in Prague in July 2000.

Calls for an adequate representation of the Roma and of the Roma
strategy in the work of the Convention.

Affirms its deep interest for the various and authoritative proposals
on the table regarding the conditions and above all the representation
of the Roma at an institutional level.The IRU warmly welcomes
proposals like the one made by President AAlonen of Finland and
underlines its will for helping a fruitful process toward an 
adequate representation of the Roma Nation in the inter-governmental
and international and supernational institutions. Nevertheless, in
full conscience and will for dialogue, the International Romani Union
affirms once again that the resources, the know-how, the tools
European countries want to put at disposal of a process bringing
toward the election of a Roma elected body could be put at disposal of
the process leading to the election of the constitutional bodies of
the Roma Nation as a Nation which does not want to become a State and
is in search for a representation in the frame of the super-national
European institutions.

The Roma are, in Europe, THE ONLY EUROPEANS ONLY, and are fully
engaged in the process of transformation of the existing European
institutions.

The International Romani Union, being aware that the goal of each and
every State in the Balcans is joining the European Union, asks the EU
itself - for the sake of the Roma and of the non-Roma living in the
Region, to propose the time-table of the adhesion of these States to
the Union, in order to involve immediately as directly as possible
these States in the implementation of the principles and rules of
democracy, rule of law, liberty and freedom for each and every
individual.

Only an active effort of the existing institutions can help the
institution themselves to reform and develop, and only such an effort
can assure the Roma and other discriminated individuals the needed
protection coming from the implementation of the rule of law. In
absence of such an effort the International Romani Union will be
forced to ask the EU to give the European Citizenship to those Roma
living outside the Union, but suffering discrimination and often
menaced in their own life.

Te international Romani Union affirms its will for strenghtening its
engagement in every part of the world where Roma individuals live,
including the countries of the European Union itself where too often
discrimination continue existing.

The international Romani Union addresses its warmest wishes to UN
Secretary General Mr. Kofi Annan, expresses its gratitude for the
official meeting Held in New York last June between the UN Secretary
General and the President of the International Romani Union, and
recalls what was said by Mr. Annan about the IRU in the UN World
Conference held in Durban.

Affirms once again its will for the tool of politics, dialogue,
nonviolence as the needed tools for conquering the rule of law,
dignity, freedom, democracy, liberty and liberties.


-----------------------------------------------



RESOLUTION
of the International Romani Union
Parliament

issued in Skopje, January 19th  2002

Concerning a thorough investigation by the IRU Presidium of the
politically and socially endangered situation of Roma in Macedonia,
the IRU Parliament

urges the Macedonian Government to

1. Implement the agreement signed in Ohrid also with respect to the
Romani population. Up to now the Government has undertaken few actions
to improve the situation of Roma.

2. Install an official working group to oversee the implementation of
the agreement,

3. Improve the law for self-government of the Romani communities,

4. Accept a member of the Romani community in the Security Council,

5. Accept a delegation of IRU to observe situation of crisis,

6. Increase significantly financial assistance to the community of
Shuto Orizari.


The IRU Parliament calls upon International Organizations

1. To improve the situation of the Romani Refugees in the Suto Orizari
camp significantly. To date, the situation of the school is desperate;
the pupils are in need of materials such as exercise books and other
school supplies, as well as free meals. Young people should be
encouraged to collect paper and empty bottles from the garbage around
the camp, to be recycled and they should be paid for these activities.
Health standards in the camp should be improved significantly. The IRU
would appreciate information about the budget of the UNHCR for the
camp.

2. Refuges who are unable to return to their communities of origin
should be accepted by western countries able to provide support for
them.

3. An IRU representative should be accepted as an observer in the
Stability Pact and the new head of the Stability Pact Dr. Erhard Busek
is urged to give priority to the situation of Kosovo Romani refugees
in Macedonia, Serbia and Montenegro.

4. The OSCE is asked to finance action to encourage Romani voter
participation in Macedonia as to date, Roma have been underrepresented
in the Macedonian Parliament. 

5. The International Organizations are urged to cooperate with the
local Roma NGOs

The International Romani Union itself plans to

1. Organize a voter drive in Macedonia and

2. Organize a peace conference for the Kosovo Roma in due time, after
thorough examination of the situation of Roma in Kosovo, with
hopefully financial help from various international organizations.

-----------------------------------------------
IRU <[email protected]>

-- 
==============================================================
MINELRES - a forum for discussion on minorities in Central&Eastern
Europe

Submissions: [email protected]  
Subscription/inquiries: [email protected] 
List archive: http://www.riga.lv/minelres/archive.htm
==============================================================