Info sheet: Roma under the Stability Pact
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Subject: Info sheet: Roma under the Stability Pact
From: MINELRES moderator <[email protected]>
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Info sheet: Roma under the Stability Pact
Number 1
1 February 2001
Information sheet on Roma/Gypsy activities
under the Stability Pact
Introduction
The Stability Pact for South-Eastern Europe, signed on 10 June 1999 in
Cologne by the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the European Union, is
a project aimed stabilising the situation in the Balkans through three
areas of activity: democratisation and human rights (Working Table 1),
economic reconstruction, development and co-operation (Working Table
2) and security issues (Working Table 3).
Within the Working Table 1, Task Force on Human Rights and Minorities,
the Roma issues are considered a priority. This Task Force has inter
alia the following objectives:
* to develope democracy, promote human rights and the protection of
minorities, as well as democratic institutions and citizenship;
* to improve ethnic relations and create a climate of mutual respect
and tolerance for each other's differences;
* to ensure the legal protection of human rights of national
minorities based on existing European standards; * to introduce a
comprehensive regional strategy for the promotion of the status of the
Roma population.
The Secretariat of the Migration and Roma/Gypsies Division of the
Council of Europe became involved in the process of the Stability Pact
for South-Eastern Europe in September 1999. It elaborated a regional
programme on Roma in the Balkans, in close consultation with the
OSCE-ODIHR. This 18-month programme focuses on three main aspects,
i.e. addressing the most accurate crisis situations affecting Roma,
policy development on Roma affairs and participation of Roma, and was
presented at the Conference on Inter-Ethnic Relations and Minorities
(Portoroz, Slovenia, 16-17 March 2000), organised by the Council of
Europe and Slovenia under the Working Table 1. It was then forwarded
to the Pact's Donors Conference (Brussels, 28-30 March 2000). A number
of donors expressed interest in Roma issues: Germany, Austria, the
United States of America, Norway... The European Commission is
contributing 500,000 Euros to the OSCE-ODIHR/Council of Europe Project
"Roma under the Stability Pact", which is also partly financed by the
budget of the respective organisations.
Council of Europe CONTACTS for Roma under the Stability Pact
Micha�l GUET, Programme manager, tel: 33/3.90.21.49.63;
[email protected]
Judy BUTLER, Programme assistant, tel: 33/3.88.41.29.91;
[email protected]
Brigitte THOMAS, Programme assistant, tel: 33/3.88.41.21.66;
[email protected]
Migration and Roma/Gypsies Division, Directorate General III - Social
Cohesion, Council of Europe, F-67075 Strasbourg cedex, France, fax:
+33/3.88.41.27.31
1. Summary of recent activities carried out by the Council of Europe
Though the contract with the European Commission regarding its
contribution to the CoE/ODIHR Project "Roma under the Stability Pact"
has not been signed yet, a number of activities could be financed in
2000 thanks to the voluntary contributions from the governments of
Germany and Austria, and the Council of Europe Roma/Gypsies Special
Account.
The activities carried out (or started) in 2000 are the following:
Bosnia and Herzegovina
* the recruitment of Mr. Martin Demirovski, Roma consultant from "the
former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia" to monitor the participation of
the Roma in the presidential elections of November 2000 and to write a
report on the situation of the Roma communities, refugees, IDPs and
returnees in the Tuzla canton and the region of Bjelina. The report
should be available in the coming days. This activity was financed by
the Council of Europe's own contribution to the Stability Pact.
Croatia
* participation of the Secretariat in a Seminar on "Legal Aspects of
the Rights of National Minorities", held in Zagreb on 3-4 December
2000. The Seminar was organised by the Office for National Minorities
of the Government of Croatia and financed through a Danish
contribution to the Stability Pact. The discussions focused on the
issues of participation of national minorities in decision-making
processes and bilateral agreements as a form of protection of national
minorities. As far as Roma issues are concerned, the following points
were raised:
* respect of the diversity of Roma organisations, political parties,
etc.;
* full and non-discriminatory participation of Roma in decision-making
processes at local, regional and state levels;
* need for Roma organisations to elect among themselves
representatives who will act as official interlocutors with
governmental bodies/inter-interministerial committees, etc.;
* specific clauses referring to Roma should be included in bilateral
agreements on minorities, with the guarantee of an effective
participation of Roma representatives in the drafting and monitoring
of these treaties.
Furthermore, preliminary contacts were established with Croatian,
Macedonian and Yugoslav authorities with a view to implementing the
Project "Roma under the Stability Pact".
* A young Roma from Germany, Ms. Sabina Xhemajli, took part on behalf
of the Secretariat of the Council of Europe in a Conference on "The
Promotion of Co-operation among Roma Communities from the former
Federal Socialist Republic of Yugoslavia. This Conference was
organised by the Croatian Roma Union and the Romani Women's
Association of Croatia. A new Round-table on "Civil Rights and
Political Participation of the Roma Minority in Croatia" has been
proposed by the same organisations for March 2001.
Kosovo
* the recruitment for seven months (September 2000-March 2001) by the
OSCE-ODIHR of Mr. Ramadan Berat, a Roma consultant from "the former
Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia", to support the development and
empowerment of Romani NGOs in Kosovo and to ensure the participation
of the Roma in the process of civil registration prior to elections. A
full activity report will be submitted by the consultant at the end of
his contract. This activity is being financed through a German
contribution to the Stability Pact.
"the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia"
* A Conference on "The International Protection of Refugees in the
Balkans: the Case of the Roma Refugees and Internally Displaced
Persons", was co-organised by the UNHCR-Skopje, the OSCE-ODIHR, the
Council of Europe and the Centre for Refugees and Forced Migration
Studies in Skopje on 5-6 and 26-27 September 2000. The first part of
the Conference, which was financed through a German contribution to
the Stability Pact, was a workshop with representatives from the civil
society of the region and international organisations in order to
alleviate the concern of NGOs and to understand their priority areas
on behalf of Roma refugees and IDPs. The second part of the
Conference, financed by the UNHCR, aimed at identifying donors and
actors to implement the agreed strategy/actions. The result of these
two meetings is the adoption of a Plan of Action, which covers legal
issues, accommodation, food, education, health, employment, networking
and training of Roma NGOs, capacity-building, and media. An informal
Commission has recently been established in Skopje in order to collect
projects submitted by Roma organisations of the region and make
proposals as regards the financing of these projects. The Commission
is composed of representatives of the UNHCR, the OSCE, the Council of
Europe, the American Refugee Committee and the International Rescue
Committee.
* the participation of the Secretariat in a Conference on "State
policies toward the Roma in Macedonia" organised by the Project on
Ethnic Relations (PER), an American NGO. The relative absence of
Macedonian officials in the discussion led to the conclusion that
efforts should be made to improve the communication between the state
authorities and Roma communities. A proposal to establish an
interministerial committee on Roma issues with the active
participation of Romani representatives, was made at the Conference.
2. Provisional calendar of activities for the period January-July 2001
February 2001
* Public forum on anti-discrimination legislation in Bulgaria
Dates: 22-23 February
Place: Sofia
Participants: Governmental officials responsible for Roma issues,
members of the Constitutional Court, members of the Supreme
Administrative Court, representatives of minorities in Bulgaria and
minority NGOs, experts from the ECRI (European Committee against
Racism and Intolerance) and the Advisory Committee of the Framework
Convention for the Protection of National Minorities, Chairperson of
the Council of Europe Specialist Group on Roma Issues, experts on
anti-discrimination legislation, law scholars and professors at Sofia
University.
Partners: Human Rights Project-Sofia, OSCE-ODIHR, European Commission,
CoE Office in Sofia, National Council for Ethnic and Demographic
Issues to the Council of Ministers.
Objectives: to accelerate the the process of finalising the draft law
on the protection against discrimination on an ethnic basis, to
discuss similar legislation in other European states and the need to
establish a state body that will enforce anti-discrimination
legislation.
Source of funding: German contribution to the Stability Pact.
March 2001
* Round table on the status of the Roma and the implementation of the
Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities in
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Dates: 12-13 March (to be confirmed)
Place: Sarajevo
Participants: Officials responsible for Roma issues at the level of
central ministries, representatives of Cantons with a large Roma
population, representatives of the Roma Co-ordination Group, Romani
representatives and NGOs dealing with minority issues, experts.
Partners: OSCE-ODIHR, OSCE mission in BiH, UNHCR, CoE Office in
Sarajevo, Minorities Unit of DGII - Human Rights, Local Democracy
Embassy of the CoE in Tuzla and Zavidovici.
Objectives: to raise awareness on the situation of the Roma; to launch
a debate on improving their status under the Framework Convention for
the Protection of National Minorities; to provide a forum for Roma
NGOs to express themselves and better articulate their claims.
Source of funding: CoE contribution to the Project "Roma under the
Stability Pact".
* Meeting of Governmental Officials dealing with Roma issues
Dates: 23-24 March
Place: EYC Budapest
Participants: Governmental officers dealing with Roma issues from
Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Federal Republic
of Yugoslavia, Hungary, Romania, Slovenia, "the former Yugoslav
Republic of
Macedonia".
Partners: OSCE-ODIHR, European Commission.
Objectives: to provide a forum where the officials dealing with Roma
issues can exchange their experience and share their problems, to
initiate and/or encourage national policies towards Roma, to develop a
regional approach to Roma issues.
Source of funding: EC contribution to the Project "Roma under the
Stability Pact".
April 2001
* Round table discussion on Roma issues in Croatia
Dates: 26-27 April
Place: Zagreb
Participants: Governmental officials responsible for Roma issues,
ministries concerned, Roma representatives and NGOs.
Partners: OSCE-ODIHR, European Commission, Office for National
Minorities of the Government of Croatia.
Objectives: to take stock of the problems faced by the authorities and
the Roma when building-up a partnership between state authorities and
Roma, inter alia through an inter-ministerial working-group, and to
launch proposals for developing a coherent, long-term strategy for
Roma.
Source of funding: EC contribution to the Project "Roma under the
Stability Pact".
May 2001
* Round table discussion on Roma issues in "the FYR of Macedonia"
Dates: Mid-May (to be confirmed)
Place: Skopje
Participants: Governmental officials responsible for Roma issues,
ministries concerned, Roma representatives and NGOs, informal working
group of Roma NGOs set up in 2000 to deal with problems regarding the
situation of
refugees from Kosovo.
Partners: OSCE-ODIHR, European Commission, Human Rights Department of
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of "the FYR of Macedonia".
Objectives: to provide a neutral forum where governmental officials
and Romani representatives can hold an exchange of views on the main
difficulties and areas of work, which have to be prioritised in a
long-term national strategy, to encourage a more active participation
of Roma in policy-making.
Source of funding: EC contribution to the Project "Roma under the
Stability Pact".
* Regional training seminar for the staff of employment services
Dates: to be confirmed
Place: to be determined
Participants: staff of national, regional and local employment
services from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, "the FYR of
Macedonia", Romania and Slovenia, Roma organisations.
Partner: National Employment Service of Bulgaria.
Objectives: to share information and good practices, to develop a
regional network, to improve the role of employment services in the
job search for Roma jobseekers, to decide in which participating
country local training workshops for the staff of local employment
services should take place.
Source of funding: Austrian contribution to the Project "Roma under
the Stability Pact".
June 2001
* Think tank with governmental officials in Croatia
Dates: Mid-June (to be confirmed)
Place: Zagreb
Participants: senior civil servants responsible for Roma issues and a
team of Council of Europe experts.
Partners: OSCE-ODIHR, European Commission, Office for National
Minorities of the Government of Croatia.
Objectives: to work out an agreed concept and a practical strategy for
building harmonious ethnic relations, in particular with Roma but not
only.
Source of funding: EC contribution to the Project "Roma under the
Stability Pact".
July 2001
* Think tank with governmental officials in "the FYR of Macedonia"
Dates: Early July (to be confirmed)
Place: Skopje
Participants: senior civil servants responsible for Roma issues and a
team of Council of Europe experts.
Partners: OSCE-ODIHR, European Commission, Human Rights Department of
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of "the FYR of Macedonia".
Objectives: to work out an agreed concept and a practical strategy for
building harmonious ethnic relations, in particular with Roma but not
only.
Source of funding: EC contribution to the Project "Roma under the
Stability Pact".
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