ERRC CERD Moldova Submission
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Date: Fri, 22 Mar 2002 09:31:59 +0200 (EET)
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Subject: ERRC CERD Moldova Submission
From: MINELRES moderator <[email protected]>
Original sender: European Roma Rights Center <[email protected]>
ERRC CERD Moldova Submission
ERRC Submits Written Comments Concerning Roma Rights Issues in the
Republic of Moldova to UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial
Discrimination
Today, March 11, 2001, the United Nations Committee on the Elimination
of Racial Discrimination (CERD) reviews the compliance of the Republic
of Moldova with the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of
Racial Discrimination (ICERD). In the run-up to today's meeting, on
March 6, the European Roma Rights Center (ERRC) sent written comments
to the Committee for consideration during its review.
In its written comments concerning the Republic of Moldova, the ERRC
drew attention particularly to the Government's failure to comply with
Articles 2, 3 and 5 of the Convention:
Roma suffer racial segregation in the fields of education and housing
in the Republic of Moldova, in contravention of Article 3 of the
Convention. To date, actions by Moldovan authorities to end such
segregation are ineffective and in fact broadly unknown.
The Government's measures to ensure effective protection of Roma in
Moldova against racially-motivated violence and discrimination have
also to date been ineffective. Roma in Moldova are subjected to
violence by both public officials and non-state actors. Furthermore,
Roma suffer discrimination in the criminal justice system, leaving
them without recourse to adequate judicial remedies when they suffer
violent abuse. Law enforcement and judicial authorities in Moldova are
often reluctant to investigate and prosecute alleged perpetrators of
violence against Roma, especially when the alleged perpetrators are
themselves law-enforcement officials.
Legal provisions aimed at combating racial discrimination are
insufficient. Although the Government has provided the Committee with
no less than 51 numbered points on legal provisions which it contends
are relevant for combating discrimination, these appear to be of
little practical importance for persons seeking redress for acts of
racial discrimination or racially motivated violence.
There are, furthermore, disturbing reports of violations of the
political rights of Roma in Moldova, as well as widespread reports
that Roma in Moldova suffer marginalisation and discrimination in the
enjoyment of economic, social and cultural rights, most notably the
rights to housing and education and training. The ERRC was especially
concerned to note that according to the Government's own data, the
number of Roma attending university appears to have dropped
precipitously between the 1998/1999 and 1999/2000 school years.
The ERRC additionally provided the Committee with a list of possible
questions to the Moldovan Government, as well as a number of
recommendations to the Government, aimed at securing Moldova's
compliance with the Convention.
The full text of the ERRC submission is available at:
http://errc.org/publications/legal/index.shtml
_____________________________________________
The European Roma Rights Center is an international public interest
law organisation which monitors the rights of Roma and provides legal
defence in cases of human rights abuse. For more information about the
European Roma Rights Center, visit the ERRC on the web at
http://www.errc.org.
European Roma Rights Center
1386 Budapest 62
P.O. Box 906/93
Hungary
Phone: +36 1 4132200
Fax: +36 1 4132201
_____________________________________________
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