Unit 3 European policy on Roma

9 March 2005

Laura Laubeova

laubeova@chello.cz

Background: policy actors

• EU• CoE• OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities

Lund, Oslo, and Hague recommendations• OSCE ODIHR Roma/ Sinti Contact point • WB (Decade of Roma inclusion 2005-2015)• UN• UNDP• NGOs (OSI, ERRC, MRG ..)• Romani organisations• National governments, etc…

Resources Liegeois, Jean-Pierre (1994) – reader

Kovats, Martin (2001) ”The Emergence of European Roma Policy” – reader

Danbakli, Marielle, ed.(2001)Roma, Gypsies: Text Issued by International Institutions. Hatfield: University of Hertfordshire Press.

Rooker, Marcia (1997) "Monitoring Human Rights: The Importance of the Universal Level for Roma and Sinti" CPRSI Newsletter, February 1997, vol.3, no. 1, pp. 3-10

Puxon, Grattan (2000) „The Romani Movement“ in Acton: Scholarship and the Gypsy Struggle

Matras, Yaron (1998) ”Development of the Romani Civil Rights Movement” in Tebbut: Sinti and Roma

Martin Kovats (2001)

”The Emergence of European Roma Policy.” • EU: PHARE• CoE: Verspaaget report 1995; Specialist Grp on R/G;

Guiding principles for improving the sit. of R.• OSCE: HCNM 1993, 2000; ODIHR Contact point on

R+ S issues• recommendations /guidelines or Roma representation• decontextulisation• focus on broader economic and social factors (WB,

UNDP)

Key events after 1989Resolutions in support of Romani rights

• 1990 CSCE• 1992 UN HR Commission• 1993 CoE

1993 EU Seville Congress

1994 joint seminar of CSCE and CoE in Warsaw

1994 Standing conference of Romani associations in Europe

1995 Roma advisory council at CoE (gadje experts) Matras, 1998:61

Key movements IRU & RNC1971 First World Romani Congress –> IRUIntellectual interest (in linguistics, culture), Gypsy Lore Society1888France CMG Communaute Mondiale Gitane 1959 (Ionel Rotaru),

CIT Comite Intl Tzigane (Vanko Rouda) –> 71 congress

Irish Traveller Community mid 60sFinish Gypsy Association, Spanish Secretariado Gitano, Slovak

and Czech Associations for Gypsies/Roma (68 –73) Facuna, Dr. Cibula

Gypsy Council in England 1966 Johnny BrazilNational Gypsy Education Council (1970 Lady Plowden) organised

next three IRU congresses renamed to GCECWCR (for education, welfare and civil rights)

World Romani Congresses (IRU)

1st 1971 London (Slobodan Berberski)

2nd 1979 Geneva (Jan Cibula)

3rd 1981 Gottingen, Germany (Rajko Djuric)

4th 1990 Warsaw (Rajko Djuric)

5th 2000 Prague (Emil Scuka)

6th 2004 Lanciano, Italy (Stanislav Stankiewicz)

RNC

Rom & Cinti Union in Hamburg (80s) -> RNC, Rudko Kawczynski

Grassroot, militant, Romani refugees from Eastern Europe – basic human rights approach

Pan-European Romani Identity

vs

nationalist “Zentralrat “ of German Sinti and Roma (81)

Matras, 1998:49-63, Puxon, 2000:94-113

Useful links and sources

European Roma Information Office http://www.erionet.org/Home.html

European Roma Forum http://www.europeanromaforum.org/

European Roma Rights Centre http://www.errc.org

Czech Radio http://www.romove.czWB (2003) www.worldbank.org/eca/roma UNDP (2003) http://roma.undp.sk

EU• Amsterdam Treaty (Article 13) • two Directives (2000/43/EC, 2000/78/EC)• European constitution (Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe)

incl. Charter of Fundamental Rights (Part II)• CoE ECHR (constitutes general principles of the Union's law, TITLE II, ARTICLE I-

9)

• ECHR Protocol 12 (that relates to Article 14) • European Court for HR (Strassbourg)

• EUMC (on Racism and Xenophobia) http://www.eumc.eu.int/

• ECMI http://www.ecmi.de

etc

European constitutionhttp://www.europa.eu.int/constitution/index_en.htm

ARTICLE I-2: The Union's values„The Union is founded on the values of respect for human

dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and respect for human rights, including the rights of persons belonging to minorities.“

„These values are common to the Member States in a society in which pluralism, non-discrimination, tolerance, justice, solidarity and equality between women and men prevail“.

The Union's objectives„It shall combat social exclusion and discrimination, and

shall promote social justice and protection, …

Charter of Fundamental Rights

Non-discrimination (ARTICLE II-81)

„ Any discrimination based on any ground such as sex, race, colour, ethnic or social origin, genetic features, language, religion or belief, political or any other opinion, membership of a national minority, property, birth, disability, age or sexual orientation shall be prohibited.“

Discrimination – definition 2000/43/EC

Indirect discrimination shall be taken to occur where an apparently neutral provision, criterion or practice would put persons of a racial or ethnic origin at a particular disadvantage compared with other persons, unless that provision, criterion or practice is objectively justified by a legitimate aim and the means of achieving.

Role of NGOs in drafting the directive

• Policy actors: governments & public admin., private sector, intl. organisations, NGOs

• Role of NGOs

• Starting Line Group : ERRC, Interrights, MPG –Cf directives 2000/43/EC and 2000/78/EC

Enlarged Europe – May 2004

Green paper on Equality and non-discrimination in an enlarged European Union:

http://www.stop-discrimination.info

http://europa.eu.int/comm/employment_social/fundamental_rights/greenpaper_en.htm

http://www.enar-eu.org/en/info/fact18.shtml

ECRI European Commission against Racisms and Intolerance

Specialist Group on Roma and GypsiesEuropean Commission for Democracy through law The Parliamentary Assembly The Congress of Local and Regional Authorities, Programmes to build inter community confidence in societyCouncil of Europe monitoring departmentCoE Commissioner for Human RightsAdvisory Committee of the Framework Convention etc

Council of Europe

Improving housing conditions of Roma

and Travellers in Europe • Recommendation Rec(2005)4  of the Committee of

Ministers to member states  on improving the housing conditions of Roma and Travellers in Europe

(Adopted by the Committee of Ministers on 23 February 2005 at the 916th meeting of the Ministers' Deputies) https://wcd.coe.int/ViewDoc.jsp?id=825545&BackColorInternet=9999CC&BackColorIntranet=FFBB55&BackColorLogged=FFAC75

Council of Europe cont.• ECHR• European Charter for Regional or Minority languages• European Framework Convention for Protection of

National Minorities (FCNM)

FCNM implementation- Eg. Office of the Government of the Czech Republic: Information about Compliance with Principles set forth in the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities according to Article 25, Paragraph 1 of this Convention, http://www.vlada.cz

FCNM

What commitments do State Parties undertake when they ratify the FCNM?

  Choice of identity   Non-discrimination;    Promotion of effective equality;    Promotion of conditions favouring the preservation

and development of culture, religion, language and traditions;

  Freedom of assembly, association, expression, thought, conscience and religion;

  Access to and use of media;

FCNM

       Linguistic freedoms:       - use of the minority language in private and in public as

well as its use before administrative authorities;       - use of one’s own name in the minority language;        - Display of information of a private nature in the

minority language;       - Topographical names in the minority language;       Education:       - Learning and instruction in the minority language;      - Freedom to set up educational institutions;       Transborder contacts;       International and transborder co-operation;       Participation in economic, cultural and social life;       Participation in public life;       Prohibition of forced assimilation;

FCNM cont.

• FC emphasises State Responsibilities rather than being a broad expression of rights.

• What is National Minority? No definition. Selected in good faith.

• The existence of a minority is a matter of fact not a matter of legislation by a State ( UN HR committee)

• Monitoring of State compliance with the Convention: Advisory committee (AC) + Committee of Ministers (CM),

• State reports (every 5yrs or upon request of CM, if needed AC sends States written questionnaires),

• AC Country visits, alternative reports from NGOs

• AC adopts an opinion,upon which the State can comment

• CM adopts a resolution with conclusions and recommendation to the State on the implementation of the FC.

• Resolution incl Comments and opinion available on CoE web site

• www.coe.int/T/E/human_rights/minorities

UN conventions and committees

• Declaration of HR• UN CERD• CRC • ICCPR • ICESCR• CEDAW • CAT • Geneva Convention 51• UN Commissioner for Human Rights

Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 1

„ all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood ( and sisterhood)“

Europe´s challenge is to work twds realisation of this right.

How to help transform established law ( national or intl.) from pieces of paper to popular practice ?

Who are the key policy making and policy implementing actors?

Case study:Impact of international criticism

on policies twds Roma in CZ schooling

• UN CERD (Committee on Elimination of Racial Discrimination) Concluding observations on CR, 1998, "de facto” segregation (article 5 ICERD not fully implemented)

• UN CERD 2000 Report on CR • UN CRC (Rights of Children) • UN HRC (Human Rights Committee) Concluding

observations, July 01, "to eradicate segregation of R.ch. in its edu...„

• EC Opinion and Progress Reports on CR

NGO projects

Roma Rights and Access to Justice in Europe

Overview Report and First Year Report

http://www.rraje.org/Reports/overview.pdf

IRU

6th World Romani Congress pledges fight against racism   Lanciano, 10. 10. 2004, 13:07 (Ustiben, by Grattan Puxon)

http://www.romea.cz/english/index.php?id=servis/z_en_2004_0150

http://www.romea.cz/english/index.php?id=servis/z_en_2003_0009