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03 August 2000
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CERD
57th session
3 August 2000
Afternoon
The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination this afternoon started its consideration of a third periodic report by Slovakia on how that country implements the provisions of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination.
Introducing the report, Kalman Petocz, the Permanent Representative of Slovakia to the United Nations Office at Geneva, affirmed that his Government was committed to preventing discrimination in all its forms and that it had taken relevant measures in social, economic, employment, education, housing and health care areas. He said the Government attached special attention to the effective implementation of the rights of persons belonging to national minorities.
Raghavan Vasudevan Pillai, the Committee expert who served as country rapporteur to the report of Slovakia, said there had been discrimination against the Roma concerning housing accommodations and in some cases they had been harassed in areas where they intended to resettle. He raised the cases of two municipalities which banned Roma from entering or settling in their jurisdictions; and although the ban had been rejected by the European Court of Human Rights in favour of the three Roma individuals who brought up the case, it was reported that the ban was still being maintained.
The following Committee experts took part in the discussion: Marc Bossuyt, Luis Valencia Rodriguez, Deci Zou, Regis de Gouttes, Peter Nobel, Ion Diaconu and Mario Jorge Yutzis.
In addition to Mr. Petocz, the Slovak delegation was made up of Vincent Danihel, Plenipotentiary Minister of the Government for Roma Minority Issues; Julia Dzurna, Head of Violent Crime Division, Criminal Department of the Office of the General Prosecutor; Jan Galbavy, General Director, Elementary and Secondary School and Educational Establishment Section, Ministry of Education; and Peter Guran, General Director, Family Policy Section, Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Family.
Also, Barbara Ilkova, Director, Human Rights Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Denisa Ivanova, Criminal Law Section, Ministry of Justice; Gabriella Jarabikova, General Director, Minority Culture Section, Ministry of Culture; Eugen Nagy, Health-care Section, Ministry of Health; Katarina Ondrasova, Minority School Department, Ministry of Education; and Jaroslav Pal'ov, Police Corps Presidium, Ministry of Interior.
As one of the 156 States parties to the Convention, Slovakia is obligated to present periodic reports to the Committee on how it implements the provisions of the treaty.
Before adjourning its afternoon meeting, the Committee briefly discussed a draft text which it intended to publish as a press release on the thematic discussion on the issue of discrimination againt Roma which it will hold on 15 and 16 August.
When the Committee reconvenes at 10 a.m. on Friday, 4 August, it will continue to consider the report of Slovakia.
Report of Slovakia
The third periodic report of Slovakia (document CERD/C/328/Add.1) enumerates the administrative and legislative measures taken by the country to implement the provisions of the Convention on an article-by-article basis. The report says that following the September 1998 elections, the new Government set up a new post of Deputy Prime Minister on Human Rights, National Minorities and Regional Development. The Slovak Republic does not have an institutionalized form of protection against discrimination which would meet the requirements of the Convention.
Further, the Government is committed to developing a legal framework which will prevent the emergence of various forms of discrimination and exclusion of larger groups of citizens from the civilized environment. The Government does not accept any form of racial or ethnic intolerance. In addition, extensive efforts on the recodification of civil and criminal law, which are currently under way in the country, take into account the criteria set out in the Convention. Slovakia was also committed to introducing the necessary legislative changes within its term of office with a view to putting adequate legislation sustainable in the long term.
Presentation of Slovak Report
KALMAN PETOCZ, Permanent Representative of Slovakia to the United Nations Office at Geneva, affirmed that his Government was committed to preventing discrimination in all its forms and that it had taken relevant measures in social, economic, employment, education, housing and health care areas.
Mr. Petocz said that on 3 May 2000, the Government had adopted a Plan of Action to prevent all forms of discrimination, racism, xenophobia, anti-Semitism and other manifestations of intolerance for the period of 2000-2001. Its purpose was to contribute to creating an atmosphere of tolerance, mutual understanding and good coexistence among members of the population of the Slovak Republic.
Within the context of the ongoing Third Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination, the Government highly appreciated the importance of the upcoming World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance, which would be held in South Africa in 2001, Mr. Petocz said. Slovakia's contribution to the Conference was the National Conference of the Republic against Racism, Xenophobia, Anti-Racism and Discrimination, which was held on 18 May 2000.
Mr. Petocz continued to say that his Government attached special attention to the effective implementation of the rights of persons belonging to national minorities, with the objective of developing a legal and institutional framework for preventing discrimination against them. However, the problem which was currently very much in the spotlight was the emigration of numerous Roma groups to several countries of the European Union and the introduction of visa requirements for the citizens of Slovakia. That had provoked negative feelings among most Slovakian inhabitants who blamed the introduction of visas on the Roma people.
In conclusion, Mr. Perocz assured the Committee of the continued efforts of his Government to remove all forms of discrimination, racism, xenophobia and other manifestations of intolerance.
Discussion
RAGHAVAN VASUDEVAN PILLAI, the Committee expert who served as country rapporteur to the report of Slovakia, said he believed the report was the reflection of the efforts of the State in combatting and preventing racial discrimination. It was also the result of the Government's endeavours in promoting mutual understanding and in creating an atmosphere of racial tolerance.
Speaking about the implementation of the various articles, Mr. Pillai said that the report had covered all the areas; however, much had to be done in the fields of police training and police attitudes towards Roma minorities. One of the basic issues that needed to be addressed was the problem of Roma people. There was no reliable data on this as was mentioned in the report. In the latest census, the number of Romas who identified themselves as having Romany ethnic origin was 75,802. Yet different professional estimates gave the number of persons of Romany ethnic origin who were living in the Republic as of 1 January 1995 at between 300,000 and 500,000 persons. The difference in estimates was too big to be ignored.
Mr. Pillai said that the Slovak Constitution made school attendance compulsory; every person within the Republic had the right to education; against that background, what was the extent of enrolment of Romani children in elementary schools? If the percentage was lower than the national average, what could be done to improve enrolment? The introduction of preparatory classes was a welcome step; it might also be worthwhile to introduce measures for raising awareness among children within the majority communities about the culture and life style of the Roma so as to eliminate prejudices and discrimination.
In the area of culture, a number of initiatives had been taken by the Government which should be complimented, Mr. Pillai said. However, there was very low television coverage of the Roma culture. In addition, there had been discrimination against the Roma concerning housing accommodations and in some cases they had been harassed in areas where they intended to resettle. The cases of two municipalities banning Roma from entering or settling in their jurisdictions had been widely reported. The case had been taken to the European Court of Human Rights by three Romani individuals in March 1999. Although they won their case, it was alleged that they were still banned.
Other Committee experts also commented on the report. An expert asked about the skinhead movement and its impact on the society with regard to racial discrimination.
Referring to the report which gave contradictory numbers of the Roma people, an expert said that the difference in numbers might be attributed to fears of racial segregation. The Roma hid their identities because of the fact that they were persecuted and could be excluded socially. How many children of Romany parents were in schools? What was the number of drop-outs and the percentage compared to the majority population? Why were Roma people segregated and not able to find housing facilities?
Another expert noted that the problem of the Roma was not exclusive to Slovakia; however, the expert, referring to the report which indicated the adverse developments in the relations between the groups of Romanies and members of the skinhead movement, wanted to know more about the situation in that regard. The report's affirmation that no racial discrimination was recorded in the Republic resulting from subjective acts of police officers was incompatible with relevant information received from non-governmental organizations on police brutality.
Quoting a report by Amnesty International, an expert said that police had been raiding Roma settlements; in one incident, 100 policemen invaded houses occupied by Roma, chanting anti-Roma slogans and injuring many of them; local doctors were prevented by the police from treating the wounded. The expert asked if the police officer who ordered the raid had been prosecuted. Concerning the issuance of visas, the expert said that establishment of a special visa regime to selected countries inspired racial discrimination. Among African countries, only Tunisia, Mauritius and South Africa were excluded from the special visa regime to enter Slovakia. It seemed that it was part of a strategy to close Europe to people from the developing countries.
* *** *
57th session
3 August 2000
Afternoon
The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination this afternoon started its consideration of a third periodic report by Slovakia on how that country implements the provisions of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination.
Introducing the report, Kalman Petocz, the Permanent Representative of Slovakia to the United Nations Office at Geneva, affirmed that his Government was committed to preventing discrimination in all its forms and that it had taken relevant measures in social, economic, employment, education, housing and health care areas. He said the Government attached special attention to the effective implementation of the rights of persons belonging to national minorities.
Raghavan Vasudevan Pillai, the Committee expert who served as country rapporteur to the report of Slovakia, said there had been discrimination against the Roma concerning housing accommodations and in some cases they had been harassed in areas where they intended to resettle. He raised the cases of two municipalities which banned Roma from entering or settling in their jurisdictions; and although the ban had been rejected by the European Court of Human Rights in favour of the three Roma individuals who brought up the case, it was reported that the ban was still being maintained.
The following Committee experts took part in the discussion: Marc Bossuyt, Luis Valencia Rodriguez, Deci Zou, Regis de Gouttes, Peter Nobel, Ion Diaconu and Mario Jorge Yutzis.
In addition to Mr. Petocz, the Slovak delegation was made up of Vincent Danihel, Plenipotentiary Minister of the Government for Roma Minority Issues; Julia Dzurna, Head of Violent Crime Division, Criminal Department of the Office of the General Prosecutor; Jan Galbavy, General Director, Elementary and Secondary School and Educational Establishment Section, Ministry of Education; and Peter Guran, General Director, Family Policy Section, Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Family.
Also, Barbara Ilkova, Director, Human Rights Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Denisa Ivanova, Criminal Law Section, Ministry of Justice; Gabriella Jarabikova, General Director, Minority Culture Section, Ministry of Culture; Eugen Nagy, Health-care Section, Ministry of Health; Katarina Ondrasova, Minority School Department, Ministry of Education; and Jaroslav Pal'ov, Police Corps Presidium, Ministry of Interior.
As one of the 156 States parties to the Convention, Slovakia is obligated to present periodic reports to the Committee on how it implements the provisions of the treaty.
Before adjourning its afternoon meeting, the Committee briefly discussed a draft text which it intended to publish as a press release on the thematic discussion on the issue of discrimination againt Roma which it will hold on 15 and 16 August.
When the Committee reconvenes at 10 a.m. on Friday, 4 August, it will continue to consider the report of Slovakia.
Report of Slovakia
The third periodic report of Slovakia (document CERD/C/328/Add.1) enumerates the administrative and legislative measures taken by the country to implement the provisions of the Convention on an article-by-article basis. The report says that following the September 1998 elections, the new Government set up a new post of Deputy Prime Minister on Human Rights, National Minorities and Regional Development. The Slovak Republic does not have an institutionalized form of protection against discrimination which would meet the requirements of the Convention.
Further, the Government is committed to developing a legal framework which will prevent the emergence of various forms of discrimination and exclusion of larger groups of citizens from the civilized environment. The Government does not accept any form of racial or ethnic intolerance. In addition, extensive efforts on the recodification of civil and criminal law, which are currently under way in the country, take into account the criteria set out in the Convention. Slovakia was also committed to introducing the necessary legislative changes within its term of office with a view to putting adequate legislation sustainable in the long term.
Presentation of Slovak Report
KALMAN PETOCZ, Permanent Representative of Slovakia to the United Nations Office at Geneva, affirmed that his Government was committed to preventing discrimination in all its forms and that it had taken relevant measures in social, economic, employment, education, housing and health care areas.
Mr. Petocz said that on 3 May 2000, the Government had adopted a Plan of Action to prevent all forms of discrimination, racism, xenophobia, anti-Semitism and other manifestations of intolerance for the period of 2000-2001. Its purpose was to contribute to creating an atmosphere of tolerance, mutual understanding and good coexistence among members of the population of the Slovak Republic.
Within the context of the ongoing Third Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination, the Government highly appreciated the importance of the upcoming World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance, which would be held in South Africa in 2001, Mr. Petocz said. Slovakia's contribution to the Conference was the National Conference of the Republic against Racism, Xenophobia, Anti-Racism and Discrimination, which was held on 18 May 2000.
Mr. Petocz continued to say that his Government attached special attention to the effective implementation of the rights of persons belonging to national minorities, with the objective of developing a legal and institutional framework for preventing discrimination against them. However, the problem which was currently very much in the spotlight was the emigration of numerous Roma groups to several countries of the European Union and the introduction of visa requirements for the citizens of Slovakia. That had provoked negative feelings among most Slovakian inhabitants who blamed the introduction of visas on the Roma people.
In conclusion, Mr. Perocz assured the Committee of the continued efforts of his Government to remove all forms of discrimination, racism, xenophobia and other manifestations of intolerance.
Discussion
RAGHAVAN VASUDEVAN PILLAI, the Committee expert who served as country rapporteur to the report of Slovakia, said he believed the report was the reflection of the efforts of the State in combatting and preventing racial discrimination. It was also the result of the Government's endeavours in promoting mutual understanding and in creating an atmosphere of racial tolerance.
Speaking about the implementation of the various articles, Mr. Pillai said that the report had covered all the areas; however, much had to be done in the fields of police training and police attitudes towards Roma minorities. One of the basic issues that needed to be addressed was the problem of Roma people. There was no reliable data on this as was mentioned in the report. In the latest census, the number of Romas who identified themselves as having Romany ethnic origin was 75,802. Yet different professional estimates gave the number of persons of Romany ethnic origin who were living in the Republic as of 1 January 1995 at between 300,000 and 500,000 persons. The difference in estimates was too big to be ignored.
Mr. Pillai said that the Slovak Constitution made school attendance compulsory; every person within the Republic had the right to education; against that background, what was the extent of enrolment of Romani children in elementary schools? If the percentage was lower than the national average, what could be done to improve enrolment? The introduction of preparatory classes was a welcome step; it might also be worthwhile to introduce measures for raising awareness among children within the majority communities about the culture and life style of the Roma so as to eliminate prejudices and discrimination.
In the area of culture, a number of initiatives had been taken by the Government which should be complimented, Mr. Pillai said. However, there was very low television coverage of the Roma culture. In addition, there had been discrimination against the Roma concerning housing accommodations and in some cases they had been harassed in areas where they intended to resettle. The cases of two municipalities banning Roma from entering or settling in their jurisdictions had been widely reported. The case had been taken to the European Court of Human Rights by three Romani individuals in March 1999. Although they won their case, it was alleged that they were still banned.
Other Committee experts also commented on the report. An expert asked about the skinhead movement and its impact on the society with regard to racial discrimination.
Referring to the report which gave contradictory numbers of the Roma people, an expert said that the difference in numbers might be attributed to fears of racial segregation. The Roma hid their identities because of the fact that they were persecuted and could be excluded socially. How many children of Romany parents were in schools? What was the number of drop-outs and the percentage compared to the majority population? Why were Roma people segregated and not able to find housing facilities?
Another expert noted that the problem of the Roma was not exclusive to Slovakia; however, the expert, referring to the report which indicated the adverse developments in the relations between the groups of Romanies and members of the skinhead movement, wanted to know more about the situation in that regard. The report's affirmation that no racial discrimination was recorded in the Republic resulting from subjective acts of police officers was incompatible with relevant information received from non-governmental organizations on police brutality.
Quoting a report by Amnesty International, an expert said that police had been raiding Roma settlements; in one incident, 100 policemen invaded houses occupied by Roma, chanting anti-Roma slogans and injuring many of them; local doctors were prevented by the police from treating the wounded. The expert asked if the police officer who ordered the raid had been prosecuted. Concerning the issuance of visas, the expert said that establishment of a special visa regime to selected countries inspired racial discrimination. Among African countries, only Tunisia, Mauritius and South Africa were excluded from the special visa regime to enter Slovakia. It seemed that it was part of a strategy to close Europe to people from the developing countries.
* *** *