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02 August 2000
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CERD
57th Session
2 August 2000
Afternoon
The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination this afternoon started its consideration of the fourth periodic report presented by the Government of Slovenia on how that country was combatting racial discrimination.
Gregor Zore, Permanent Representative of Slovenia to the United Nations Office at Geneva and head of the delegation, introduced the report, affirming that Slovenia was fully committed to the respect and promotion of human rights and fundamental freedoms in general. Slovenia actively supported the development and promotion of human rights, in particular with regard to the prohibition of all forms of discrimination.
During the consideration of the report, Yuri A. Rechetov, the Committee expert who served as country rapporteur to the report of Slovenia, and other experts widely commented on the status of minorities by alluding to the privileges offered to Hungarian and Italian minorities and the extent in which Roma communities were excluded.
The Committee experts taking part in the discussion were Luis Valencia Rodriguez, Francois Lonseny Fall, Ion Diaconu, Regis de Gouttes, Mario Jorge Yutzis, Brun-Otto Bryde, Raghavan Vasudevan Pillai, Peter Nobel and Michael E. Sherifis.
Also included in the Slovenian delegation were Miran Komac of the University of Ljubljana; Vera Klopcic of the Institute for Ethnic Studies; Dominika Marolt, Counsellor, Ministry of Interior; Franc Miksa, Deputy Permanent Representative of Slovenia to the United Nations Office at Geneva; and Jardan Hocevar and Andraz Zidar, both from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Slovenia is among the 156 States parties to the Convention against All Forms of Racial Discrimination and as such it has to provide periodic reports to the Committee on how it implements the provisions of the treaty.
Also this afternoon, the Committee briefly discussed how to organize the thematic discussion on the Roma which will take place on 15 and 16 August. It approved a proposal by Ion Diaconu, the rapporteur of the working group to organize a thematic discussion on the Roma, to hold an official meeting with non-governmental organizations on Tuesday, 15 August, in the morning. The report of Great Britain would now be examined on Monday, 14 August.
When the Committee reconvenes at 10 a.m. on Thursday, 3 August, it will hear the responses of the Slovenian delegation to the questions raised this afternoon before concluding its consideration of the report.
Report of Slovenia
The fourth periodic report of Slovenia (document CERD/C/352/Add.1) enumerates the administrative and legislative measures adopted to give effect to the provisions of the Convention on an article-by-article basis. In its introduction, the report says that all inhabitants of Slovenia are guaranteed the right to preserve their national identity, to foster their culture and to use their own language and script.
The report says that freedom of expression of thought, freedom of speech, and freedom to association are guaranteed under the country's Constitution. In order to monitor the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms, a special Ombudsman has been established. The Ombudsman monitors all relations in the field of human rights protection in the State between the citizens on the one hand and national bodies, local self-government bodies and statuary authorities on the other.
Presentation of Report
GREGOR ZORE, Permanent Representative of Slovenia to the United Nations Office at Geneva, said that prohibition of discrimination lay at the heart of the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms.
Mr. Zore recalled that after gaining independence in June 1991, Slovenia had been faced with the very complex task of organizing a functioning public administration under dramatically changed circumstances. In addition, the country began the process of transition to democratic rule as well as to a market economy.
Slovenia was fully committed to the respect and promotion of human rights and fundamental freedoms in general, Mr. Zore continued to say. Slovenia was a State party to all six major human rights instruments within the framework of the United Nations. Slovenia actively supported the development and promotion of human rights, in particular with regard to the prohibition of all forms of discrimination.
Mr. Zore said that it was only recently that the Government had succeeded in developing a systematic approach for drafting the reports mandated by major international human rights instruments. Furthermore, representatives of Slovenia were actively participating in the preparations for the European Conference against Racism, which was a European contribution to the forthcoming World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance which would be held in South Africa in 2001. The Government of Slovenia had granted a financial contribution for the organization of both conferences.
Discussion
YURI A. RECHETOV, the Committee expert who served as country rapporteur to the report of Slovenia, said the country was a young nation which was learning to exercise and implement provisions of international instruments. Slovenia had acceded to a number of human rights treaties and what remained was to learn how to put them into practice. In all fields, the process of learning had to be engaged in order for the country to become a perfect practitioner.
Mr. Rechetov continued to say that he did not see any trace of non-governmental organizations' participation in the preparation of the report.
The legal status of the Convention, particularly in the prevention of ethnic conflict and inter-ethnic relations, was not clearly shown in the report. The Hungarian and Italian ethnic communities had special status with the Slovenian society; but while the Italians and Hungarians were referred to as ethnic communities, the Roma were referred to as a community. In some cases, it seemed that Hungarian and Italian communities were more privileged than other minorities in the country.
In the Slovenian society, minorities were categorized in a different manner, Mr. Rechetov said. Although that was not unique to Slovenia, the laws protecting them should be the same as in other European countries. Access to information by minorities and coexistence between the various communities should be strengthened.
The report said that in Slovenia, one could not speak about intolerance in general or about intolerance against minority, ethnic, religious or cultural communities, since relations in the population showed a high level of coexistence and understanding, Mr. Rechetov said. However, no speaking of intolerance might suggest misapprehension of the general situation.
With regard to violations in practice concerning employment, Mr. Rechetov said that the report had mentioned a case in which a non-Slovene citizen filed a complaint with the Constitutional Court on the grounds of losing a job. He asked how the case was terminated.
Turning to the issue of minorities, Mr. Rechetov wanted to know about the teaching process of the Romany children in the regions where they lived. The involvement of NGOs in the preparation of the report would have made such an issue more clear.
Other Committee experts also made comments referring to the content of the report. An expert said that the report indicated that one could not speak of intolerance against minorities, however, there existed sentiments of prejudice against the Roma community. The Government had to continue fighting that prejudice; the report, however, admitted the existence of few extreme "nationalistic or racial" criminal offences and violations. Such phenomenon were the result of the dissolution of the former Yugoslavia.
Referring to the report, another expert said that at the end of 1999, approximately 4,400 persons with temporary refuge lived in Slovenia: 3,150 citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and 1,250 of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia from Kosovo. Approximately 1,600 lived in refugee centres while the rest were on their own or were staying with relatives and acquaintances. Why were the refugees granted only temporary status?
* *** *
57th Session
2 August 2000
Afternoon
The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination this afternoon started its consideration of the fourth periodic report presented by the Government of Slovenia on how that country was combatting racial discrimination.
Gregor Zore, Permanent Representative of Slovenia to the United Nations Office at Geneva and head of the delegation, introduced the report, affirming that Slovenia was fully committed to the respect and promotion of human rights and fundamental freedoms in general. Slovenia actively supported the development and promotion of human rights, in particular with regard to the prohibition of all forms of discrimination.
During the consideration of the report, Yuri A. Rechetov, the Committee expert who served as country rapporteur to the report of Slovenia, and other experts widely commented on the status of minorities by alluding to the privileges offered to Hungarian and Italian minorities and the extent in which Roma communities were excluded.
The Committee experts taking part in the discussion were Luis Valencia Rodriguez, Francois Lonseny Fall, Ion Diaconu, Regis de Gouttes, Mario Jorge Yutzis, Brun-Otto Bryde, Raghavan Vasudevan Pillai, Peter Nobel and Michael E. Sherifis.
Also included in the Slovenian delegation were Miran Komac of the University of Ljubljana; Vera Klopcic of the Institute for Ethnic Studies; Dominika Marolt, Counsellor, Ministry of Interior; Franc Miksa, Deputy Permanent Representative of Slovenia to the United Nations Office at Geneva; and Jardan Hocevar and Andraz Zidar, both from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Slovenia is among the 156 States parties to the Convention against All Forms of Racial Discrimination and as such it has to provide periodic reports to the Committee on how it implements the provisions of the treaty.
Also this afternoon, the Committee briefly discussed how to organize the thematic discussion on the Roma which will take place on 15 and 16 August. It approved a proposal by Ion Diaconu, the rapporteur of the working group to organize a thematic discussion on the Roma, to hold an official meeting with non-governmental organizations on Tuesday, 15 August, in the morning. The report of Great Britain would now be examined on Monday, 14 August.
When the Committee reconvenes at 10 a.m. on Thursday, 3 August, it will hear the responses of the Slovenian delegation to the questions raised this afternoon before concluding its consideration of the report.
Report of Slovenia
The fourth periodic report of Slovenia (document CERD/C/352/Add.1) enumerates the administrative and legislative measures adopted to give effect to the provisions of the Convention on an article-by-article basis. In its introduction, the report says that all inhabitants of Slovenia are guaranteed the right to preserve their national identity, to foster their culture and to use their own language and script.
The report says that freedom of expression of thought, freedom of speech, and freedom to association are guaranteed under the country's Constitution. In order to monitor the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms, a special Ombudsman has been established. The Ombudsman monitors all relations in the field of human rights protection in the State between the citizens on the one hand and national bodies, local self-government bodies and statuary authorities on the other.
Presentation of Report
GREGOR ZORE, Permanent Representative of Slovenia to the United Nations Office at Geneva, said that prohibition of discrimination lay at the heart of the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms.
Mr. Zore recalled that after gaining independence in June 1991, Slovenia had been faced with the very complex task of organizing a functioning public administration under dramatically changed circumstances. In addition, the country began the process of transition to democratic rule as well as to a market economy.
Slovenia was fully committed to the respect and promotion of human rights and fundamental freedoms in general, Mr. Zore continued to say. Slovenia was a State party to all six major human rights instruments within the framework of the United Nations. Slovenia actively supported the development and promotion of human rights, in particular with regard to the prohibition of all forms of discrimination.
Mr. Zore said that it was only recently that the Government had succeeded in developing a systematic approach for drafting the reports mandated by major international human rights instruments. Furthermore, representatives of Slovenia were actively participating in the preparations for the European Conference against Racism, which was a European contribution to the forthcoming World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance which would be held in South Africa in 2001. The Government of Slovenia had granted a financial contribution for the organization of both conferences.
Discussion
YURI A. RECHETOV, the Committee expert who served as country rapporteur to the report of Slovenia, said the country was a young nation which was learning to exercise and implement provisions of international instruments. Slovenia had acceded to a number of human rights treaties and what remained was to learn how to put them into practice. In all fields, the process of learning had to be engaged in order for the country to become a perfect practitioner.
Mr. Rechetov continued to say that he did not see any trace of non-governmental organizations' participation in the preparation of the report.
The legal status of the Convention, particularly in the prevention of ethnic conflict and inter-ethnic relations, was not clearly shown in the report. The Hungarian and Italian ethnic communities had special status with the Slovenian society; but while the Italians and Hungarians were referred to as ethnic communities, the Roma were referred to as a community. In some cases, it seemed that Hungarian and Italian communities were more privileged than other minorities in the country.
In the Slovenian society, minorities were categorized in a different manner, Mr. Rechetov said. Although that was not unique to Slovenia, the laws protecting them should be the same as in other European countries. Access to information by minorities and coexistence between the various communities should be strengthened.
The report said that in Slovenia, one could not speak about intolerance in general or about intolerance against minority, ethnic, religious or cultural communities, since relations in the population showed a high level of coexistence and understanding, Mr. Rechetov said. However, no speaking of intolerance might suggest misapprehension of the general situation.
With regard to violations in practice concerning employment, Mr. Rechetov said that the report had mentioned a case in which a non-Slovene citizen filed a complaint with the Constitutional Court on the grounds of losing a job. He asked how the case was terminated.
Turning to the issue of minorities, Mr. Rechetov wanted to know about the teaching process of the Romany children in the regions where they lived. The involvement of NGOs in the preparation of the report would have made such an issue more clear.
Other Committee experts also made comments referring to the content of the report. An expert said that the report indicated that one could not speak of intolerance against minorities, however, there existed sentiments of prejudice against the Roma community. The Government had to continue fighting that prejudice; the report, however, admitted the existence of few extreme "nationalistic or racial" criminal offences and violations. Such phenomenon were the result of the dissolution of the former Yugoslavia.
Referring to the report, another expert said that at the end of 1999, approximately 4,400 persons with temporary refuge lived in Slovenia: 3,150 citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and 1,250 of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia from Kosovo. Approximately 1,600 lived in refugee centres while the rest were on their own or were staying with relatives and acquaintances. Why were the refugees granted only temporary status?
* *** *