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16 August 2000
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CERD
57th session
16 August 2000
Afternoon
Adopts Conclusions on Report of Netherlands
The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination this afternoon adopted by acclamation a general recommendation in which it urged States parties to adopt measures to protect Roma communities against racial violence and to improve their living conditions.
In its general recommendation addressed to States parties to the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, the Committee called upon them to adopt and implement national strategies and programmes and to express determined political will and moral leadership, with a view to improving the situation of Roma and protecting them against discrimination by State bodies or persons and organizations.
The Committee also recommended, among other things, that measures be taken to acknowledge Awrongs@ done during the Second World War to Roma communities by deportation and extermination, and to consider ways of compensating them.
In concluding the two-day debate, Committee Chairperson Michael E. Sherifis said that it was the first time that the Committee had held a debate on a thematic issue since its inception 30 years ago. United Nations minority experts and representatives of non-governmental organizations and regional groups also participated in the discussion.
Also this afternoon, the Committee adopted its concluding observations and recommendations on the report of the Netherlands in which it welcomed the country's reference to minorities without making a distinction between nationals and non-nationals. The Committee expressed concern, among other things, at the fact that the unemployment rate of minority groups remained four times higher than among the native Dutch population; and it recommended that the State party undertake further measures to reduce de facto segregation and to promote a multicultural educational system.
When the Committee reconvenes at 10 a.m. on Thursday, 17 August, it will take up the fifteenth periodic report of the Holy See.
General Recommendation on Discrimination against Roma
Following its two-day debate on the issue of discrimination against Roma people, the Committee adopted a general recommendation to be addressed to States parties to the Convention.
Among recommendations on measures of a general nature, the Committee urged that States parties review and enact or amend legislation in order to eliminate all forms of racial discrimination against Roma, as against other persons or groups, in accordance with the Convention; that national strategies and programmes be implemented and that determined political will and moral leadership be expressed with a view to improving the situation of Roma and their protection against discrimination by State bodies, as well as by any person or organization; and that the wishes of Roma as to the designation they wanted to be given and the group to which they wanted to belong be respected.
Further, the Committee called upon States parties to ensure that legislation regarding citizenship and naturalization did not discriminate against members of the Roma communities; to take all necessary measures in order to avoid any form of discrimination against immigrants or asylum seekers of Roma origin; to take appropriate measures to secure to members of Roma communities effective remedies and to ensure that justice was fully and promptly carried out in cases concerning violations of their fundamental rights and freedoms; and to acknowledge Awrongs@ done during the Second World War to Roma communities by deportation and extermination and to consider ways of competing for them.
On measures for protection against racial violence, the Committee recommended that protection of security and integrity of Roma be ensured without any discrimination by adopting measures for preventing racially motivated acts of violence against them; to ensure prompt action by the police, the prosecutors and the judiciary for investigating and punishing such acts and to ensure that perpetrators, be they public officials or other persons, did not enjoy any degree of impunity; and to take measure to prevent use of illegal force by the police against Roma, in particular in connection with arrest and detention.
On measures in the field of education, the Committee called upon States parties to support the inclusion in the school system of all children of Roma origin, and to act to reduce drop-out rates, in particular among Roma girls, and for those purposes, to cooperate actively with Roma parents, associations and local communities; to prevent and avoid as much as possible the segregation of Roma students, while keeping open the possibility for bilingual or mother tongue tuition, to that end, to endeavour to raise the quality of education in all schools and the level of attainment in schools from the minority environment, to recruit school personnel from among members of Roma communities and to promote inter-cultural education; and to take urgent and sustained measures in training teachers, educators and assistants from among Roma students.
On improving the living conditions, States parties were recommended to make more effective legislation prohibiting discrimination in employment, and all discriminatory practices in the labour market affecting members of Roma communities, and to protect them against such practices; to take special measures for promoting employment of Roma in the public administration and institutions, as well as in private companies; to develop and implement policies and projects aimed at avoiding segregation of Roma communities in housing; to involve Roma communities and associations as partners together with other persons in the construction of housing projects, as well as rehabilitation and maintenance; to take the necessary measures for offering Roma nomadic groups or Travellers places for encampment for their caravans, with all possible facilities; and to ensure equal access to Roma to health care and to social security services and to eliminate any discriminatory practices against them in that field.
In the field of the media, the Committee recommended that States parties act as appropriate for the elimination of any ideas of racial or ethnic superiority, of racial hatred and incitement to discrimination and violence against Roma in the media; to encourage awareness among professionals of all media of the particular responsibility to not disseminate prejudices and to avoid reporting incidents involving individual members of Roma communities in a way which blamed such communities as a whole; and to encourage and facilitate Roma access to media, newspapers, television and radio programmes and the establishment of their own media, as well as the formation and training of Roma journalists.
The Committee further recommended that States parties take the necessary steps, including special measures, to secure equal opportunities for the participation of Roma minorities; and to develop modalities and structures of consultation with Roma political parties, associations and representatives, both at central and local levels, when considering issues and adopting decisions on matters of concern to Roma communities.
The Committee urged the High Commissioner for Human Rights to consider establishing a focal point for Roma issues within the Office of the High Commissioner; and for the forthcoming World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance, to be held in South Africa in 2001, to take account the place of the Roma communities among the most disadvantaged and discriminated against in the world.
Concluding Observations and Recommendations
In its conclusions on the fourteenth periodic report of the Netherlands, the Committee found as positive aspects the country's reference to minorities without making a distinction between nationals and non-nationals; it welcomed the plan to apply the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities with regard to nationality; it also welcomed the appointment of a Minister for Urban Policy and Integration of Ethnic Minorities; and it further welcomed the efforts undertaken to address the problems of children with different language backgrounds in the Netherlands Antilles.
The Committee's expressed concern at the fact that the unemployment rate of minority groups remained four times higher than among the native Dutch population; about insufficient protection against discrimination in the labour market; at the de facto segregation in a number of localities; and about the fact that social tensions and problems in the education system were related to immigration in the Netherlands Antilles.
The Committee recommended, among other things, that the State party undertake further measures to reduce de facto segregation and to promote a multicultural educational system; that problems of immigration be addressed on a regional level in the Netherlands Antilles so as to avoid racial discrimination; that the Government of Aruba ensure that the status of domestic servants and immigration law was not exploited by employers; and it encouraged the State party to post the concluding observations on the Internet.
CORRIGENDUM
In press release HR/CERD/00/53 of 15 August, the first name of a non-governmental organization in the last paragraph on the first page should read: The Rroma Centre for Public Policies (Romania).
In the same press release, in the penultimate paragraph on page 2, the name of the NGO should read: The Rroma Centre for Public Policies (Romania).
* *** *
57th session
16 August 2000
Afternoon
Adopts Conclusions on Report of Netherlands
The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination this afternoon adopted by acclamation a general recommendation in which it urged States parties to adopt measures to protect Roma communities against racial violence and to improve their living conditions.
In its general recommendation addressed to States parties to the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, the Committee called upon them to adopt and implement national strategies and programmes and to express determined political will and moral leadership, with a view to improving the situation of Roma and protecting them against discrimination by State bodies or persons and organizations.
The Committee also recommended, among other things, that measures be taken to acknowledge Awrongs@ done during the Second World War to Roma communities by deportation and extermination, and to consider ways of compensating them.
In concluding the two-day debate, Committee Chairperson Michael E. Sherifis said that it was the first time that the Committee had held a debate on a thematic issue since its inception 30 years ago. United Nations minority experts and representatives of non-governmental organizations and regional groups also participated in the discussion.
Also this afternoon, the Committee adopted its concluding observations and recommendations on the report of the Netherlands in which it welcomed the country's reference to minorities without making a distinction between nationals and non-nationals. The Committee expressed concern, among other things, at the fact that the unemployment rate of minority groups remained four times higher than among the native Dutch population; and it recommended that the State party undertake further measures to reduce de facto segregation and to promote a multicultural educational system.
When the Committee reconvenes at 10 a.m. on Thursday, 17 August, it will take up the fifteenth periodic report of the Holy See.
General Recommendation on Discrimination against Roma
Following its two-day debate on the issue of discrimination against Roma people, the Committee adopted a general recommendation to be addressed to States parties to the Convention.
Among recommendations on measures of a general nature, the Committee urged that States parties review and enact or amend legislation in order to eliminate all forms of racial discrimination against Roma, as against other persons or groups, in accordance with the Convention; that national strategies and programmes be implemented and that determined political will and moral leadership be expressed with a view to improving the situation of Roma and their protection against discrimination by State bodies, as well as by any person or organization; and that the wishes of Roma as to the designation they wanted to be given and the group to which they wanted to belong be respected.
Further, the Committee called upon States parties to ensure that legislation regarding citizenship and naturalization did not discriminate against members of the Roma communities; to take all necessary measures in order to avoid any form of discrimination against immigrants or asylum seekers of Roma origin; to take appropriate measures to secure to members of Roma communities effective remedies and to ensure that justice was fully and promptly carried out in cases concerning violations of their fundamental rights and freedoms; and to acknowledge Awrongs@ done during the Second World War to Roma communities by deportation and extermination and to consider ways of competing for them.
On measures for protection against racial violence, the Committee recommended that protection of security and integrity of Roma be ensured without any discrimination by adopting measures for preventing racially motivated acts of violence against them; to ensure prompt action by the police, the prosecutors and the judiciary for investigating and punishing such acts and to ensure that perpetrators, be they public officials or other persons, did not enjoy any degree of impunity; and to take measure to prevent use of illegal force by the police against Roma, in particular in connection with arrest and detention.
On measures in the field of education, the Committee called upon States parties to support the inclusion in the school system of all children of Roma origin, and to act to reduce drop-out rates, in particular among Roma girls, and for those purposes, to cooperate actively with Roma parents, associations and local communities; to prevent and avoid as much as possible the segregation of Roma students, while keeping open the possibility for bilingual or mother tongue tuition, to that end, to endeavour to raise the quality of education in all schools and the level of attainment in schools from the minority environment, to recruit school personnel from among members of Roma communities and to promote inter-cultural education; and to take urgent and sustained measures in training teachers, educators and assistants from among Roma students.
On improving the living conditions, States parties were recommended to make more effective legislation prohibiting discrimination in employment, and all discriminatory practices in the labour market affecting members of Roma communities, and to protect them against such practices; to take special measures for promoting employment of Roma in the public administration and institutions, as well as in private companies; to develop and implement policies and projects aimed at avoiding segregation of Roma communities in housing; to involve Roma communities and associations as partners together with other persons in the construction of housing projects, as well as rehabilitation and maintenance; to take the necessary measures for offering Roma nomadic groups or Travellers places for encampment for their caravans, with all possible facilities; and to ensure equal access to Roma to health care and to social security services and to eliminate any discriminatory practices against them in that field.
In the field of the media, the Committee recommended that States parties act as appropriate for the elimination of any ideas of racial or ethnic superiority, of racial hatred and incitement to discrimination and violence against Roma in the media; to encourage awareness among professionals of all media of the particular responsibility to not disseminate prejudices and to avoid reporting incidents involving individual members of Roma communities in a way which blamed such communities as a whole; and to encourage and facilitate Roma access to media, newspapers, television and radio programmes and the establishment of their own media, as well as the formation and training of Roma journalists.
The Committee further recommended that States parties take the necessary steps, including special measures, to secure equal opportunities for the participation of Roma minorities; and to develop modalities and structures of consultation with Roma political parties, associations and representatives, both at central and local levels, when considering issues and adopting decisions on matters of concern to Roma communities.
The Committee urged the High Commissioner for Human Rights to consider establishing a focal point for Roma issues within the Office of the High Commissioner; and for the forthcoming World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance, to be held in South Africa in 2001, to take account the place of the Roma communities among the most disadvantaged and discriminated against in the world.
Concluding Observations and Recommendations
In its conclusions on the fourteenth periodic report of the Netherlands, the Committee found as positive aspects the country's reference to minorities without making a distinction between nationals and non-nationals; it welcomed the plan to apply the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities with regard to nationality; it also welcomed the appointment of a Minister for Urban Policy and Integration of Ethnic Minorities; and it further welcomed the efforts undertaken to address the problems of children with different language backgrounds in the Netherlands Antilles.
The Committee's expressed concern at the fact that the unemployment rate of minority groups remained four times higher than among the native Dutch population; about insufficient protection against discrimination in the labour market; at the de facto segregation in a number of localities; and about the fact that social tensions and problems in the education system were related to immigration in the Netherlands Antilles.
The Committee recommended, among other things, that the State party undertake further measures to reduce de facto segregation and to promote a multicultural educational system; that problems of immigration be addressed on a regional level in the Netherlands Antilles so as to avoid racial discrimination; that the Government of Aruba ensure that the status of domestic servants and immigration law was not exploited by employers; and it encouraged the State party to post the concluding observations on the Internet.
CORRIGENDUM
In press release HR/CERD/00/53 of 15 August, the first name of a non-governmental organization in the last paragraph on the first page should read: The Rroma Centre for Public Policies (Romania).
In the same press release, in the penultimate paragraph on page 2, the name of the NGO should read: The Rroma Centre for Public Policies (Romania).
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