ENAR Weekly Mail 3
15 July 2005
NEWS
FROM ENAR MEMBERS
· Racism Report 2004 - Case Report of Racist Incidents and Structures in Austria
This publication, published by Austrian ENAR member ZARA (Zivilcourage und Anti-Rassismus-Arbeit), is the main source of information about racist incidents and structures in Austria. The 64-page report has been translated into English and is available from the ZARA website
NEWS FROM
THE EU
·
Women's rights
key to Turkey's EU bid
The European
Parliament has called for positive discrimination for women in Turkey,
stressing that respecting human rights is a 'sine qua non' for EU membership.
Read more: in English
// in French
·
PACE
Resolution 1437: Migration and Integration
The resolution ‘Migration
and integration: a challenge and opportunity for Europe’ was passed in April
2005 by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE). It
reiterated that governments must guarantee respect for human rights as codified
by the European Convention on Human Rights. In particular, paragraph 9C of the
resolution calls on Council of Europe member states to ‘recognise immigrants as
persons with fundamental human rights, the respect of which must be ensured in
full conformity with international and regional human rights instruments
including the provisions of the International Convention on the Protection of
the Rights of all Migrant Workers and Members of their Families which member
states are urged to ratify and implement’.
Read the full text of
the Resolution in English
// in French
NEWS
FROM THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION (EC)
·
Equality and
non-discrimination – Annual report 2005
The
anti-discrimination Unit of the EC published a 36-page report looking at the
progress made over the last year in anti-discrimination legislation and policy
both at EU and Member State level. Part 1 looks at where Member States are at
in implementing the two anti-discrimination Directives. It also presents a
users guide to the Directives looking at the different forms of discrimination
covered, where exceptions are allowed and what the Commission can do if a
Member States fails to properly implement the laws. Part 2 looks at the
situation of the Roma - now the largest ethnic minority in the EU. It looks at
some of the actions supported by the EU to tackle the widespread exclusion and
discrimination Roma communities face throughout Europe.
The report is
available in English,
with other language versions to follow soon.
·
Equal Rights
in Practice: Key Voices 2005 - Access to Justice
This 32-page brochure
includes articles from different actors involved in the practical application
of the Article 13 Directives, including practicing lawyers, NGO activists,
representatives from national equality bodies and trade unions. It provides
practical examples of how the Directives are being applied in practice, from
raising awareness among those groups subject to discrimination, to selecting
and supporting legal cases.
The brochure is
available in English
// French
and other
European languages.
NEWS
FROM OTHER ORGANIZATIONS
·
EUMC: Call for
the expression of interest
The European
Monitoring Centre on Racism and Xenophobia (EUMC) has published a call for the
expression of interest by experts or organizations in the field of equality and
non-discrimination, racism, xenophobia, anti-Semitism and other related topics
(Ref. N° EUMC 2/CEI 1/2005). The EUMC will draw up a list of candidates meeting
the criteria for inclusion on the list who may be contacted for research
related contracts. See the EUMC website for more
details of the call.
For any further
questions, contact EUMC at procurement@eumc.eu.int
·
ECRE calls for
safe, dignified and sustainable returns
ECRE (European Council
on Refugees and Exiles) has published a paper entitled ‘The return of asylum
seekers whose applications have been rejected in Europe’ containing proposals on return policies, based
on the idea that the credibility of a removal system and an asylum system is
fundamentally undermined if it fails to protect those in need of international
protection. The paper focuses on European asylum systems and return policies,
obstacles and alternatives to return, increased efforts to enforce return and
follow-up on returns. The European Commission is expected to publish a proposal
for a Directive on Minimum Standards on Return this summer.
The publication will
soon be available on ECRE’s website.
Meanwhile, a copy can be obtained by sending an email to: euecre@ecre.be
·
More calls for
participation in INTI projects
The two organizations
below are looking for partners for a project submission in the framework of
INTI-EU funding program for preparatory actions promoting the integration of
third country nationals.
- FORIM,
Forum des Organisations de Solidarité
internationale issues des Migrations (France) aims to create a trans-national/European network of migrant
people’s organizations dealing with migration, co-development,
integration/inclusion. The network would facilitate the cooperation and
exchange of good practices on these topics in Europe and internationally.
For more info, contact Adeline Mazier, forim@free.fr
- tel: +33-1-44 72 02 88
- People in Need
(Prague, CZ) is aiming to create a trans-national network of organizations
concerned with illegal migration, in order to: monitor and analyze the
situation at national and European level; exchange practices and ideas;
improve knowledge of illegal migration issues; propose to politicians
possible solutions.
For more information, contact Adela Pospichalova, tel: +420 226 200 444
- adela.pospichalova@infoservis.net
·
Economic
Migration and the Lisbon Agenda: Bridging the Gap
On 29 June, the EPC (European Policy Centre) and the King Baudouin
Foundation organized a Policy Dialogue to discuss the role of labour migration
in achieving the European Union's economic policy goals. Labour migration was a
phenomenon that resulted from the changing demands of an internal,
interdependent market.
Read the report
of the meeting (English only)
·
Statements
made at the 11th Session of the UN Working Group on Minorities - June 2005
Minority Rights Group
International (MRG) in cooperation with the Office of the High Commissioner for
Human Rights (OHCHR) held its annual training event prior to the UN Working
Group on Minorities (30 May - 03 June 05). This year the training was attended
by over 35 minority participants from every continent. The minority rights and
advocacy training helped minority representatives to raise their issues
directly to their government delegations, expert members and others attending
the Working Group, enabling them to make a vital and substantial contribution
to this forum. The interventions made by MRG/OHCHR participants in the training
are now available on the MRG
website.
ROMA
ISSUES
·
Amnesty
International press release: Albanian Roma in Greece targeted for evictions and
attacks
·
Two rulings by
European Court of Human Rights on racial discrimination against Roma
- On 7 July, the European Court held that Bulgaria's failure to investigate the fatal police
shooting of two Romani men in July 1996 infringed the European Convention.
This was the Court’s first ever finding of racial discrimination in breach
of Article 14 of the European Convention of Human Rights. The ruling makes
clear that European states have an obligation to investigate possible
racist motives behind acts of violence.
- On 12 July, the Court ruled that Romania violated multiple provisions of the
European Convention on Human Rights for failing to provide justice in
connection with a 1993 pogrom and its aftermath. The case involves the
killing by a mob of three Romani men and the subsequent destruction of
fourteen Romani houses in the village of Hadareni (Mures County, NW
Romania), as well as the degrading circumstances in which the victims were
forced to live after the event. Read ERRC’s press
release
Further information is
available from ERRC Legal Director Dianne Post: dianne.post@errc.org
·
Concerns about
human rights situation of Roma in Slovenia
CONFERENCES
& MEETINGS
·
FORUM 2005:
Reconciling labour flexibility and social cohesion
Date & venue:
17-18 November 2005 at the Palais de l’Europe, Strasbourg
Through this event,
the Council of Europe’s Directorate General of Social Cohesion aims to
highlight the key issues raised by the debate concerning a possible
reconciliation. This "reconciliation" may be governed by the rules of
global market competition or by the principles of social cohesion and the need
to ensure equal access to well-being. It accordingly concerns policy choices
and power relations that must be rebalanced or brought under control.
Programme details and
the registration form: in English
// in French
·
European
Social Housing Week
CECODHAS, the European
Liaison Committee for Social Housing, announced the organization of the first
ever “European Social Housing Week”, dedicated to the present and future role
of Social Housing in Europe. The cornerstone of the week will be an exhibition
in the European Parliament, illustrating how social housing actors contribute
to social cohesion, sustainable development of cities, integration of the most
vulnerable and access to decent housing for all.
Read more on the
CECODHAS website,
or contact the Secretariat for a preliminary program in English or French: sorcha.edwards@cecodhas.org
·
International
Congress on intercultural and interreligious dialogue
Date & venue:
11-13 December 2005, Bilbao (Spain)
The promotion of
dialogue among different communities and civilizations is, at present, a
priority for the international community. It is only in dialogue that
communities can truly meet and understand one another. Read more
·
General
Discussion Day on “Protecting the rights of all migrant workers as a tool to
enhance development”
Date & venue: 15
December 2005, Third Session of the UN Committee on Migrant Workers (CMW),
Geneva
This discussion will
enable the CMW to make a contribution to the High Level Dialogue of the General
Assembly in 2006 on the relationship between international migration and
development (A/RES/58/208) and to highlight the human rights approach in this
respect. The discussions will be public and Government representatives as well
as UN bodies and specialized agencies, intergovernmental organizations, NGOs
and individual experts are welcome to participate.
Details can be found
on the CMW
website (in English only).
PUBLICATIONS
·
International
Helsinki Federation for Human Rights: Annual Report 2005
This report covers human rights issues in the OSCE Region (Europe, Central Asia and North America) in the year 2004.
Read the Summary or the full Report (documents available in English only)
·
Participation
in Economic Life: An Advocacy Guide for Minorities in South-East Europe
Minorities across
South-East Europe are vulnerable to poverty and economic exclusion and have
little information about their rights to economic participation, or about
advocating for their effective participation in economic life. This
participation requires and includes such things as full, equal and meaningful
access to education, employment and housing, as well as access to credit and
development programmes. This Minority Rights Group (MRG) 81-page guide seeks to
empower minorities to advocate for, and bring about, change in policies,
practice, attitudes and approaches to minority rights in South-East Europe. Download
the guide (only available in English)