Policies and practices to combat racism and related discrimination at local and national level
Report from the continuation - Working Group 2, 12 and 13 Oct 2000

The sessions were chaired by Sukhvinder STUBBS (EUropean Network against Racism).

The wording of the Draft General Conclusions was discussed and motion for amendments of the final text of the General.Conclusions were raised. Some of these were:

• specialised independent bodies must include also NGOs
  
• the Council of Ministers should appoint a body monitoring violations of human rights
  
• (not only) in the case of the Roma/Gypsy human rights can not be separated from their social and economical rights
  
• we have to secure and monitor the full access of Roma/Gypsies to housing, education, employment, legal aid and assistance
  
• Roma/Gypsies/Sinti/Travellers must be considered national minorities, each government has to consult their democratic representations, not just appoint bodies from its clients
  
  

The final report of the working group includes proposals for joint actions to combat all forms of discrimination with the whole variety of methods available in the specific fields of action, such as employment, Roma/Gypsy issues, immigration, street children, women, justice, police and legal systems. The importance of the active participation of NGOs, civil society and the public in general was underlined in the document, as well as the role of groups of victims, specialised bodies, political decision-makers and international conventions.


I CARE Reporter: Mirek PROKES