Dear all,
This is to remind you that the Regional Seminar of Experts for Eastern
Europe, convened by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights
and hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic, will
take place in Prague from 24 to 26 September 2003. The objective of the
Seminar is to exchange ideas on how to move forward with the implementation
of the Declaration and Programme of Action adopted at the World Conference
against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance.
The working languages of the Seminar are English and Russian.
Interpretation in Czech will also be available. Please find the programme
below. For more information please refer to the OHCHR website at
<www.unhchr.ch>
Best regards,
Birgit Van Hout
Associate Expert
Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights
Anti-Discrimination Unit
1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland
e-mail: bvanhout@ohchr.org
tel: 41-22-917.93.81
fax: 41-22-917.90.50
Programme
Regional Seminar of Experts for Eastern Europe
Implementation of the Programme of Action adopted at the World
Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related
Intolerance:
An Exchange of Ideas on How to Move Forward
Prague, 24-26 September 2003
Organized by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights
and hosted by the Government of the Czech Republic
DAY 1: Wednesday, 24 September 2003
9:00 Opening Address by H.E. Mr. Cyril Svoboda, Deputy Prime Minister
and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic
9:15 Statement by the Mr. Bertrand Ramcharan, Acting High Commissioner
for Human Rights
9:30 Election of a Chairperson / Rapporteur
9:35 Adoption of the Agenda
9:40 Introduction of Theme 1 by the Chairperson:
"THE RIGHTS OF PERSONS BELONGING TO
NATIONAL, ETHNIC, RELIGIOUS AND LINGUISTIC MINORITIES"
9:45 TOPIC 1: The Challenge Ahead: Regional Trends and
Recommendations for the Elimination of the Discrimination of
Persons Belonging to National, Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic
Minorities
by Mr. Ion Diaconu, Chairperson of the United Nations Committee
on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD)
10:05 TOPIC 2: The Search for Effective Strategies against Racism:
When to Educate, When to Legislate?
by Mr. Jan Jarab, Commissioner for Human Rights of the Government
of the Czech Republic
10:25 TOPIC 3: The Role of Ombudspersons and National Human Rights
Institutions in the Protection and Promotion of the Rights of
Persons Belonging to National, Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic
Minorities
by Dr. Kaltenbach, Parliamentary Commissioner for National and
Ethnic Minority Rights of Hungary
10:45 Coffee break
11:15 Discussion
12:15 Lunch
14:00 Theme 1 continued:
14:00 TOPIC 4: The Role of Non-Governmental Organizations in the
Protection and Promotion of the Rights of National, Ethnic,
Religious and Linguistic Minorities
by Ms. Ilze Brands Kehris, Director of the Latvian Centre for
Human Rights and Ethnic Studies
14:20 TOPIC 5: Legal Avenues for Advancing the Rights of Persons
Belonging to National, Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities
by Ms. Dimitrina Petrova, Director of the European Roma Rights
Centre, Budapest
14:40 TOPIC 6: Instruments of Reconciliation: The Case of
Memorials and Truth and Reconciliation Commissions
by Ms. Noreen Callaghan, Director of the Diploma in
Reconciliation Practice at the National University of Ireland,
Lecturer in Reconciliation at the PRONI Institute of Social
Education in Croatia and Bosnia & Herzegovina
15:00 Coffee Break
15:30 Discussion
17:30 End of Day 1
DAY 2: Thursday, 25 September 2003
9:00 Introduction of Theme 2 by the Chairperson:
"THE ROMA: ISSUES AND PERSPECTIVES
ON THE ROAD TO EQUALITY"
9:05 TOPIC 7: Increasing the Participation of Roma in Political,
Economic and Social Life, including Measures of Positive Action
Mr. Rumyan Russinov, Director of the Roma Participation Programme
of the Open Society Institute, Budapest
9:25 TOPIC 8: Discriminatory Treatment of Roma Children in
Education: What can be done about it?
by Ms. Viktoria Mohacsi Bernath, Ministerial Commissioner for the
Integration of Disadvantaged and Romani Children of the Hungarian
Ministry of Education
9:45 TOPIC 9: The Role of the Media in Portraying the Roma
and Perpetuating Prejudice
by Ms. Jarmila Balazova, founder of the Romani section of Public
Czech Radio, Editor-in-chief of the Romani monthly "Amaro
Gendalos" and Vice-Chairperson of the Board for National
Minorities
10:05 TOPIC 10: Roma Youth: A Voice to be Reckoned With!
by Ms. Alexandra Raykova, President of the Forum of European Roma
Young People, Strasbourg
10:20 Coffee Break
10:50 Discussion
12:15 Lunch
14:00 Introduction of Theme 3 by the Chairperson:
"XENOPHOBIA"
14:05 TOPIC 11: Countering Anti-Semitism in Eastern Europe
by Dr. Magdalena Sroda, Researcher at the Institute for
Philosophy of Warsaw University and Expert at the European
Monitoring Centre on Racism and Xenophobia
14:25 TOPIC 12: Strategies to Address Discrimination against
Migrants
Ms. Svetlana Gannushkina, Head of the "Migration and Law"
Network, Chairperson of the Civic Assistance Committee and Board
Member of the Human Rights Center "Memorial"
14:45 TOPIC 13: Strategies to Address the Discrimination of
Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons
by Ms. Vesna Golic, Director of the non-governmental organization
"Group 484", Belgrade
15:05 Coffee Break
15:35 Discussion
17:30 End of Day 2
DAY 3: Friday, 26 September 2003
9:00 ? 10:30 Presentations by States on National Strategies to Combat
Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance:
10:30 Coffee break
11:00 Discussion
12:15 Lunch
16:00 Presentation of the experts' recommendations
17:30 End of the seminar
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