UN Human Rights Committee Reviews Slovenia

01 February 2006

In September 2005, the UN Human Rights Committee issued its Concluding Observations on Slovenia's compliance with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Key matters of concern highlighted by the Committee included domestic violence, human trafficking, the participation of women in public affairs, violence by law enforcement officials, the deprivation of Slovene citizenship or other durable legal residence status to persons who should otherwise have access to that status, an excessive backlog in the courts, the proliferation - facilitated by some media organs - of public expressions of hatred against certain groups, a number of areas with respect to the treatment of Roma, as well as other issues.

With respect particularly to Roma in Slovenia, the Committee addressed the following specific areas of concern:

"The Committee is concerned about the difference in the status between the so-called 'autochthonous' (indigenous) and 'nonautochthonous' (new) Roma communities in the State party … The State party should consider eliminating discrimination on the basis of status within the Roma minority and provide to the whole Roma community a status free of discrimination, and improve its living conditions and enhance its participation in public life."

"While noting measures undertaken to improve the living conditions of the Roma community, the Committee is concerned that the Roma community continues to suffer prejudice and discrimination, in particular with regard to access to health services, education and employment, which has a negative impact on the full enjoyment of their rights under the Covenant … The State party should take all necessary measures to ensure the practical enjoyment by the Roma of their rights under the Covenant by implementing and reinforcing effective measures to prevent and address discrimination and the serious social and economic situation of the Roma."

The full text of the Human Rights Committee's Concluding Observations on Slovenia is available at: http://www.unhchr.ch.