Roma and the European Conference against Racism
05 December 2000
The conclusions of the European Conference against Racism (October 11–13, 2000) and the preceding Forum for Non-Governmental Organisations (October 10–11) in Strasbourg represent a significant victory for the Roma rights movement: all keynote speakers - including United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Ms Mary Robinson, Nobel Prize for Literature recipient Mr Günter Grass, Secretary-General of the Council of Europe Mr Walter Schwimmer, president of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe Lord Russell-Johnston, and General Rapporteur of the Conference and Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Mr Gil Robles - specifically mentioned and clearly emphasised the situation of Roma as deserving particular attention in the context of Europe and racism. Three of the four rapporteurs for the working groups of the conference (legal protection, policies and practices, education and awareness raising) called for particular attention to the plight of the Roma. All resulting documents (the Political Declaration adopted by the Ministers; the General Conclusions of the Conference, adopted by the Conference as a whole; and the Non-Governmental Organisation Report) mention Roma specifically. The three main topics presented as the "core issues" of the European Preparatory Conference, summarised by Mr Gil Robles and to be specifically emphasised in the proceedings to be sent to the World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance are: (1) racism in political discourse; (2) immigration and asylum; and (3) Roma. About the Roma, he said: "A group particularly exposed to racism throughout Europe is the Roma/Gypsies. Their fundamental rights are currently violated or threatened on a regular basis. They are the victims of persistent prejudice and sometimes the target of racist violence. Our duty of memory in Europe also gives us a duty to be vigilant: we must not forget that, in our recent past, many Roma/Gypsies have perished as the result of policies of racist persecution and extermination. Historically there has been systematic discrimination against Roma/Gypsies, and discrimination against them today in many social and economic contexts is driving them into social exclusion. Access to education is vitally important here: it is the key in the Roma/Gypsies' progress towards equality."
(ERRC)
