Chronicle

11 March 2005

Publications

December 15, 2004: Published Knowing Your Rights and Fighting for Them, A Guide for Romani Activists.

Campaigning, Conferences and Meetings

December 3, 2005: In the framework of a joint project with OSCE and CoE, held a round table discussion in Sofia on desegregation in education in Bulgaria, Sofia, Bulgaria.

December 7, 2005: Organised a side event for the OSCE Council of Ministers meeting discussing desegregation in education in OSCE countries, Sofia, Bulgaria.

December 9, 2005: In the framework of a joint project with OSCE and CoE, held a round table discussion in Bucharest on desegregation in education in Romania, Bucharest, Romania.

December 14, 2004: Participated in a hearing in the European Parliament on the situation of Roma in Bulgaria and Romania, in Strasbourg, France.

December 15, 2004: Participated in the launch of the European Roma and Travellers Forum, Council of Europe, Strasbourg, France.

December 15, 2004: Jointly with the Croatian Helsinki Committee (CHC) filed an application against Croatia with the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg in relation to racially segregated education in Croatia.

December 16, 2005: In the framework of a joint project with OSCE and CoE, held a round table discussion in Budapest on desegregation in education in Hungary.

December 17, 2004: Held a roundtable workshop jointly with the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe and the Council of Europe to engage Hungarian law- and policy-makers on the need for a funding mechanism for school desegregation in Hungary, Budapest, Hungary.

December 17, 2004: Together with Belgrade-based Humanitarian Law Center (HLC) and Minority Rights Center (MRC) filed a joint communication with the United Nations Committee against Torture against Serbia and Montenegro relating to the cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment of Mr. Besim Osmani by police officers during a forced eviction and demolition operation in 2000.

January 12-15, 2005: Attended the Working Group on an Optional Protocol to the International Convention on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, an initiative aimed at providing an individual and collective complaint mechanism under the Covenant, Geneva, Switzerland.

January 13, 2005: Participated to a meeting with NGOs convened by the Slovene Chairmanship-in-Office of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and the International Helsinki Federation (IHF), Vienna, Austria.

January 18, 2005: Sent written comments and attended UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women review in New York of Croatia’s compliance with international law obligations in the field of women’s rights. Also, facilitated attendance at the session by a Croatian Romani woman activist.

January 25-27, 2005: Organized meetings in Northern Czech Republic jointly with local partner the Czech League of Human Rights to provide fora for Romani women coercively sterilized by Czech authorities to come forward and join ongoing action to challenge this practice.

February 1, 2005: Undertook a study visit to the Court of Justice of the European Comunities and attended a hearing.

February 2, 2005: Attended the launch of the Decade of Roma Inclusion, Sofia, Bulgaria.

February 8, 2005: Participated in a roundtable event entitled “Building a dialogue between Romani leaders and police officials”, organised by non-governmental organisation Romani Yag in Uzhgorod, Ukraine.

February 9, 2005: Participated to the launch of the Decade of Roma Inclusion in Romania, Bucharest, Romania.

February 18, 2005: Held a seminar jointly with the Ministry of Youth, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities entitled “Equal Access to Healthcare in Hungary”, Budapest, Hungary.

February 22-23, 2005: Sent written comments and attended oral hearing in the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination review of France’s compliance with international law banning racial discrimination, Geneva, Switzerland.

February 23, 2005: Attended oral hearing in the case Nachova v. Bulgaria at the Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights, Strasbourg, France.

March 1, 2005: Provided oral argument at public hearing of the case of D.H. and Others v. The Czech Republic, challenging racial segregation in the Czech school system, Strasbourg, France.