NATMINET: The Roma Associations Working Group General Policy Recommendation
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Subject: NATMINET: The Roma Associations Working Group General Policy Recommendation
From: MINELRES moderator <[email protected]>
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NATMINET: The Roma Associations Working Group General Policy
Recommendation
THE ROMA ASSOCIATIONS WORKING GROUP (GLAR)
MEMORANDUM
GENERAL POLICY RECOMMENDATION
regarding the implementation of the Government Program
"The Improvement of the Roma Situation"
This document was negotiated and approved by the Interministerial
Subcommission for the Roma in the meeting of 23-24 September 2000 The
Interministerial Commission for National Minorities, in the meeting of
28 September 2000
Recalling the Constitution of Romania, the provisions and
recommendations of international documents that Romania signed; the
Convention for the elimination of all forms of racial discrimination
of the United Nations, the Framework Convention for the Protection of
National Minorities, Resolution 3 of ECRI, Recommendation 1203 of the
Council of Europe, the Copenhagen Declaration regarding the extension
of the European Union; taking into account the provisions and
recommendations of Agenda 2000, of the annual progress reports
regarding the discrimination of the Roma (1998) and the maintenance of
prejudices (1999) of the European Union Commission and of the Reports
of the OSCE High Commissioner for National Minorities; emphasizing
that, in the history of Romania, the Roma were subjected to slavery,
deportation, sedentarization and forced assimilation, that the ethnic
allegiance is stigmatized by racial prejudices, exclusion and
discrimination;
Keeping in mind the Decision of the Romanian Government to set up the
Interministerial Committee for National Minorities and the
Interministerial Subcommittee for the Roma, as well as the Partnership
Protocol concluded between the Department for the Protection of
National Minorities (DPMN) and the Roma Associations Working Group;
taking into account the initiative of the Government of Romania - DPMN
to launch the PHARE Project RO9803.01 for the elaboration of the
government's strategy aimed at the improvement of the situation of the
Roma of Romania, restating the right of every minority, that of the
Roma included, to actively participate in the elaboration,
implementation and evaluation of public policies regarding this
minority, as well as the fact that minority issues must be approached
in the overall context of the Romanian society; considering that the
improvement of the Roma situation is a political criterion of
Romania's accession to the European Union;
With a view to publishing the White Book of the Government and the
strategy "The Improvement of the Roma Situation"
The Roma Associations Working Group recommends to the Government of
Romania the following:
1. In the elaboration of the mid-term national strategy it should take
into account the priorities expressed by the Roma associations
regarding the focusing of the strategy on the elimination of all forms
of racial discrimination, in accordance with the annex to the present
document "Options and Priorities in Public Policies for the Roma"
2. This strategy should be elaborated within the partnership between
the governmental institutions and the Roma Associations Working Group,
in accordance with Protocol DPMN - GLAR of 3 May 1999.
3. The National Ministries/Agencies, Prefectures and County Councils
should set up "Commissions for the Roma", which within two months
shall study, analyze and compile the documentation comprising the
special problems of the Roma, which they shall then bring up in the
discussions with the Interministerial Commission for National
Minorities. In the activities of these groups there shall also be
included Roma experts.
4. The ministries and other governmental structures represented in the
Interministerial Committee for the National Minorities shall allocate
from its own budget a special section for expenditure on the Roma
minority.
Note: A version of this Memorandum was negotiated by GLAR with the
Government of Romania - DPMN, on 8 March 2000. The document is in the
attention of the Prime Minister.
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