MINELRES: Fwd: UN Working Group on Minorities: NGO recommendations

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Original sender: Roma Network <romale@zahav.net.il>


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From: Nadir Rexepi <khamnrp@sonet.com.mk>

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Commission on Human Rights
Sub-commission on Promotion and Protection 
Of Human rights
Working Group on Minorities
Ninth Session
May 12-16, 2003

The Caucus of Minorities has adopted the following recommendations by
consensus, and submits them to the Working Group on Minorities. We urge
the Working Group on Minorities to incorporate these recommendations
into own recommendation to be drafted on the final day of the 9th
session.

1. The United Nations should institute a year on minority rights,
followed by a decade on minority rights.

2. The Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights should offer
courses on human rights and developments cooperation to minorities.

3. The Working Group on Minorities should organize a Forum of NGOs
during 2 days immediately prior to the WGM session, and draft the agenda
of the WGM session taking into consideration the recommendations of the
Forum.

4. The United Nations should establish a Special Representative of the
Secretary General on Minorities, with a mandate to undertake preventive
diplomacy in situations of tension involving minorities, using human
rights-in particular minority rights-as guiding principles. The SRSG
should be particularly aware of exclusion from the development as a
possible cause of conflict.

5. The Commission on Human Rights should draft and adopt a protocol to
the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) on
minority rights.

6. The Sub-Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights
should adopt a resolution re-affirming the importance of the Working
Group on Minorities and its essential role as an open forum for
minorities.

7. The Working Group on Minorities should build on the work undertaken
in previous sessions on the themes of conflict and development, and
development more concrete recommendations on these themes. The
signatories find the regional and sub-regional seminars held by the WGM
to be particularly important, and encourage the WGM to hold further
meetings in those areas not yet covered. Again, conflict and development
are two themes, which could be discussed at these meetings.

8. The United Nations should establish a Voluntary Fund to facilitate
the participation of minority representatives in the Working Group on
Minorities and any other United Nations activities directly relevant to
minorities.

Submitted and signed from 24 representatives of minorities present at
9th session of WGM in Geneva