MINELRES: OHCHR: Regional Seminar for EE on implementation of the Programme of Action adopted by WCAR

[MINELRES moderator]

Originals sender: Sandra Aragon <saragon@ohchr.org>



Dear Colleagues,

This is to remind you that the Regional Seminar of Experts for Eastern
Europe, convened by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights
and hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic,
will take place in Prague from 24 to 26 September 2003. The objective of
the Seminar is to exchange ideas on how to move forward with the
implementation of the Declaration and Programme of Action adopted at the
World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and
Related Intolerance. The working languages of the Seminar are English
and Russian. Interpretation in Czech will also be available. Please find
bellow the programme.

Yours sincerely,

Sandra Arag�n-Parriaux
NGO liaison officer
Anti-Discrimination Unit
OHCHR
Tel: 00 41 22 917 93 93
Fax: 00 41 22 917 90 50

 Programme

Regional Seminar of Experts for Eastern Europe

Implementation of the Programme of Action adopted at the World
Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related
Intolerance: An Exchange of Ideas on How to Move Forward

Prague, 24-26 September 2003

Organized by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and
hosted by the Government of the Czech Republic

DAY 1: Wednesday, 24 September 2003

9:00  Opening Address by H.E. Mr. Cyril Svoboda, Deputy Prime Minister
and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic
9:15  Statement by the Mr. Bertrand Ramcharan, Acting High Commissioner
for Human Rights
9:30  Election of a Chairperson / Rapporteur
9:35 Adoption of the Agenda
9:40 Introduction of Theme 1 by the Chairperson:

"THE RIGHTS OF PERSONS BELONGING TO
NATIONAL, ETHNIC, RELIGIOUS AND LINGUISTIC MINORITIES"

9:45 TOPIC 1: The Challenge Ahead: Regional Trends and Recommendations
for the Elimination of the Discrimination of Persons Belonging to
National, Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities

 by Mr. Ion Diaconu, Chairperson of the United Nations Committee on the
Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD)

10:05 TOPIC 2: The Search for Effective Strategies against Racism: When
to Educate, When to Legislate?

 by Mr. Jan Jarab, Commissioner for Human Rights of the Government of
the Czech Republic

10:25 TOPIC 3: The Role of Ombudspersons and National Human Rights
Institutions in the Protection and Promotion of the Rights of Persons
Belonging to National, Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities

 by Dr. Kaltenbach, Parliamentary Commissioner for National and Ethnic
Minority Rights of Hungary

10:45 Coffee break
11:15 Discussion
12:15 Lunch

14:00 Theme 1 continued:

14:00 TOPIC 4: The Role of Non-Governmental Organizations in the
Protection and Promotion of the Rights of National, Ethnic, Religious
and Linguistic Minorities

 by Ms. Ilze Brands Kehris, Director of the Latvian Centre for Human
Rights and Ethnic Studies

14:20 TOPIC 5: Legal Avenues for Advancing the Rights of Persons
Belonging to National, Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities

 by Ms. Dimitrina Petrova, Director of the European Roma Rights Centre,
Budapest

14:40 TOPIC 6: Instruments of Reconciliation: The Case of Memorials and
Truth and Reconciliation Commissions

 by Ms. Noreen Callaghan, Director of the Diploma in Reconciliation
Practice at the National University of Ireland, Lecturer in
Reconciliation at the PRONI Institute of Social Education in Croatia and
Bosnia & Herzegovina

15:00 Coffee Break
15:30 Discussion
17:30 End of Day 1

DAY 2: Thursday, 25 September 2003

9:00 Introduction of Theme 2 by the Chairperson:

"THE ROMA: ISSUES AND PERSPECTIVES ON THE ROAD TO EQUALITY"

9:05 TOPIC 7: Increasing the Participation of Roma in Political,
Economic and Social Life, including Measures of Positive Action

 Mr. Rumyan Russinov, Director of the Roma Participation Programme of
the Open Society Institute, Budapest

9:25 TOPIC 8: Discriminatory Treatment of Roma Children in Education:
What can be done about it?

 by Ms. Viktoria Mohacsi Bernath, Ministerial Commissioner for the
Integration of Disadvantaged and Romani Children of the Hungarian
Ministry of Education

9:45 TOPIC 9: The Role of the Media in Portraying the Roma and
Perpetuating Prejudice

 by Ms. Jarmila Balazova, founder of the Romani section of Public Czech
Radio, Editor-in-chief of the Romani monthly "Amaro Gendalos" and
Vice-Chairperson of the Board for National Minorities

10:05 TOPIC 10: Roma Youth: A Voice to be Reckoned With!

 by Ms. Alexandra Raykova, President of the Forum of European Roma Young
People, Strasbourg

10:20 Coffee Break
10:50 Discussion
12:15 Lunch

14:00 Introduction of Theme 3 by the Chairperson:

  "XENOPHOBIA"

14:05 TOPIC 11: Countering Anti-Semitism in Eastern Europe

 by Dr. Magdalena Sroda, Researcher at the Institute for Philosophy of
Warsaw University and Expert at the European Monitoring Centre on Racism
and Xenophobia

14:25 TOPIC 12: Strategies to Address Discrimination against Migrants

 Ms. Svetlana Gannushkina, Head of the "Migration and Law" Network,
Chairperson of the Civic Assistance Committee and Board Member of the
Human Rights Center "Memorial"

14:45 TOPIC 13: Strategies to Address the Discrimination of Refugees and
Internally Displaced Persons

 by Ms. Vesna Golic, Director of the non-governmental organization
"Group 484", Belgrade

15:05 Coffee Break
15:35 Discussion
17:30 End of Day 2

DAY 3: Friday, 26 September 2003

9:00 - 10:30 Presentations by States on National Strategies to Combat
Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance:
10:30 Coffee break
11:00 Discussion
12:15 Lunch
16:00 Presentation of the experts' recommendations
17:30 End of the seminar