The main purpose of this original power point presentation was to share key points on recent work on monitoring and reporting, an impact review and effective participation that were relevant to the ETF and the Western Balkans.
European Training Fund
1. Social Inclusion and the effective participation of minorities
( Sunday 1 November 2008 )
Alan Phillips, President of Council of Europe, Advisory Committee
Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities.
The main purpose presentation share recent work on.
Recent monitoring and Reporting
Impact Review.
Effective Participation.
2. Recent monitoring and Reporting
2008 Opinions on the Implementation of the FCNM in
Albania
Montenegro
Bosnia Herzegovina
In July UNMIK submitted report on Kosovo
October follow up meeting in Slovenia
November monitoring Visit to Serbia
In 2009 States are due to report on
Croatia,
Macedonia
Albania and many other states
3. Third Cycle of Reporting 2009-2014
The emphasis in the new reporting will be on
The impact in practice on national minorities of the FCNM
Participatory processes in reporting
in implementing FCNM.
4. Tenth anniversary Conference on the Impact of the FCNM in October 2008.
involving many representatives from minorities
some from government,
some from NGOs and Academia.
Focus was on Impact.
Direct impact in specific sets of countries.
Indirect impact on bodies such as the OSCE and European Union.
Impact of Thematic studies
For more see http://www.coe.int/minorities
5. “The effective participation of persons belonging to national minorities in cultural, social and economic life and in public affairs.”
.
Objectives of new Commentary:
To set out the Advisory Committee’s practical interpretation on the effective participation of national minorities.
To provide a useful tool for State authorities and decision-makers, public officials, organisations of minorities, non-governmental organisations, academics and other stakeholders involved in minority protection.
Draws on 60 country Opinions, State Comments and COE Resolutions
Copies available including Summary in 5 pages.
6. Effective participation of national minorities encompasses
• Inclusion in economic and social life
• Engagement in the political and public sphere.
• This right requires States to remove the barriers to inclusion
• To promote participation in the delivery of benefits and outcomes.
• It demands a substantial influence on decisions,
• A shared ownership of the decisions that are taken.
• The right to effective participation – consultation procedures?
• Processes of inclusion, mechanisms and products.
7. Easily accessible data is an essential precondition.
Baseline data
Quality and quantity indicators in many areas including:
Education
Literacy
Employment (details public, private, levels in public service)
Housing (quality and quantity indicators)
Health and mortality rates
Use of social services
Differentiation within minority communities
Data disaggregated by age, sex and location inter alia.
8. Comprehensive legislation prohibiting ethnic discrimination.
by public and private actors
in the fields of employment,
housing,
health care and social protection
Independent monitoring of individual and institutional discrimination.
Appropriate ) legal and programming remedies.
Accessible )
9. Institutional sensitivity and accessibility of Public services.
Education and social institutions,
employment services,
retraining programmes,
social benefits,
social services,
health and housing services,
public transport and utilities,
sports and recreation,
as well as with those the implementation of the laws.
10. Importance of sensitised staff.
Recruitment, promotion,
retention of minorities
Use of appropriate Language and cultural norms
Well Located facilities and outreach services,
Effective participation of minorities in the planning a delivery of services.
11. Special considerations
• Economically marginalised areas
• Identification and targeting specific disadvantage minorities
• Residency restrictions
• Language limitations.
12. Special considerations:
• Roma and Strategies (project management cycle)
• Housing and Sanitation.
• Health care
• Land, property and privatisation
• Segregation and marginalisation.
13. Key Challenges and outstanding questions:
How to:
Promote the rights aspect of social and economic issues.
Mainstream minority rights in governmental programming.
Mainstream minority issues in EU and other funding.
Create operational partnerships
.
