OSCE GUIDANCE: DRAFT MINISTERIAL DECISION ON

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 STATE 123473

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OSCE PHUM PREL
SUBJECT: OSCE GUIDANCE: DRAFT MINISTERIAL DECISION ON
IMPROVING THE SITUATION OF ROMA AND SINTI

REF: USOSCE 279


1. Per reftel request for guidance, the Department agrees
that the Roma and Sinti decision is a worthwhile one. The
Department would like USOSCE to seek an edit in preambular
paragraph two, replacing the word "people" with the word
"persons" so that the sentence reads: "Recognizing the
important framework the Action Plan provides for the
promotion and protection of the human rights of Roma and
Sinti persons by the participating States,". This change is
necessary to avoid implying that groups, rather than
individuals, have human rights. Given the status of
negotations, however, and the Department's judgment that this
one flaw does not warrant blocking the decision outright,
USOSCE is authorized to join consensus on the draft
Ministerial Decision on Improving the Situation of Roma and
Sinti (MC.DD/4/08/Rev.4) as it stands even if other
participating States do not support this proposal. The full
text of the Decision is at paragraph 2.



2. (U) Begin Text

The Ministerial Council,

Reaffirming the OSCE's commitments regarding Roma and Sinti,
especially those in the 2003 Action Plan on Improving the
Situation of Roma and Sinti within the OSCE Area,

Recognizing the important framework the Action Plan provides
for the promotion and protection of the human rights of Roma
and Sinti people by the participating States,

Calling upon the participating States to enhance their
efforts to ensure that Roma and Sinti people are able to
participate fully in societies and to take measures to
eradicate discrimination against
them,

Reminding that racism and discrimination continue to affect
Roma and Sinti across the OSCE area and that participating
States have committed themselves to strengthen their policies
and the practical measures they undertake to counter these
phenomena,

Recalling the importance of Roma culture and language as a
part of the cultural heritage of many countries and as an
integral element of Roma and Sinti identity,

Noting the ODIHR's Status Report 2008 (Status Report) on the
Implementation of the Action Plan on Improving the Situation
of Roma and Sinti within the OSCE Area as a means for
supporting the effective implementation of OSCE commitments
related to Roma and Sinti,

Reiterating the input of the ODIHR Contact Point for Roma
and Sinti Issues in the process of regular review and
assessment of the implementation of the Action Plan,

Recalling the importance of relevant OSCE institutions and
structures in supporting the implementation of the Action
Plan and also stressing the importance of effective
co-ordination and co-operation within the OSCE,

Taking note of the Supplementary Human Dimension Meeting
that took place on 10 and 11 July 2008 on sustainable
policies for Roma and Sinti integration,

Determined to enhance OSCE efforts to implement the Action
Plan on Improving the Situation of Roma and Sinti within the
OSCE Area,


1. Urges the participating States to provide for equal access
to education and to promote early education for Roma and
Sinti children, as an instrument for preventing social
exclusion and marginalization and for effecting a long-term
improvement in the situation of Roma and Sinti. In this
context, underlines that educational policies should aim to
integrate Roma and Sinti people into mainstream education;


2. Calls upon the ODIHR, within existing resources, to assist
participating States upon their request in promoting access
of Roma and Sinti children to early education. In this
regard, urges participating States when appropriate to
undertake awareness raising initiatives, also including Roma
and Sinti communities, on the benefits of early education;


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3. Calls on the participating States, in co-operation with
Roma and Sinti people to step up their efforts in raising
awareness among Roma and Sinti of the importance of school
enrolment and continuous
school attendance;


4. Encourages the participating States to take into
consideration Roma and Sinti issues when reviewing their
legislation and policies affecting Roma and Sinti, especially
in the priority areas of the 2003 Action Plan on Improving
the Situation of Roma and Sinti within the OSCE Area;


5. Calls for appropriate national authorities relevant to the
situation of Roma and Sinti, such as those relating to
minorities, access to health services, education, housing,
anti-discrimination work, police and media, to enhance their
efforts to ensure the implementation of OSCE commitments
within national legislation on equality and
non-discrimination. In this context, special attention should
be paid to the situation of Roma women and girls;


6. Encourages the participating States who have not yet done
so to put in place institutional frameworks involving Roma
and relevant governmental bodies, at appropriate levels in
order to facilitate the implementation of policies and
programmes aimed at improving the situation of Roma and Sinti;


7. Encourages participating States to reinforce their efforts
to actively engage Roma and Sinti communities in policy
making concerning Roma and Sinti and to promote effective
participation by Roma and Sinti in public and political life;


8. Calls for continued co-ordination and co-operation within
existing resources within the OSCE and with relevant
international actors such as the Council of Europe and the
European Commission when appropriate;


9. Calls for enhanced efforts to raise awareness of OSCE
commitments on Roma and Sinti and in this regard stresses the
value of reporting by the Director of ODIHR as part of his
regular reporting to the Permanent Council on the status of
implementation of the Action Plan, as stipulated in Chapter
X, articles 133 and 134 of the Action Plan itself.

End text of decision.
RICE