Starts: Thu, 28 Nov 2024 18:30:00 -0500
11/28/2024 05:30:00PM
Location: Montreal, Canada

New essay by Kenneth R. Janken added to Freedom's Story: Teaching African American Literature and History, TeacherServe from the National Humanities Center.

New essay by Nancy MacLean, "The Civil Rights Movement: 1968-2008," added to Freedom's Story: Teaching African American Literature and History, TeacherServe from the National Humanities Center.

Reach, Benefit, Empower, Transform: Approaches to helping rural women secure their resource rights

Avenues to empowerment.

The post Reach, Benefit, Empower, Transform: Approaches to helping rural women secure their resource rights appeared first on IFPRI.

Event Begins: Wednesday, November 13, 2024 4:00pm
Location: Lane Hall
Organized By: Donia Human Rights Center

Payal Shah, JD, Director, Program on Sexual Violence in Conflict Zones, Physicians for Human Rights; Tamara Dávila, Human Rights Fellow at the Arcus Center for Social Justice Leadership in Kalamazoo College, Michigan; Seda Saluk, Assistant Professor, Women’s and Gender Studies, University of Michigan.

Co-sponsored by: U-M Global Feminisms Project, Department of Women's and Gender Studies, Institute for Research on Women and Gender, University of Michigan, and Center for Middle East and North African Studies

This interdisciplinary panel will discuss ongoing efforts around the world to defend reproductive justice as an essential human right, tied to the rights to life, health, equality and autonomy. Speakers will address the role of legal and medical professionals as well as scholars and activists in documenting the harm of restrictions on reproductive rights and advocating for victims with particular focus on the U.S., Nicaragua and Turkey.

This event is free and open to the public, but registration is required if you intend to participate virtually.

Register at: https://myumi.ch/qV9xg

CHAIR:

Professor Michele Heisler, MD, MPA

Professor, Internal Medicine, Health Behavior and Health Equity; Medical Director, Physicians for Human Rights.

Dr. Michele Heisler is renowned for her work in advancing health through respect for human rights and addressing social determinants of health. Internationally recognized for her research on the health consequences of human rights violations, she has authored over 300 peer-reviewed articles and has been instrumental in developing protocols, legislation, and partnerships aimed at preventing violence and discrimination.

PANELISTS:

Payal Shah, JD

Director, Program on Sexual Violence in Conflict Zones, Physicians for Human Rights (participating virtually via Zoom)

Payal Shah, a distinguished human rights lawyer with over 15 years in gender equality and sexual and reproductive rights advocacy, currently directs a major initiative on reproductive rights at Physicians for Human Rights. Her work focuses on training and advocacy to support survivors of sexual violence and improve forensic evidence collection globally.

Tamara Dávila

Human Rights Fellow, Arcus Center for Social Justice Leadership, Kalamazoo College, Michigan

Tamara Dávila, a Nicaraguan psychologist, feminist activist, and human rights defender, has dedicated her career to advocating for sexual and reproductive rights and supporting survivors of violence. Dávila's activism has led to her imprisonment, and she continues her advocacy work from exile in the United States, focusing on empowering marginalized communities.

Seda Saluk, PhD

Assistant Professor, Women’s and Gender Studies, University of Michigan

Feminist anthropologist Seda Saluk specializes in medical anthropology, science and technology studies, and Middle East studies. Her current book project, “Monitoring Reproduction: Surveillance and Care in Turkey”, investigates the complexities of reproductive surveillance against the backdrop of demographic changes. Her research has been widely supported and published in several leading academic journals.

If there is anything we can do to make this event accessible to you, please contact us. Please be aware that advance notice is necessary as some accommodations may require more time for the university to arrange.

The post BNP Paribas enhances employee rights globally appeared first on Personnel Today.

The post Employment rights reforms fail to address workplace bullying appeared first on Personnel Today.

Richard J. Lonsinger is a member of the Ponca tribe of Oklahoma, who was adopted at a young age into a white family of three. He eventually reconnected with his birth family, but when his birth mother passed away in 2010, he wasn't included in the distribution of her estate. Feeling both hurt and excluded, he asked a judge to re-open her estate, to give him a part of one particular asset: an Osage headright.

An Osage headright is a share of profits from resources like oil, gas, and coal that have been extracted from the Osage Nation's land. These payments can be sizeable - thousands or even tens of thousands of dollars a year. Historically, they were even larger – in the 1920s the Osage were some of the wealthiest people in the world. But that wealth also made them a target and subject to paternalistic and predatory laws. Over the previous century, hundreds of millions of dollars in oil money have been taken from the Osage people.

On today's show: the story of how Richard Lonsinger gradually came to learn this history, and how he made his peace with his part of a complicated inheritance.

This episode was produced by Willa Rubin with help from Alyssa Jeong Perry and Emma Peaslee. It was engineered by Brian Jarboe and fact-checked by Sierra Juarez. It was edited by Keith Romer, with help from Shannon Shaw Duty from Osage News.

Help support Planet Money and get bonus episodes by subscribing to Planet Money+ in Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org/planetmoney.

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Original broadcast date: May 6, 2022. MLK Jr., Malcolm X and James Baldwin are household names, but what about their mothers? This hour, author Anna Malaika Tubbs explores how these three women shaped American history.

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Toronto, ON — On Tuesday, February 2, at the Munk School of Global Affairs, please join us for a panel discussion on the intersection between digital technology, human rights and international security in the 21st century, featuring Ramzi Jaber, Timothy Quinn, Jake Hirsch Allen, and Dr. Taylor Owen. The roundtable will take place from 7:00PM […]

TORONTO, ON — The Faculty of Law’s David Asper Centre for Constitutional Rights is pleased to announce that distinguished criminal defence and civil rights advocate John Norris is the Asper Centre’s Constitutional-Litigator-in-Residence for fall 2013. Norris, a Toronto-based criminal defence lawyer, will teach constitutional advocacy in the Asper Centre clinic. Drawing upon his extensive experience […]

TORONTO, ON – Co-authored with PEN Canada and PEN International, report calls for Honduran government to end lethal violence against journalists and its climate of impunity, and for donor states such as the UK and Canada to work with Honduras on these issues Journalists who cover organized crime, government corruption and other sensitive issues are […]

TORONTO, ON — The International Human Rights program (IHRP) has received a $75,000 grant from the Elton John AIDS Foundation (EJAF) to launch a project exposing the negative impact of Canada’s refugee policies on some of the world’s most vulnerable claimants—people with HIV or at-risk of HIV due to rampant violence, discrimination based on sexual […]

TORONTO, ON — Media are invited to attend “International Criminal Law at the Crossroads,” an intimate conversation with Canadian James Stewart, Deputy Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, together with Richard Dicker, Director of International Justice for Human Rights Watch. More than 10 years after the ICC began hearing cases, two of the world’s most prominent […]

Toronto, ON — On Thursday, May 21, the Supreme Court of Canada will render its decision in Kokopenace v. HMTQ. The key issue in the case is the scope of the right to a representative jury under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and whether Ontario’s procedure for creating jury rolls does enough to […]

Writers and human rights experts call on India to repeal laws that threaten free expression in world’s largest democracyToronto, ON – Earlier this year, India’s Ministry of Home Affairs used an extensive arsenal of vague and overbroad laws to muzzle the world’s largest environmental watchdog, Greenpeace International.  Using seemingly innocuous provisions in the Indian Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act […]

Toronto, ON — Professor Anita Anand, a corporate law and governance expert, is the new J. R. Kimber Chair in Investor Protection and Corporate Governance at the University of Toronto Faculty of Law—the first research chair for investor rights in North America—thanks to a generous gift from well-known philanthropist, the Hon. Hal Jackman, LLB 1956, […]

The world has now had a few days to react to Twitter's recent announcement that they will selectively censor tweets based on the local laws of countries. The responses range from people saying that it's a non-issue to downright outrage. Twitter's actions are certainly well in line with other web titans like Google and Facebook when it comes to international freedom of ...

Journalist Peter Yeung explains how Los Cedros has remained protected for years thanks to Ecuador’s constitution extending rights to nature.

Instead of Project 2025's white supremacist vision for voting rights, Progress 2025 envisions universal early voting, a national federal holiday and more.

The Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025 has promised a dystopian vision for LGBTQ rights. Its ideas are consistent with authoritarian, Christian nationalist, and white supremacist objectives. It aims to criminalize the existence

The beguiling, mist-covered forest of Los Cedros provides a vision of a future where the rights of the natural world are actively and effectively protected.

Some localities are granting limited voting rights to noncitizens, especially on issues directly affecting them.

In an Election Day conversation, Serene Khader reflects on how women were mobilized by attacks on their bodily autonomy, and what post-election organizing can look like.

I found a great resource by Joyce Valenza on Never Ending Search that I wanted to share with you. In her post, Google search by usage rights, she demonstrates an easy way to find copyright-friendly images on Google Image Search.

First, enter your search term into Google Images and then click on Search Tools and then Usage Rights.

Use film to promote Human Rights Day next week with our new teacher resource for 11-19 year olds learning PSHEE, Citizenship and Politics

Washington, D.C. – In response to the release of the discussion draft of the American Privacy Rights Act, the following statement can be attributed to NAB President and CEO Curtis LeGeyt:

"NAB supports the bipartisan efforts of Chairs Maria Cantwell and Cathy McMorris Rodgers to craft a unified national privacy standard. This discussion draft is an important step towards much-needed legal clarity for America’s hometown broadcasters amidst a patchwork of state laws as we engage with our audiences online.

“As the power of the Big Tech companies often goes unchecked, we are grateful for Chairs Cantwell and McMorris Rodgers' ongoing commitment to providing a more sustainable digital ecosystem for local journalism. We look forward to working closely with the Chairs and all their Congressional colleagues as this important discussion continues.”

Washington, D.C. – NAB President and CEO Curtis LeGeyt issued the following statement in response to the markup of the American Privacy Rights Act:

Room 29, Parliament Buildings

COPENHAGEN, 18 July 2016 – In response to the attempted coup in Turkey and subsequent developments in the country, Ignacio Sanchez Amor (MP, Spain), Chairperson of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s Committee on Democracy, Human Rights and Humanitarian Questions, today issued the following statement:

“I regret the violent events that took place in Turkey on the night of 15 July, especially the loss of human lives, and reiterate OSCE PA President Christine Muttonen’s condemnation of the attempt to overthrow Turkey’s elected leaders. I was relieved by the restoration of constitutional order and the rapid resumption of parliamentary activity, as well as the agreement of the major parties on the constitutional legitimacy of institutions.

“However, I am concerned by some subsequent developments, including mass arrests of judges and other members of the judiciary. Legitimate legal responses to the coup must not lead to reprisals or hasty purges, and a responsible approach must be taken to safeguard democratic institutions. Indeed, it is particularly at times of crisis that democratic approaches and institutions must be upheld.

“I call for the calm and prudent use of state powers, and for Turkish authorities to ensure that the constitutional order is consolidated through respecting human rights and the independence of democratic institutions.”

Related Stories

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• Christine Muttonen of Austria elected OSCE PA President, Vice-Presidents and Committee Officers also elected

COPENHAGEN, 25 July 2016 – In response to the measures taken by the Turkish authorities following the attempted coup, Ignacio Sanchez Amor (MP, Spain), Chairperson of the OSCE PA Committee on Democracy, Human Rights and Humanitarian Questions, issued the following statement today:

“I remain concerned by the developments which have been taking place in Turkey since the attempted coup, as expressed in an earlier statement. As I joined the rest of the international community in offering strong support to the restoration of constitutional order, I also warned against reprisals and hasty purges and underscored the need to safeguard democratic institutions.

“Unfortunately, the sudden dismissal of thousands of judges, prosecutors, academics, and journalists across the country has challenged human rights standards, due process, the right to a fair trial, and freedom of expression. As underlined by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), and the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Turkey’s response to these unconstitutional events should seek to reinforce, not undermine, the rule of law, the independence of the judiciary, and media freedom.

“I once again call on the Turkish authorities to follow a responsible approach to ensure that the constitutional order is reinforced through the respect of human rights and the independence of democratic institutions in line with OSCE commitments.”

Related Stories

• Christine Muttonen of Austria elected OSCE PA President, Vice-Presidents and Committee Officers also elected
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• OSCE PA human rights committee Chair Ignacio Sanchez Amor issues statement on developments in Turkey

The OSCE Project Co-ordinator on 15 July 2016 launched the first distance course in Ukraine on the application of the case-law of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR).

Developed, designed and produced by the OSCE Project Co-ordinator, the course was finalized after it was successfully piloted on the online platform of the National School of Judges of Ukraine (NSJU).

From now the NSJU will have this sustainable tool at its disposal for systematically training judges on applying the case-law of the ECtHR without having to involve extra human or financial resources. Thirty judges from all over Ukraine have already been trained distantly and received their certificates of accomplishment.

The content was developed in co-operation with experts on the European Convention on Human Rights and the case-law of the ECtHR, and Ukrainian judges.

The course was developed as part of the “Safeguarding Human Rights through Courts” project, which is being implemented by the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Ukraine with the financial support of the Government of Canada.

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The OSCE Office in Yerevan supported a summer school focusing on public international law from 30 June to 9 July 2016 which also included a two-day training course on international human rights law at the Russian-Armenian (Slavonic) University in Yerevan (RAU).

The summer school and the human rights law training course highlighted developments within the field of international law and provided an opportunity for future lawyers to grasp the main lines of the discipline and analyze the status of human rights in an international context.

“OSCE commitments affirm the fundamental character of human rights education and we hope that the summer school will provide a great opportunity to learn and cultivate values and skills for the better protection of human rights across the country,” said Radka Rubilina, Human Rights Officer at the OSCE Office.

Some 35 students of law, international relations and political science learned about international legal frameworks and sources, the theory and practice of international human rights law, the mechanisms for promotion and protection of human rights at the international and regional levels, including the functions of international organizations.

“My hope is that the summer school and the human rights training course will be a continuous initiative,” said Chairperson of the Law and Policy Chair at RAU Larisa Alaverdyan. “Besides the immediate interest in the proposed topics, the exchange of knowledge and ideas among students is of great importance.”

The summer school and the training course were organized with the support of the OSCE Office in Yerevan jointly with United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the Council of Europe, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the Mission Armenia charity NGO, and RAU. 

Related Stories

• Awards for promoting universal rights in Armenia presented by OSCE and international partners
• OSCE Office in Yerevan presents awards to best women entrepreneurs in Armenia
• OSCE promotes unified application of law and predictability of justice in Armenia

The OSCE Project Co-ordinator on 15 July 2016 launched the first distance course in Ukraine on the application of the case-law of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR).

Developed, designed and produced by the OSCE Project Co-ordinator, the course was finalized after it was successfully piloted on the online platform of the National School of Judges of Ukraine (NSJU).

From now the NSJU will have this sustainable tool at its disposal for systematically training judges on applying the case-law of the ECtHR without having to involve extra human or financial resources. Thirty judges from all over Ukraine have already been trained distantly and received their certificates of accomplishment.

The content was developed in co-operation with experts on the European Convention on Human Rights and the case-law of the ECtHR, and Ukrainian judges.

The course was developed as part of the “Safeguarding Human Rights through Courts” project, which is being implemented by the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Ukraine with the financial support of the Government of Canada.

Related Stories

• OSCE supports Ukrainian legal education practitioners in developing human rights-oriented approaches to their work
• OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Ukraine trains social entrepreneurs on social media marketing
• OSCE Project Co-ordinator supports creation of a pool of trainers on anti-corruption for Ukraine’s judges

TBILISI, 2 July 2016 – Nearly 300 parliamentarians from 54 OSCE countries have begun debates on political and security affairs, economic and environmental issues and human rights and humanitarian concerns at the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s 25th Annual Session in Tbilisi.

The OSCE PA’s three general committees began working on resolutions Saturday dealing with topics including transnational terrorism, the crisis in and around Ukraine, protracted conflicts in Georgia, corruption, energy, climate change, migration and the rights of refugees.

Introducing the resolution to the Committee on Political Affairs and Security, Rapporteur Margareta Cederfelt (MP, Sweden) noted the importance of rebuilding trust and promoting stability in the OSCE region. “Since so many of our common challenges require real multilateral engagement, we as parliamentarians should work together in overcoming these challenges and work towards our mutual security,” she said.

Chaired by U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, the committee debated a number of issues related to the security situation in the OSCE area, with a particular focus on the threat of terrorism and resolving the Ukraine conflict through full implementation of the Minsk Agreements.

In the OSCE PA’s Committee on Economic Affairs, Science, Technology and Environment, chaired by Nilza Sena (MP, Portugal), Rapporteur Marietta Tidei (MP, Italy) highlighted the necessity of addressing climate change and other challenges in the economic and environmental dimension. She noted that 2016 marks not only the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s 25th anniversary, but also 25 years since the international community began addressing one of the most challenging environmental concerns of our time.

“In 1991, the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee held its first meeting to tackle what was already seen at that time as a serious challenge to humanity, the threat of climate change,” Tidei noted. She welcomed the adoption last year of the Paris Climate Agreement and urged its swift implementation by OSCE countries. Other issues touched on by the rapporteur and in the debate included food security, economic inequality and corruption.

The OSCE PA’s Committee on Democracy, Human Rights and Humanitarian Questions opened debate on Rapporteur Gordana Comic (MP, Portugal)’s report and draft resolution, introduced by Committee Chair Isabel Santos (MP, Portugal). The resolution urges a revitalization of the OSCE’s commitment to the human dimension of security at a time when a “crisis of leadership and ideas” is coinciding with a humanitarian emergency related to Europe’s refugee and migrant crisis.

Chaired by Ivana Dobesova (MP, Czech Republic), the committee debated issues including fundamental freedoms in Crimea and humanitarian concerns related to the migration crisis, including the special vulnerabilities of women and girls.

Santos noted that the report and draft resolution do not present a “magic solution” to the challenges of human rights in the OSCE area, but provides a basis for further co-operation. ‘“Together, we can achieve more, and one day we will achieve the solutions,” she said.

Committee meetings continue on 3 July with a number of amendments to consider. After the amendment process and their adoption by the committees, resolutions will be voted on by the full Assembly during the final day of the Annual Session on 5 July, for inclusion in the OSCE PA’s Tbilisi Declaration.

The committee meetings today follow a number of opening speeches Friday, including by Georgian Speaker of Parliament David Usupashvili, President Giorgi Margvelashvili, and Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili, as well as OSCE PA President Ilkka Kanerva (MP, Finland) and the OSCE’s Chairperson-in-Office, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier.

Also on Friday, President Kanerva and Foreign Minister Steinmeier met for a bilateral meeting that focused on conflict resolution efforts in Ukraine. They discussed the crisis in and around Ukraine in detail, including the current Russian position on its level of engagement and prospects for implementing the Minsk Agreements.

For schedules, resolutions, live streaming during the event, daily news updates, press releases and other information, please visit www.oscepa.org. Selected photos are being posted on the PA’s Flickr page atwww.flickr.com/oscepa and on the Georgian Parliament’s Flickr page athttps://www.flickr.com/photos/geoparliament. Both the PA and the Georgian Parliament are tweeting using the hashtag #OSCEPATbilisi.

The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly is comprised of 323 parliamentarians from 57 countries spanning Europe, Central Asia and North America. The Assembly provides a forum for parliamentary diplomacy, monitors elections, and strengthens international co-operation to uphold commitments on political, security, economic, environmental and human rights issues.

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• Christine Muttonen of Austria elected OSCE PA President, Vice-Presidents and Committee Officers also elected
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TBILISI, 5 July 2016 – The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly adopted the 2016 Tbilisi Declaration today, addressing key issues in the fields of political affairs and security, economics, the environment, human rights, and humanitarian concerns. (Full text available here in English, French and Russian.)

The Declaration, resulting from months of work by committee rapporteurs and several days of debates at the Assembly’s Annual Session in Tbilisi, contains wide-ranging policy recommendations and pronouncements, serving as policy guidance to OSCE governments and the international community. Some 300 parliamentarians from 54 countries spanning North America, Europe and Central Asia contributed to the Session’s work. The Declaration and resolutions will now be sent to parliaments and to the foreign ministers of OSCE countries as policy input ahead of the OSCE’s 2016 Ministerial Council meeting this year in Hamburg.

Among the issues covered in the recommendations adopted by the parliamentarians are transnational terrorism, the crisis in and around Ukraine, protracted conflicts in Georgia, countering corruption, energy, climate change, migration, and the rights of refugees. The Declaration is the final product of the Assembly’s 2016 Annual Session, which was held in the Georgian capital from 1 to 5 July under the theme “25 Years of Parliamentary Co-operation: Building Trust Through Dialogue.”

Stressing the theme of trust-building, the Declaration “reaffirm[s] the undiminished validity and historic role of the guiding principles and common values of the Helsinki Final Act signed in 1975, including the commitments on politico-military, economic, environmental, human rights, and humanitarian issues.” It regrets however the trend of gridlock in the OSCE and urges OSCE countries to enhance the level of co-operation in addressing common challenges.

On terrorism, the Declaration calls upon governments to strengthen co-operation and develop measures aimed at blocking the funding of terrorist organizations. It further urges the OSCE to help governments counter terrorism through pragmatic assistance and promotion of best practices.

On the crisis in and around Ukraine, the Declaration urges all parties to fully implement the Package of Measures for the Implementation of the Minsk Agreements, and “underlines respect for the principles of the inviolability of frontiers and territorial integrity, peaceful settlement of disputes, equal rights, and self-determination of peoples as stated in the Helsinki Final Act.”

Regarding climate change, the Declaration calls upon parliamentarians to promote political dialogue in order to achieve the goals set by the Paris Climate Agreement adopted last year, and to ensure that the Agreement’s targets are met “with the greatest sense of urgency by implementing robust policies and regulations on greenhouse gas emissions and facilitating the transition to a low-carbon economy.”

On migration, the Declaration stresses the importance of prioritizing the rights of those fleeing violence, and urges governments to stop imposing legal and physical barriers to the movement of people fleeing violence and to actively work toward an inclusive approach to migrants and refugees.

The Assembly also approved 15 resolutions to supplement the Declaration, addressing issues such as fundamental freedoms in the Crimean peninsula, prevention of child sexual exploitation, confidence-building measures in the Baltic Sea region, and ensuring that members of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly affected by international travel bans are able to attend OSCE events.

For the full text of the Declaration and resolutions, as well as speeches, photos, videos and more, please visithttp://www.oscepa.org/meetings/annual-sessions/2016-tbilisi-annual-session. Additional photos are available on the Georgian Parliament’s Flickr pages at https://www.flickr.com/photos/geoparliament and https://www.flickr.com/photos/oscepatbilisi

The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly is comprised of 323 parliamentarians from 57 countries spanning Europe, Central Asia and North America. The Assembly provides a forum for parliamentary diplomacy, monitors elections, and strengthens international co-operation to uphold commitments on political, security, economic, environmental and human rights issues.

Related Stories

• Christine Muttonen of Austria elected OSCE PA President, Vice-Presidents and Committee Officers also elected
• OSCE parliamentarians consider resolutions on security, economic and environmental concerns and human rights
• Assembly’s work on migration presented to OSCE ambassadors by Ad Hoc Committee Chair Lombardi at special Permanent Council

Improving the situation of Roma in Ukraine by enhancing co-operation between Roma civil society organizations and national and regional authorities was the focus of a roundtable meeting organized by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine in Kyiv on 24 November 2015.

Some 40 participants from Ukrainian national and regional authorities, Roma civil society and the international community, discussed the challenges faced by Roma in the areas of education, employment, housing and policing.

“Further efforts are needed to implement a strong anti-discrimination approach in all policies targeting the integration and protection of Roma and, in particular, of Roma women,” said Mirjam Karoly, ODIHR Senior Adviser on Roma and Sinti Issues. “Measurable progress at the local level can only be achieved if policies are needs-based and have concrete objectives that are matched with measurable indicators and realistic budgets.”

Andriy Vitrenko, Deputy Minister of Culture of Ukraine for European Integration, stated that the Ministry was tasked in 2013to facilitate the implementation of the Strategy on the Protection and Integration of the Roma National Minority into Ukrainian Society up to 2020. “In order to achieve the goals set out in the Strategy, close collaboration among a number of ministries at the national level and good co-ordination with regional and local level authorities are needed.”

During the meeting, the participants emphasized that many Roma lack personal documents, hindering them from exercising their fundamental, social and political rights.

Volodomyr Kondur, Chairperson of the Roma Coalition, said: “We welcome the adoption of national and regional policy documents addressing the problems Roma face, but we want to see effective and sustainable results and ask for ensuring involvement of the Roma civil society in all stages of policy implementation and evaluation.”

The roundtable meeting was organized as a follow-up to ODIHR’s Situation Assessment Report on Roma in Ukraine and the Impact of the Current Crises and in line with the 2003 OSCE Action Plan on Roma and Sinti.

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The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) joined with other global and regional intergovernmental human rights organizations and experts in issuing a statement condemning the recent evictions of Roma and Sinti, as well as Travellers, in Europe, on 29 June 2016.

Signatories call on national, regional and, in particular, local authorities to find sustainable solutions to the housing problems that many Roma and Sinti face, while condemning forced evictions without due process and provisions of adequate alternative housing. The statement reminds participating States that such evictions violate international human rights obligations and authorities must ensure that everyone subject to eviction is adequately informed of their rights and necessary evictions must be carried out without discrimination or harassment.

The statement highlights the long-term negative implications of eviction that can result in physical and psychological problems, including emotional trauma and lasting social isolation, which particularly affects older people, women, children and people with disabilities.

ODIHR had previously reminded the OSCE participating States that evictions of Roma and Sinti must comply with international standards and provide for adequate housing for those evicted. Furthermore, greater efforts are needed to promote sustainable and non-discriminatory housing solutions. The OSCE Action Plan on Improving the Situation of Roma and Sinti from 2003 additionally calls for mechanisms and procedures to clarify property rights, resolve questions of ownership and regularize the legal status of Roma and Sinti people living in circumstances of unsettled legality.

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Some 40 national experts took part in a meeting organized by the OSCE Programme Office in Astana and the Charter for Human Rights Public Foundation in Almaty, Kazakhstan on 13 July 2016, on implementing human rights recommendations from UN bodies.

Having reviewed and analysed the recommendations, participants drafted a set of performance indicators to ensure a consistent assessment methodology.

There was particular attention on the mandate of national human rights institutions, fundamental freedoms, reported cases of torture and the principle of non-discrimination. A set of recommendations to relevant institutions will be developed as a result of the event.

The event was held as part of a project on supporting the development of human rights indicators and improving performance assessments of how international standards are implemented in the country.

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