OF NEW UN-Ladislav Balaz
Ustiben reports:
>EMPOWERING ROMA IS AIM<
>OF NEW UN PROGRAMME<
Backing from Romani organisations will be
essential to help realise the aims of a new UN
development programme for Roma in central
and eastern Europe.
So stated Mr Kalman Mizsei, European director
of the UN Development Programme at the pre-launch
briefing of its report "Avoiding the Dependency Trap",
held in London on Monday (l3 Jan).
"Empowering Roma is a necessary part of any aid
work," Mr Mizsei emphasised. "Human rights protection,
legal action and community training must be improved."
The UN Development Programme will hold a
number of forums with Roma across Europe to
stimulate implementation of the report's main
recommendations, Mr Mizsei promised.
But the report, presented by Andrey Ivanov, Human
Development Advisor, warns that legal frameworks for
minority rights protection while essential will not in
themselves bring about Roma integration.
"Without development opportunities," said Mr Ivanov,
"legal rights will remain hollow."
Chairing the briefing, Mr Grattan Puxon, co-ordinator
of the Trans-European Roma Federation said the report
brought home the fact that unemployment among Roma
in eastern Europe averaged 40% and ran at 90% in some
areas.
Poverty suffered by many communities was
starkly demonstrated by figures from Romania, Bulgaria
and Hungary showing that Roma spend an average 70% of total
income on food.
"We welcome this report," said Mr Puxon "But there
are some gaps in it. And I don't believe much will change
unless we press ourselves for fulflment of basic human rights."
He said recognition of Roma by the UN, symbolised by
the meeting between IRU president Emil Scuka and UN general
scertary Kofi Anan, had brought hope of further involvement.
This report and its recommendations now provided a platform
for action.
Ladislav Balaz, chairman of TERF, said at present Roma
could not even depend on normal protection by the police. "Worse
than that - we often need protection from police officers. In
Romania just recently three Roma were shot dead by
policemen. And it's happening in Slovakia, in Bulgaria and
the Czech Republic too."
He appealed to the UN to intervene with the UK, with
Germany, Demark, Switzerland and other countries, to bring a
stop immediately to mass deportations of Roma asylum-seekers.
"Why continue to cause misery when next year the
Czech Republic and Poland will be part of the European Union?"
Balaz asked.
Roza Kotowicz, chairman of the Roma Support Group,
said some Polish Roma were facing deportation even after seven
years in Britain. Their children spoke England and not Polish
and would have no chance in the Polish education system.
"Those so-called special schools for Roma in Poland,
the Czech Republic and Bulgaria are very second-rate," said
Mrs Kotowicz. "Roma children are handicapped in this way
and we support the UN recommendation for integrated
education."
Undernourishment and poor health meant many Romani
children can not learn well even where schooling is available,
said Dr.Boris Muntyanu, former president of the Odessa Region
Romani Congress. Medical care is often lacking and in some
communities disease is taking a big toll on the lives of young
and old.
Dr Muntyanu said he hoped to initiate a project for the
improvement of medical services for Roma. "We want to create
a model for medical coverage, particularly for travelling groups."
Summing up the briefing, Mr Mizsei promised to take up
with TERF the issue of continued deportations of Roma to
EU accession states. "We will see what we can do to bring an
end to these deportations," he said.