Commission on Human Rights Sub-Commission on Promotion and Protection of Human Rights UN Working Group on Minorities, 6th Session, 22-26 May 2000

22 May 2000

Mr. Chairman,

It took us some time to try to understand the extremely complicated and, in our view, overly bureaucratic preparatory processes leading to the World Conference Against Racism (WCR). We are mostly concerned that this process may result in the unnecessary exclusion of some participants who could benefit most. MRG will raise its voice at each stage of the preparatory process to ensure that those concerned may participate.

Minority Rights Group, together with many other NGOs and governments, looks upon the WRC as not an event but a process. In this context we would like to suggest to the Working Group that it should reinforce the recommendations proposed by the Swiss Federal Commission Against Racism, to make sure that the local ownership of the ICERD is ensured, that the Covenant is publicised, understood and broadly used.

To this end in the next session states could be invited to submit an overview of their national contributions to the World Conference Against Racism. This could provide a significant input to both the content of the Working Group and also for the preparatory stages of the WCR (translation of the ICERD into minority languages etc). Minority Rights Group would like to see the Working Group identifying and elaborating on topics to be discussed in the WCR. One of these topics could be the economic marginalisation of minority groups. We believe that the WCR could create an opportunity to bring together international economic institutions to address this issue.

Minority Rights Group believes that participation of local minority organisations at both national, regional and international levels is essential to ensuring that the WCR is a meaningful and relevant process. A voluntary fund has been set up in the framework of the office of the High Commissioner and a part of this fund should be reserved for NGO participation. To this end a set of criteria has to be prepared for the selection of NGOs who apply for funds. It is essential that those NGOs who are turned down are informed of the reasons behind this decision.

Finally, we believe that all preparatory regional conferences should be held before the second session of the Working Group of the Preparatory Committee which will further develop the agenda of the WCR. This is essential to ensure that the agenda reflects all regional concerns. The Working Group on Minorities could help the WCR through identifying those regional issues which could be fed into its agenda.

Thank you Mr. Chairman.