EUROPOS ŽMOGAUS TEISIŲ FONDAS EUROPEEURJOPOSSKA F ŽUNDACJMOGAUAS TEISIPRAWŲ CFOZŁOWIENDAS KA EUROPEEURANOPE FOJSUNDKA FAUNDACJTION OFA HUMAN PRAW C RZŁOWIEIGHTS KA ЕВРОПЕЙEUROPEСКИЙAN Ф FOОUNDНД ПAРTIOАВN ЧЕЛО OF HUMANВЕКА RIGHTS ЕВРОПЕЙСКИЙ ФОНД ПРАВ ЧЕЛОВЕКА ALTERNATIVE REPORT REPORT Prepared for the Committee on the Elimination of Racial DiscriminationOn the occasion of its review of Observance of human rights in Lithuania for years Lithuania’s sixth to eighth periodic reports of States parties under the International2012–2013 Convention on the Elimination of The rights Allof Formsnational of Racial minorities Discrimination in Lithuania Vilnius,EFHR November 2014 2015 I. Introduction .................................................................................................................................... 3 1. The European Foundation of Human Rights (EFHR):................................................................... 3 2. Background .................................................................................................................................... 4 3. The Aim.......................................................................................................................................... 4 II. Implementation of Committee‘s Recommendations in the context of additional Issues of Concern ................................................................................................................................... 6 Paragraph 10 ....................................................................................................................................... 6 Paragraph 11 ....................................................................................................................................... 7 Paragraph 12 ....................................................................................................................................... 8 Paragraph 14 ..................................................................................................................................... 10 Paragraph 18 ..................................................................................................................................... 11 Paragraph 22 ..................................................................................................................................... 12 Paragraph 28 ..................................................................................................................................... 12 III. Information relating to the articles of the Convention .............................................................. 13 IV. Conclusions/Recommendations ................................................................................................ 14 2 I. Introduction 1. The European Foundation of Human Rights (EFHR): The European Foundation of Human Rights (EFHR) is an organization which has been actively operating in Lithuania since 2010. It was established in response to a striking increase in the number of human rights and national minority rights violations in Lithuania, observed after the country became a member of the European Union. The main aims of the European Foundation of Human Rights are: 1) Conducting educational and research initiatives on human rights related issues; 2) Protecting the interests of socially marginalized groups, promoting gender equality and equality for national minorities; 3) Promoting human rights as the foundation of a proper functioning state and society; 4) Strengthening community-wide respect for dignity and human rights; 5) Promoting human rights protection; 6) Fostering innovative solutions in the areas of social life, especially in protecting the rights and freedoms of human beings and citizens; 7) Supporting the overall development of society, especially social activities, ICT, cultural, scientific and educational development of democracy; 8) Development and strengthening of attitudes aimed at making an active contribution to the development of civil society; 9) Promotion of cultural and economic approximation of the peoples of Europe; 10) Initiating, supporting and carrying out activities aimed at acquiring knowledge and skills to enable individuals to perform social and professional functions; 11) Supporting and offering guidance to citizens with a particular emphasis on free of charge legal assistance to individuals and legal entities. In the five years since its founding EFHR has become the leading NGO working with national minority groups and human rights issues in Lithuania. The organization has published a number of reports over the years (footnote these) and, to celebrate the five year anniversary, organized a conference at Vilnius Municipality with attendees including Iryna Ulasiuk, Legal Adviser to the High Commissioner on National Minorities OSCE, Dr. Priit Jarve, Senior Non-Resident Research Associate of the European Centre for Minority Issues (ECMI) and many other experts. 3 In 2011 EFHR submitted its first alternative report, prepared for the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination on the occasion of its review of Lithuania’s Fourth and Fifth Periodic Reports under the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination. (footnote - http://en.efhr.eu/2011/03/30/alternative-report-prepared-for-the-committee-on-the-elimination- of-racial-discrimination/) 2. Background 1) Since 9 December 1998 Lithuania has been bound by the mechanism of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (thereinafter – ICERD). It is worth mentioning that Lithuania decided not to make any declarations or reservations. However, Lithuania has not yet ratified Article 14 of the Convention. Therefore it has not recognized the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (thereinafter – Committee) to receive and consider communications from individuals or groups of individuals within its jurisdiction. 2) Lithuania submitted its initial report (CERD/C/369/Add.2) under Article 9 of the CERD in 2000. It was considered by the Committee at its 1497th and 1498th meetings (CERD/C/SR.1497 and 1498), on 5 and 6 March 2002, and at its 1520th meeting (CERD/C/SR.1520)/ On 21 March 2002, the Committee adopted the concluding observations (CERD/C/60/CO/8). 3) Lithuania submitted its second and third periodic reports (CERD/C/461/Add.2) under Article 9 of the ICERD in 2004. It was considered by the Committee at its 1733rd and 1734th meetings (CERD/C/SR.1733 and 1734), held on 21 and 22 February 2006. At its 1753rd meeting (CERD/C/SR.1753), held on 7 March 2006, the Committee adopted the concluding observations (CERD/C/LTU/CO/3). 4) Lithuania’s fourth and fifth periodic report submitted in 2010 covers the period from 2004 – 2010. 5) Lithuania submitted the combined sixth, seventh and eighth periodic reports in 2014. 3. The Aim The aim of this report is to provide the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination with additional information on the implementation of certain recommendations made by the Committee and to highlight the current debate on the rights of national minorities as well as the present-day level of protection in Lithuania. For a number of years EFHR has been involved with other organizations including European governmental agencies and NGOs. We have held numerous meetings with 4 representatives from various organizations2, including OSCE contacts3 in order to share information and recommendations and to collaborate in order to better tackle difficult issues related to the violation of human rights in Lithuania. 2 http://en.efhr.eu/2013/07/15/the-efhr-meets-the-advisory-council-to-discuss-applying-of-the-framework-convention-for-the-protection-of-national- minorities/ 3 http://en.efhr.eu/2014/10/13/meeting-with-osce-expert-on-national-minorities-in-the-efhr-residence/ 5 II. Implementation of Committee‘s Recommendations in the context of additional Issues of Concern Paragraph 10 The Committee recommends that the State party provide the advisory bodies dealing with human rights, including the Equal Opportunities Ombudsman, with appropriate human and financial resources in order to enable them to perform optimally. On July 1st 2015, after a five year absence, the Department of National Minorities was reopened (between 2010 – 2015 the protection and promotion of minorities was provided by the Ministry of Culture). A representative of the Department claimed, during the recent conference held by EFHR on October 23th 2015,4 that the main aim at present is to focus on support for the cultures of national minorities. However, the overall objectiveof the department is to participate in the process of the implementation of policy regarding the rights of national minorities.5 Despite all assurances, government funds directed to institutions dealing with human rights or national minorities are still insufficient. For example, in 2015 the Department of National Minorities received 334, 222 Euros and the Equal Opportunities Ombudsman was granted 406 424 Euros.6 With regard to state support for cultural activities, EFHR would like to point out that the Ministry of Culture (which was up until June 2015 responsible for the promotion of national minority rights and cultures) only supported projects aimed at promoting the cultures of national minorities – and not projects related to the issue of minority rights. Legal entities working in a cultural field in Lithuania could receive partial financial support (up to 80%).7