Seminar with national specialised bodies to combat racism and racial discrimination

13-14 November 2003
Strasbourg, Human Rights Building
Salle de la Direction

PROGRAMME

1^st Day - Moderator: Mr Jenö KALTENBACH, Vice-Chair of ECRI


9:00	Welcome by Mr Michael HEAD, Chair of ECRI
9:15 – 9:30	Introduction to ECRI’s work, by Ms Isil GACHET, Executive Secretary to ECRI
9:30 – 10:00	Presentation of ECRI’s General Policy Recommendation No.7, by Professor Joseph VOYAME, member of ECRI
10:00 – 10:45	Discussion
10:45 – 11:00	Coffee Break
11:00 – 11:30	Definition of racism and racial discrimination
		Presentation by Ms Nina VAJIĆ, Judge at the European Court of Human Rights
		Discussion
11:30 – 12:30	Criminal law
		The application of ECRI’s General Policy Recommendation No.7 in Belgium, by Mr François SANT’ANGELO, deputy member of ECRI, Animateur du Service « Lutte contre le racisme » du Centre pour l'égalité des chances et la lutte contre le racisme
		Discussion
12:30 – 14:00	Lunch Break
14:00 – 16:15	Civil and administrative law
		The application of the civil law aspects of ECRI’s General Policy Recommendation No.7 in the United Kingdom, by Ms Sarah SPENCER, Vice-Chair of the Commission for Racial Equality
		Discussion
		The application of the administrative law aspects of ECRI’s General Policy Recommendation No.7 in Portugal, by Mr João FIGUEIREDO, Legal Advisor of the High Commissioner for Immigration and Ethnic Minorities
		Discussion
16:15 – 16:30	Coffee Break
16:30 – 17:30	Common provisions
		Legal assistance and legal representation of victims of racism and racial discrimination, by Mr Alan ANSTEAD, European Roma Rights Centre
		Discussion
17:30 – 18:00	Conclusions of the first day by the Moderator

2^nd Day - Moderator: Ms Winnie SORGDRAGER, Chair of ECRI’s Working Group on relations with civil society


9:00 – 9:05		OPENING
9:05 – 9:20		Presentation of ECRI’s General Policy Recommendation No.2 and the relevant provisions of General Policy Recommendation no.7 on the setting up of a national specialised body to combat racism and racial discrimination, by Mr Giancarlo CARDINALE, member of ECRI’s Secretariat
9:20 – 9:50		“Implementing ECRI’s General Policy Recommendation No.2: observations and practical examples”, by Mr Steffen WESTERGARD, author of the report on “The role, structure and functioning of specialised bodies to promote equality and/or combat discrimination”
9:50 – 10:15		Discussion
10:15 – 10:45		Mandate and status of national specialised bodies
			Introductory statement by Mr Michail IVANOV, Secretary General of the Bulgarian National Council for Ethnic and Demographic Issues
			Discussion
10:45 – 11:00		Coffee Break
11:00 – 11:45		Structure and internal organisation of national specialised bodies
			Introductory statement by Ms Aušrinė BURNEIKIENĖ, Lithuanian Ombudsman for Equal Opportunities
			Discussion
11:45 – 12:30		Functions and responsibilities of national specialised bodies
		a) Information: (Monitoring, Documentation, Awareness raising, Training)
			Introductory statement by Ms Doris ANGST YILMAZ, deputy member of ECRI, Head of the Secretariat of the Swiss Federal Commission against Racism
			Discussion
12:30 – 14:00		Lunch Break
14:00 – 14:45	b) Advice: (for victims of discrimination, for government and public authorities, for other interested parties (employers, other social partners etc.))
			Introductory statement by Mr Jenö KALTENBACH, Vice-Chair of ECRI, Hungarian Parliamentary Commissioner for National, Ethnic and Minority Rights
			Discussion
14:45 – 15:30	c) Legal assistance: (Legal assistance, mediation, legal representation)
			Introductory statement by Ms Anna Theodora GUNNARSDOTTIR, Swedish Deputy Ombudsman against Ethnic Discrimination
			Discussion
15:30 – 16:15	d) Investigation and Decision making: (investigation, acting as a formal decision-making body)
			Introductory statement by Ms Jenny GOLDSCHMIDT, former Chair of the Dutch Equal Treatment Commission
			Discussion
16:15 – 16:30	Coffee Break
16:30 – 17:30	Cooperation with other organisations, institutions and civil society
			Introductory statement by Mr Christian JURA, President of the Romanian National Council for Combating Discrimination
			Discussion
17:30 – 18:00	Conclusions of the Seminar by the Moderator