Round Table “Combating racial discrimination and intolerance in Hungary”
Organised by the Council of Europe’s European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI)
Description: The aim of the round table was to examine the situation in Hungary with regard to racially motivated violence as well as racism, xenophobia, anti-Semitism and intolerance in public discourse.
Participants took also stock of the implementation of anti-racial discrimination legislation and policies, and discussed the follow-up given to the recommendations contained in ECRI’s fourth report on Hungary.
The meeting was opened by Vilmos Szabó, Senior Secretary of State of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Hungary, and Eva Smith Asmussen, Chair of ECRI. It brought together representatives from the Government, the Parliament, the judiciary, local and regional authorities, national human rights institutions, academics, NGOs and trade unions.
In its fourth report on Hungary, ECRI welcomed some positive developments in legislation, and the establishment of bodies and actions responsible for fighting discrimination. It also expressed its concern on the situation of the Roma minority, especially in the field of employment and education, and with regard to the rise of racist public discourse.
