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Draft Text of Council of Europe Trafficking Convention Made Available to NGOs for Comment
1 July 2004The Deputies of the Council of Europe have agreed to distribute the draft Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings being developed by the COE Committee on Action Against Trafficking in Human Beings (CAHTEH) to the non-governmental organisations involved in the area of human trafficking for purposes of consulting them. The preamble of the draft convention, however, will not be distributed, as CAHTEH has not yet examined the preamble. The text of the draft Convention can be requested from the Secretariat of the CAHTEH at the following address: DG2.trafficking@coe.int. NGOs can also send comments on the text to the same address. In a news release issued on June 28 Amnesty International recommends that several key issues must still be addressed. These include identification of the victims of trafficking, provision for a reflection period during which victims are allowed to remain in a country, support services and protection, repatriation or resettlement of trafficked persons, and legal right to remedies. The Committee on action against trafficking in human beings is meeting in the Palais de L’Europe Building from June 29 to July 2. On its agenda are various provisions of the draft Convention. These include questions relating to purpose, scope of application, the non-discrimination principle and definitions of the Convention; prevention, cooperation and other measures; measures to protect and promote the right of victims, including gender equality issues as well as substantive criminal law. Amnesty International, Anti-Slavery International and Terre des Hommes will address the CAHTEH on June 29 2004. Compiled from Amnesty International News Release, June 28 2004, AI Index: IOR 30/017/2004, available here, and Council of Europe, Action against Trafficking in Human Beings website, available here.
For more information, please visit the Trafficking Law and Policy; Council of Europe section on this website.
UNHCR Chief Asks Woman to Drop Harassment Case
7 July 2004U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees Ruud Lubbers has asked the staff member who accused him of sexual harassment to abandon the complaint, people familiar with the case said yesterday. In a letter to the complainant, a 51-year-old American with 20 years of experience at the refugee agency, Lubbers also pledged that she would suffer no reprisals, the New York Times reports. Lubbers, a former Dutch prime minister, has been under investigation by the U.N. Office of Internal Oversight Services since May 5, when the charges against him were filed. In an e-mail message to his staff later that month, he acknowledged the investigation and complained that U.N. officials were expanding their probe to see if there was a "broader context." According to those familiar with the case, after the woman alleged to colleagues that Lubbers "grabbed her behind," four other female staff members told U.N. investigators of similar treatment. The four other women's allegations reportedly appear in the investigator's final report, which Lubbers received in June and which Marie Okabe, a spokeswoman for U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan, confirmed yesterday is now in New York pending final action. Okabe declined to detail its contents or speculate on how Annan would react. When the charge was filed in May, a senior U.N. official said Lubbers would have to resign if it were upheld. In the May 28 e-mail, Lubbers acknowledged an incident with the 51-year-old woman but said it had been misconstrued. "I made what I consider, and I still consider to be a friendly gesture" to the woman after a Dec. 18 meeting with several officials. He offered an apology and said he "would have refrained" if he knew it would have been considered inappropriate. Annan met with Lubbers yesterday at the African Union summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. U.N. officials acknowledged the meeting but said they did not know if the sexual harassment case was brought up. The case has garnered a great deal of attention in the Netherlands, and Okabe confirmed that Jan Peter Balkenende, the Dutch prime minister, had communicated with Annan on the subject. Lubbers served as Dutch prime minister from 1982 to 1994 and was selected to lead UNHCR in 2000 (Fleck/Hoge, New York Times, July 7). Published in: UN Wire, 7 July 2004, Copyright, National Journal Group 2004.
Tajikistan’s Lower House Passes an Anti-trafficking Law
7 July 2004On 2 July 2004, Tajikistan’s Lower House of Parliament passed a new law to combat trafficking in persons. The International Office for Migration (IOM) reports that the new law is the first in the region that directly addresses trafficking and will provide support for anti-trafficking initiatives. The law provides the essential terminology required to effectively prosecute traffickers and assist victims. It divides responsibilities, such as prevention, assistance and reintegration of the victims, among different government agencies. The new law defines the role of the Ministry of the Interior, the Ministry of Security, the Ministry of Education, and the State Border Guard Committee. The law must be approved by the Upper House of Parliament and signed by President Emomali Rakhmonov before it becomes effective. According to IOM, this next stage is expected to occur in September. Compiled from: International Organisation for Migration, Press Briefing Notes, July 6 2004, available here, and UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, Integrated Regional Information Networks (IRIN), “Tajikistan: IOM Welcomes New Law to Combat Human Trafficking,” July 6, 2004, available here. For more information, please see the Trafficking in Women and Legislative Trends in Tajikistan sections of this website.
Bosnia and Herzegovina Signs the European Social Charter
7 July 2004On 11 May 2004, Bosnia and Herzegovina signed the revised European Social Charter. The charter is designated to enforce an international guarantee of fundamental social and economic rights. The revised document embodies all rights guaranteed by the European Social Charter and the additional Protocol. It also adds, among other guarantees, the right to protection against sexual harassment in the workplace and other forms of harassment, as well as guarantees the rights of workers with family responsibilities to equal opportunities and equal treatment. In addition, the revised Charter makes several amendments to existing provisions to include reinforcement of the principle of non-discrimination; improvement of gender equality in all fields covered by the treaty; better protection of maternity and social protection of mothers, and; better social, legal and economic protection of employed children. Compiled from the Council of Europe website, available here. For more information, please see the International Law and Bosnia and Herzegovina sections of this website. |
Romanian NGO Launches Anti-Discrimination Campaign
8 July 2004On June 30, the Press Monitoring Agency, a Romanian non-governmental monitoring organization, launched a project to fight discrimination. With the help of the Center for Legal Resources, Partnership for Equality, ACCEP, ESTUAR and Romani CRISS, the Press Monitoring Agency published a report entitled “Combating Discrimination: Governmental and Non-governmental Initiatives.” The Press Monitoring Agency also launched a media campaign to raise public awareness and encourage victims to seek the help of competent authorities. Compiled from DIVERS News Bulletin 24 (107), 5 July 2004 and the Romania Development Gateway.
New STOPVAW Section on NGO Research Databases Added
8 July 2004 The The Advocates for Human Rights STOPVAW website contains a new page in its NGO Resources section, entitled NGO Databases. The STOPVAW NGO Database list is a useful tool for learning about or networking with women’s NGOs in Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia. It provides descriptions of and links to 26 online NGO databases for Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia. All databases are available in English, and many are also available in Russian and other Slavic languages. Each database includes information about women’s NGOs operating in Central and Eastern Europe, such as contact information, URLs, mission statements, and activity descriptions.
World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) Publishes “Violence Against Women: 10 Reports/Year 2003”
9 July 2004The latest publication from the Violence Against Women Programme of the World Organisation Against Torture, “Violence Against Women: 10 Reports/Year 2003”, is a compilation of 10 country reports that have been presented to the five main human rights treaty bodies. The ten countries represented in the report are Bangladesh, Brazil, Cameroon, Colombia, Eritrea, Estonia, Mali, Russia, Turkey and the United Kingdom.The report highlights the fact that despite differences of social, cultural and political contexts, patterns and frequency of violence against women span both national and socio-economic borders as well as cultural identities. The lack of appropriate legislation on violence against women, inequality in society’s gender roles, and government laxity on punishing perpetrators of violence are all factors contributing to the continuing and widespread occurrence of violence against women. For more information on the publication of the report, see the complete OMCT press release. The complete report (PDF, 426 pages) is available on OMCT’s website. Compiled from: OMCT launches its publication “Violence Against Women: 10 Reports/Year 2003”, 7 July 2004.For more information, see the Estonia and Russian Federation Country Pages on this website.
NATO Bans Sex with Trafficked Women
9 July 2004 NATO yesterday said its troops who have sex with women who may be victims of human trafficking will be punished.
A NATO statement released on 8 July says the alliance has a "zero-tolerance policy" regarding trafficking in human beings and that extends to troops who procure the services of women sold into sex slavery.
The guidelines were adopted by leaders of the 25 member states and were backed by 21 others -- including Russia, Ukraine, and Sweden, countries that have joined NATO peacekeeping missions.
The guidelines state: "NATO staff will not engage in trafficking in human beings, including for the purpose of sexual exploitation, nor will they facilitate it."
The agreement follows accusations from human rights groups that NATO peacekeepers and civilian staff working for international organizations had fueled the growth of sexual slavery in the Balkans.
(AP/Reuters) Copyright (c)2004. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. www.rferl.org For more information, see the Trafficking in Women section of this website, including the narrative on NATO: Policy Relating to Military Personnel and Trafficking.
Women Constitute 30 Percent of EU Parliament Members
12 July 2004Following the June 2004 election of members of the European Parliament, the percentage of women MEPs is around 30 percent, down slightly from the 31.31 percent in the previous legislature. According to the EUObserver, Sweden is the only country among the 25 EU states to have more women than men as MEPs (11 out of 19). Two new EU countries, Cyprus and Malta, have no women members of parliament; Poland has 7 women out of 54 MEPs. The slight overall decrease in the percentage of women MEPs was not unexpected, given that the newer member states have fewer women MEPs (only one-fifth overall). Compiled from: EU Observer, News Release, 6 July 2004. For more information, see the European Human Rights System section of this website.
Human Rights Summer School in Azerbaijan Announced
The Azerbaijan Young Lawyer's Union (AYLU) and the Raoul Wallenberg Institute of Human Rights and Humanitarian Law (RWI) have announced a summer school program from August 9-20, 2004, designed especially for advanced undergraduate or recent graduates to expand their knowledge of human rights law and policy within the context of the European Convention on Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Specifically, particular attention will be given to the various international human rights issues and procedures to which Azerbaijan is subject. Participants from international organizations or NGOs are also welcome. The twelve-day course will combine case studies with seminars led by both national experts and those from the Raoul Wallenberg Institute. Around twenty-five participants will be accepted and expected to attend the entire duration of the program. The last day will be devoted to a moot court competition using European Human Rights case law. Deadline for application is July 15, 2004. For more information, please contact: Ramil Isgandarov, Project Coordinator, at aylu@azeronline.com or visit
http://www.aylu.info Compiled from the Global Human Rights Education listserv and the Azerbaijan Young Lawyers' Union, http://www.aylu.info For more information, see the Azerbaijan Country Page on this website.
South Caucasus: EU Commissioner Says Region Has Future in Europe, But Must Be Patient
15 July 2004Janez Potocnik is a new Slovenian EU commissioner working with Guenter Verheugen on enlargement and the bloc's European Neighborhood Policy, which promotes economic and political cooperation with countries to the EU's south and east. Potocnik last week toured the South Caucasus countries of Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan, all recent additions to the EU's European Neighborhood Policy. In an 12 July interview with RFE/RL, Potocnik said the three South Caucasus countries qualify as "European" -- something that means they cannot be excluded from consideration for eventual EU membership. But, he stressed, they must be patient.
Brussels, 14 July 2004 (RFE/RL) -- Coming from a small, mountainous country that emerged from the breakup of a larger communist state, Slovenian Janez Potocnik can empathize with the states of the South Caucasus.
Membership in the EU's European Neighborhood Policy does not guarantee, or even address, entry to the bloc.
But Potocnik acknowledges that Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan have all expressed an interest in eventually joining the European Union. Furthermore, he gives them reason to hope.
"Yes, I think one could relatively easily see that they are at a kind of crossroads. By all means, from the geographical point of view, from the historical point of view, from the cultural point of view, I think they have European roots. So, definitely, it is something where the answer would probably need to be positive," Potocnik says.
His mention of "European roots" has important implications. The current EU treaty says no country in Europe can be denied membership.
Still, he cautions, it will be a slow and uncertain process.
"One has to understand that what is happening in Europe is a very complicated process. On the one hand, you need [the] agreement between all European Union member states [on enlargement]. On the other hand, we're also finding, or focusing on, or seeing aspirations from other countries. So it's not something that could be done in one single big step. So clearly it is a step-by-step process and it is very difficult to envisage [at this moment] where things will go," Potocnik says.
So the South Caucasus countries must be patient. Their recent inclusion in the neighborhood program is itself a victory. Potocnik's advice is to first make the most of this opportunity.
"The EU at this stage could clearly not offer talks which would be connected to membership. But the neighborhood policy is clearly a major step forward. It's a step for increased cooperation and deeper integration in an economic sense. It offers [the countries] support in their own reforms which they would have anyway needed to do," Potocnik says.
Potocnik says Brussels does not look at the South Caucasus region as a single unit, and that the prospects of the three countries must be considered separately.
Potocnik points to Slovenia, which broke away from the former Yugoslavia to become its first -- and, so far, only -- EU member state. In the same way, he says, Brussels will judge Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan according to their individual capabilities.
"I think on the one hand it is important that we encourage cooperation in the region. But on the other hand it's also important that we give them a chance [to] move according to their preparation, [internal] readiness, [in terms of] how far and how deep they would like to [go] in this cooperation and economic integration with the European Union," Potocnik says.
Potocnik refuses to rank Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan according to development, saying only that all three will require "a lot" of effort to attain EU political and economic standards.
The European Commission has already begun work to identify major points of concern in the region and suggest ways to move forward.
GEORGIA
Georgia is considered the clear front-runner. But Potocnik says what matters to the EU are practical, sustainable results.
"Clearly, successful first steps [were taken]. But on the other hand, it is also clear that the process of reform needs to be consolidated and further developed. The 'Rose Revolution' was clearly a step forward, and I think [Georgia] has huge, quite important potential for the future. But as I said before, its [potential] should be [put] into practice," Potocnik says.
The EU has concentrated its initial emergency support for Georgia on legal and judicial reforms, infrastructure, and regional conflicts.
The handling of South Ossetia by Georgia's relatively new government is seen as a crucial test. Potocnik says the EU would like a peaceful solution, and that any other approach would put the country's EU integration plans in danger.
ARMENIA
There have been many recent EU missions to Georgia, as well as a donors conference resulting in pledges of $1 billion. But at the same time, Potocnik says he does not believe the bloc has neglected neighboring Armenia -- despite a lack of encouraging progress in the country's political system.
"What we notice [in Armenia is] the quite serious tension between government and the opposition, which refused to engage in any form of cooperation with the government. I believe that cooperation is quite important, and clearly democracy is still relatively weak. And the authorities will need to cooperate also with the opposition and I believe [this is quite] important for the functioning of democracy," Potocnik says.
Potocnik says the EU remains critical of Armenia's 2003 parliamentary elections and the subsequent crackdown on opposition demonstrations.
At the same time, the EU has offered Armenia 120 million euros ($149 million) to close down the Medzamor nuclear power plant and find alternative energy sources. In addition, the EU has offered to hold a donors conference and seek other international contributors to the project.
Potocnik says Brussels and Yerevan agree that Medzamor must be decommissioned for safety reasons, but that more money is needed to proceed.
AZERBAIJAN
Potocnik says that Azerbaijan shares many of the goals and values of its South Caucasus neighbors -- but is still hampered by the ongoing dispute with Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh, a predominantly ethnic Armenian enclave on Azeri territory.
"I think it is one of the problems, which I felt they are somehow strongly kept [back] by -- the unsolved Nagorno-Karabakh problem. And [I feel] that their thoughts and their energies are quite a lot committed to the solution of that problem," Potocnik says.
After a recent visit to Brussels by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, EU diplomats told RFE/RL they were impressed by his dynamism. However, he appears to have made little headway when it comes to Nagorno-Karabakh.
Potocnik confirms the EU will not assume a mediating role in the conflict, preferring to leave it to the Minsk Group operating under the aegis of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).
Azerbaijan is known to regard the Minsk Group with suspicion, fearing excessive Armenian influence over such members as France, Russia, and the United States.
Potocnik says OSCE mediation will be hampered unless Baku and Yerevan come to mutually acceptable terms.
RUSSIA/UNITED STATES
Potocnik says Russia's role in the region is taking a "more constructive direction" -- particularly in Georgia, where Moscow played an active role in resolving the conflict in Ajara.
Potocnik says, however, that he feels Russia opposes greater EU involvement in the South Caucasus. He argues that the EU seeks stability and that this suits Russia's interests as well.
Potocnik also says he does not believe the EU and the United States are engaged in some form of strategic competition in the South Caucasus. He says that as a major global player, it is natural that the United States takes a keen interest in areas of conflict. Copyright (c) 2004, RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington, D.C. 20036. www.rferl.org For more information, see the Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia Country Pages on this website.
New Handbook on Monitoring Women's Election Participation
16 July 2004Europe's leading election observation agency, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE)'s Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, has just published a handbook for monitoring women's participation in elections. The handbook is a part of the OSCE/ODIHR's efforts to enhance equality between women and men by mainstreaming gender issues into all areas of its work. Improving women's participation was one of the issues discussed at an OSCE meeting on electoral standards and commitments, held in Vienna on 15 and 16 July. The handbook, launched during that meeting, is intended to ensure each election observation mission takes into account how the election process affects both women and men, as the mission draws its general conclusions. The OSCE/ODIHR has observed around 150 elections and referenda over the last decade and this handbook is based on that experience. It is designed as a working tool to assist international and domestic election observers, both partisan and non-partisan, in identifying the various elements of an election process that may impact on women's equal participation. The handbook also sets out practical steps to be taken to integrate a gender perspective into election observation. Cited from: OSCE/ODIHR publishes handbook on women's participation in elections, Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe press release, 16 July 2004.
WHO Study on Domestic Violence Published
19 July 2004The World Health Organization published a study, the Economic Dimensions of Interpersonal Violence, which found that some countries spend more than four percent of their Gross Domestic Product (GDP) on injuries related to violence. Low-income countries, such as Columbia and El Salvador that spend 4.3 percent of their GDP on such injuries, are among those countries most affected by the economic costs of violence. Three percent of the GDP of the U.S. is spent on violence-related injuries. The study reports that 1.6 million people die from violence each year and that almost half of women victims are killed by male partners. In some countries, the study finds, up to seventy percent of women victims are killed by male partners. Moreover, the study reports that roughly twenty percent of girls suffer sexual abuse compared with five to ten percent of men. The study concludes that domestic violence prevention is a cost-effective approach to curtailing the economic costs of this violence, yet more research is needed into the costs of interpersonal violence in order to allow for international comparisons.
U.S. Department of Justice Publishes Model State Trafficking Law
19 July 2004On 19 July 2004, the U.S. Department of Justice published a Model State Trafficking Law developed by the Trafficking in Persons and Worker Exploitation Task Force. This Task Force coordinates U.S. federal agency action to prevent and prosecute trafficking in persons and worker exploitation in the United States. The Model State Trafficking Law is designed to be a model for U.S. state amendments to state criminal codes. The Model State Trafficking Law was introduced at the U.S. Department of Justice Conference on Human Trafficking held July 15-17, 2004 in Tampa, Florida. In remarks delivered at the conference, Assistant Attorney General Daniel J. Bryant outlined ways the model law will help overall U.S. efforts to combat trafficking: “…[T]he model state law will help ensure that there are no legal gaps in the nation’s efforts to combat trafficking.” With state and local law enforcement largely on the front lines in trafficking cases, this law will “foster an effective, seamless partnership among federal, state, and local efforts.” (Cited from remarks by Assistant Attorney General Daniel J. Bryant) Compiled from: Webpage of the U.S. Department of Justice Trafficking in Persons and Worker Exploitation Task Force, accessed 30 July 2004. Webpage of the U.S. Department of Justice National Conference on Human Trafficking, accessed 30 July 2004.
For more information, see the Trafficking in Women section of this website.
New Resource on Working with Abused Women
19 July 2004The Center for Children and Families in the Justice System has published a new resource for people working with abused women. It is called “Helping Children Thrive/ Supporting Woman Abuse Survivors as Mothers: A Resource to Support Parenting.” The resource is written for service providers assisting women who have survived abuse. It includes sections describing abused women as mothers, how abusive men parent, ways that abusive men affect family dynamics, the effects of abuse on power and control tactics on mothers, the potential impact of abuse against mothers on children of different ages, and strategies used by young people to cope with violence in their homes. A free version of the resource is available on the Center’s website. Compiled from: The Network of East-West Women Newsletter, No. 40, 18 July 2004. Center for Children and Families in the Justice System website. For more information, please see the Domestic Violence: Child Custody and Domestic Violence: Effects on Children sections of this website.
Coalition Seeks to Pressure U.S. Government to Include Women's Concerns Among Its Foreign Policy Priorities
21 July 2004Women's Edge Coalition, a coalition of over 40 women's groups, is launching a campaign to enlist more than one million women from the U.S. to pressure their government to include women's concerns and needs among foreign policy priorities. International aid and investment in poor people, the coalition argues, can help the U.S. meet other foreign policy objectives, such as stability and combating terrorism. Compiled From: "Women’s Edge Coalition to Launch Nationwide Effort to Challenge One Million Women to Call for a Better, Safer World" Women's Edge Coalition.
Amnesty International Urges New EU force in Bosnia to Learn from NATO’s Mistakes
22 July 2004Amnesty International issued a press release on 12 July 2004 directed toward European Union foreign ministers as they adopted guidelines for the EU military operation (“ALTHEA”) that will be replacing the NATO-led SFOR mission in Bosnia-Herzegovina. AI stated its concerns that SFOR has failed to adhere to international human rights law standards, including instances of arbitrary arrest and the ill-treatment of detainees. AI attributed SFOR’s failures partly to a lack of adequate civilian control and appealed to the EU's ALTHEA mission to ensure the highest standards of troop behavior and accountability. AI called on the EU to: - commit itself to abide fully by international human rights law, and to ensure that its standards are applied in ALTHEA operations;
- establish a centralized system of civilian control over ALTHEA;
- establish centralized and transparent procedures whereby allegations of human rights violations by ALTHEA members are thoroughly and impartially investigated and disciplinary procedures and criminal proceedings are initiated against ALTHEA members who are reasonably suspected of having committed human rights violations;
- grant jurisdiction to the Human Rights Ombudsman of Bosnia and Herzegovina over ALTHEA activities;
- provide comprehensive and consistent training in international human rights standards to all ALTHEA personnel;
- actively seek those indicted by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia for genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity, coordinating its activities with NATO forces in Bosnia-Herzegovina where appropriate, with a view to arresting the suspects and transferring them to the Tribunal's custody;
- immediately turn over to the competent authorities of Bosnia-Herzegovina all individuals detained by ALTHEA, for whom no arrest warrant was issued by the Tribunal;
- discontinue SFOR’s current practice of arbitrary detention;
- adopt a zero-tolerance policy towards any form of sexual exploitation, including prohibiting through disciplinary and criminal sanctions, the use of women and girls trafficked into forced prostitution;
- ensure reparation, including paying appropriate compensation, to victims of human rights violations committed by its personnel.
For more information on the European Security and Defense Policy's ALTHEA mission to Bosnia, see the Council's conclusions of 12 July, 2004. For more information on NATO's policies on trafficking in humans, please see the Trafficking Law and Policy section of this website here.
Women’s Rights in Turkey Found to Be Systematically Violated
26 July 2004Turkey is making major reforms in the human rights field as part of its bid to join the European Union. However, according to Women’s E-News, “[T]he country’s traditions and conservatism are holding back women’s rights.” In May, members of parliament blocked a constitutional amendment that would have allowed affirmative action in elections and government hiring. At the same time, a parliamentary committee preparing a draft law to reform the penal code has rejected demands that honor killings be defined as “aggravated homicide.” The draft bill also fails to explicitly outlaw virginity testing, a practice often used to determine whether a young woman has lost her virginity and her family’s “honor.” In a recent report, Amnesty International points out that Turkey has systematically failed to protect the rights and lives of women. The report examines the cultural and religious characteristics that shape the perception of women’s rights in Turkey. It also analyses the efforts of local and international organizations to protect the rights of women. Compiled from: Women’s eNews Newsletter, “Turkey Doing Little to Protect Women’s Lives, 23 July 2004 Amnesty International Report, “Turkey: Women Confronting Family Violence,” 2 June 2004, AI INDEX: EUR 44/013/2004.
Head of EU Commission Struggles to Fulfill Women Quota
26 July 2004If Denmark, Austria and the Netherlands confirm women as their candidates for the European Commission, the new head of the commission could have the quota of women that he has called for.
Last week José Manuel Durão Barroso said in the European Parliament "I want my team to include eight women".
So far, five women are very likely to be sent to Brussels.
These are Poland's Danuta Hübner, Latvia's Sandra Kalniete (although this could change for domestic reasons), Lithuania's Dalia Grybauskaite, Luxembourg's Viviane Reding and Margot Wallström from Sweden.
Following a statement by Mr Barroso last week that he needs the governments of the member states to help get gender balance, Dutch press reports that The Hague may send a women - former Transport Minister Neelie Kroes.
Just a third
Denmark may also send a woman - fisheries minister Mariann Fischer Boel, while Austria is considering foreign minister Benita Ferrero Waldner or health minister Maria Rauch-Kallat.
But in all three countries, these women face competition from a male candidate.
If eight women do get portfolios - it will still just be a third of the 24 posts available.
Meanwhile, for the rest of the countries the big fights over the portfolios has started in earnest.
The UK has nominated Blair ally Peter Mandelson, while Germany and France are keeping Günter Verheugen and Jacques Barrot in Brussels.
Horse-trading
All three countries covet the biggest portfolios in the Brussels executive - internal market and competition.
Spain's Joaquin Almunia will stay in Brussels but Italy will be sending its Europe minister Rocco Buttiglione.
The new commission is set to be full of current or former ministers with Belgium sending it foreign minister (Louis Michel), Ireland sending its finance minister (Charlie McCreevy), and the Czech Republic sending its outgoing prime minister Vladimir Spidla.
Mr Barroso has said he will formally name his team towards the end of August. The new commissioners will then be formally put through their paces by the European Parliament at the end of September with a final vote by MEPs in the last week of October.
The new commission starts its work on 1 November. Cited from: EU Observer, "Barroso Struggles to Fulfil Women Quota," 26 July 2004.
Slovak Parliament Passes Anti-Discrimination Law
29 July 2004Slovak Parliament passed on June 29, 2004, a single legal norm concerning the prohibition of discrimination. The law prescribes that in certain circumstances unequal treatment may be allowed, enabling in this way positive discrimination on ethnical and racial basis. The law furthermore [grants] the Slovak National Center for Human Rights (SNSLP) with a right to defend a person in administrative proceedings linked with a violation of the principle of equal treatment. The text of the law is available here in Slovak. Cited from: Message on Balkan Human Rights list-serve, posted by MIRIS (Minority Rights Information System)/EURAC, 28 July 2004. Compiled from: Slovak Spectator. For more information, see the Slovakia section of this website.
South Eastern States in EU by 2014, Says Austrian Chancellor
30 July 2004The Austrian chancellor has said that it could be possible for the South Eastern European countries to the join the EU by 2014.
Speaking after a meeting with South Eastern leaders on Wednesday, Wolfgang Schüssel said that the "biggest success is that region is out of the headlines," according to Austrian newspapers.
Erhard Busek, the special coordinator of the Stability Pact for the region said "the priority of EU enlargement is southeastern Europe, there is no other direction".
The meeting was attended by leaders from Albania, Austria, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Montenegro and Romania.
Both Romania and Bulgaria are set to join the EU in 2007.
The region has also been told directly by Brussels that EU membership is a definite prospect.
"The process of European unification will not be completed unless the countries of the Western Balkans become members of the European Union", said European Commission President Romano Prodi last year.
The countries of the Western Balkans are Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia and Serbia and Montenegro. Cited from: EU Observer, "South Eastern States in EU by 2004, Says Schussel," 27 July 2004.
Company Convicted of Ethnic Discrimination Against Roma under New Law
30 July 2004On 9 July 2004, the Sofia City Court convicted the Vally Ltd. Company of discriminatory ethnic treatment of a Romani woman employee. This was the first Bulgarian court decision on discrimination under the new Anti-Discrimination Act which entered into force on 1 January 2004. Vally Ltd. was ordered to pay the woman 300 Euro for non-material damages. The drafting of the new law was supported by Bulgarian human rights NGOs, and the European Roma Rights Center – Budapest and the Romani Baht Foundation both supported this case. Compiled from: Bulgarian Helsinki Committee, Human rights news, July 2004, posted 23 July 2004. Complete news release available here. For more information, see the Bulgaria section of this website.
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