A/HRC/10/11/Add.3 page 2 Summary The independent expert on minority issues visited Greece from 8 to 16 September 2008, inter alia, to promote implementation of the Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities. She travelled to different regions and conducted extensive consultations with senior government representatives and public officials at the national and regional levels. She consulted civil society organizations, religious leaders, academics and community leaders. Greece recognizes only one minority, the Muslim religious minority in Western Thrace, which is protected by the terms of the Treaty of Lausanne of 1923. Greece does not recognize the minority status of other communities. The Government is convinced that the claims of the existence of other minorities are unsubstantiated and politically motivated. However, whether a State officially recognizes a minority is not conclusive with respect to its obligations toward minority populations. The independent expert is concerned with matters solely within the domestic jurisdiction of the Government of Greece relating to its treatment of minorities and disadvantaged groups inside the country. Her concerns focus on the degree to which legislation, policy and practice fulfil obligations under international human rights law, including minority rights, which have precedence over bilateral treaties and agreements. The decision that a certain group should receive the protections due to minorities does not have implications for inter-State relations. Minorities are constituent groups of Greek society, not a foreign element. The independent expert urges the Government of Greece to withdraw from the dispute over whether there is a Macedonian or a Turkish minority in Greece and focus on protecting the rights to self-identification, freedom of expression and freedom of association of those communities. Their rights to minority protections must be honoured in accordance with the Declaration on Minorities and the core international human rights treaties. Greece should comply fully with the judgements of the European Court of Human Rights, specifically those decisions that associations should be allowed to use the words “Macedonian” and “Turkish” in their names and to express their ethnic identities freely. Discrimination against Roma exists in Greece as in other European countries. The independent expert visited Roma communities which lacked basic facilities and faced the constant threat of eviction. Many Roma children are either in segregated schools or do not have access to education owing to their identity. The independent expert commends government efforts to develop positive policies coordinated at the inter-ministerial level by the Minister for the Interior through the Integrated Action Programme on Roma. However, there are serious problems of implementation at the local level, particularly regarding living conditions and the segregation of Roma in certain public schools. The Government should continue its efforts to ensure that national policies are not subverted or defied by local authorities that are responsive to local prejudices. It should comply with European Court judgements with respect to the segregation of Roma children.