A/74/215
A.
Empowerment and participation
35. The Government of Azerbaijan indicated that several newspapers and journals
from various national, ethnic and religious minority communities are published and
that the State radio station regularly broadcasts in minority languages. The
Government of Bosnia and Herzegovina noted that the Council of Ministers adopted
an action plan for addressing problems faced by Roma in the field of employment,
housing and health care, for the period 2017–2020, including activities aimed at the
integration of pupils with a migrant background into the educational system. The State
strategy and action plan for civic equality and integration, for the period 2015–2020,
of the Government of Georgia has as a target ensuring equal and full participation of
ethnic minority groups in civic and political life and socioeconomic processes.
According to the National Human Rights Commission of Kenya, under the County
Governments Act of 2012, access is ensured for persons belonging to marginalized
and minority groups to employment within the respective counties through the county
public service board. 13
36. The Government of Serbia noted that two employment laws were adopted, in
2016 and 2017, with entry into force anticipated for 2019, providing measures to
strengthen the representation of national minority groups in State bodies, and the
strategy for the social inclusion of Roma, for the period 2016–2025, was adopted,
which ensures access to services and a better quality life for Roma citizens. The
Government of the Russian Federation supports campaigns on preserving and
promoting multinational culture. The Government of Switzerland repor ted that an
action plan was prepared by a working group on improving the conditions of those
practicing nomadic lifestyles and encouraging Yéniches, Sinti/Manouches and Roma
culture in Switzerland, which includes consideration of schooling children belongi ng
to those groups in their mother tongue and the teaching of their culture and history,
in recognition of their status as national minority groups. According to the National
Human Rights Commission of Uganda, the Government created two new
constituencies within ethnic minority communities, and the first two representatives
belonging to minority groups were elected by the tenth Parliament in February 2016. 14
37. At OHCHR, the Minorities Fellowship Programme continues to mainstream
minority rights and build capacity for minority rights advocates. 15 Established in
2005, the comprehensive Geneva-based training programme welcomed 55 fellows
from 51 countries in the period 2017–2018. The four-week fellowship was made
available in three linguistic components (Arabic, English and Russian). In the same
period, the national and regional component of the fellowship provided an on -the-job
experience for some of its outstanding former fellows by creating opportunities for
them to work in OHCHR field offices. Participants o f the fellowship were introduced
to the core United Nations international human rights instruments and mechanisms,
while focused attention was placed on minority rights and minority issues of
particular relevance to the fellows. Although the programme is organized by OHCHR,
several United Nations agencies are also involved. It is run in close collaboration with
civil society and non-governmental organization partners and other international and
regional organizations.
__________________
13
14
15
19-12558
Submissions received from the Governments of Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Georgia
and the National Human Rights Commission of Kenya.
Submissions received from the Governments of Serbia, Switzerland and the Russian Federation
and the National Human Rights Commission of Uganda .
See www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Minorities/Pages/Fellowship.aspx.
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