E/CN.4/2000/16/Add.1 page 15 A. Overview 59. After the 1989 revolution, which brought an end to the dictatorship, Romania undertook legislative and institutional reforms with a view to building up a democratic State under the rule of law, which would protect the human rights of Romanian citizens in general and of national minorities in particular. The Constitution adopted in 1991 provides that “Romania is the common and indivisible homeland of all its citizens, regardless of race, nationality, ethnic origin, language, religion, sex, opinion, political allegiance, wealth or social origin” (art. 4 (2)). Similarly, “the State recognises and guarantees to members of the national minorities the right to preserve, develop and express their ethnic, cultural, linguistic and religious identity” (art. 6 (1)). Chapter II (Fundamental rights, freedoms and duties) specifies that “citizens are equal before the law and before public authorities, with no privileges and with no discrimination” (art. 16 (1)). 60. Romania continued its institutional reforms with the establishment of an Ombudsman in March 1997, with responsibility for defending the rights and freedoms of the people in their relations with the public authorities. A national minorities department was set up and entrusted to a minister attached to the Prime Minister’s Office for the purpose of drawing up government policy concerning minorities, drafting bills on the subject and supervising their implementation once they are adopted by Parliament. 61. Romania is party to a number of international human rights conventions, including the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment and the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Where Europe is concerned, Romania is party to the European Convention on Human Rights and its 11 additional Protocols, the European Convention for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment and the framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities. The last-mentioned Convention is the basis for the Romanian State's policy for the protection of minorities. 63. The latest census of the Romanian population, which dates back to 1992, puts the number of Roma at 409,723, or 1.85 per cent of the total population (22,810,035 inhabitants)* These are persons who have declared that they are members of the Roma ethnic group, since several sources, including the Roma community associations, put the total number of Roma at 2 or even 2.5 million, i.e. more than 10 per cent of the total population. The Roma population is subdivided into several groups, according to their traditional occupations, the language they speak or the degree to which they are either sedentary or nomad. The Roma are divided into at least 40 different groups including the Ursari (bear trainers), Caldorari (tinsmiths and coppersmiths), Fierari (blacksmiths), Grästari (horse dealers), Läutari (musicians), Spoiri (whitewashers), Rüdari (woodworkers), Boldeni (flower sellers), Argintari (jewellers) and Slätari (goldwashers). They can also be identified as Corturari (tent dwellers) or Vätrasi (settled). * The eleventh period report of Romania to the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination in 1993 (CERD/C/210/Add.4, paras. 16 to 19, gives more data on national minorities and the Roma.