The Third session of the IRU Parliament in Skopje (Macedonia)

     31.01.2002 / The third session of the Parliament of IRU ended in Skopje. Officials of the IRU Parliament, Mr. Emil Shcuka the President of IRU, Mr.Stahiro Stankievic the Vice President, Mr. Paolo Pijetrosanti the Commissar for external policy and, Mr. Hristo Kucukov the Secretary General reported on the two day work of the parliament. They informed those present at the conference and pointed out that a Resolution for protection and promotion of Roma rights in Macedonia has been issued. They were also in support of the commissar for external affairs Mr. Paolo Pietrosanti's and his platform to declare the Roma people as transnational nation.
   The IRU Resolution calls upon the Government of the Republic of Macedonia to implement the agreement signed in Ohrid also with respect to the Romani population and to install an official working group to oversee the implementation of the agreement. It also calls to improve the law for self - government of the Romani communities, to accept a member of the Romani community in the Security Council and a delegation of IRU to observe situations of crisis as well as to increase the financial assistance to the community of Shuto Orizari.
   The IRU Parliament calls upon the International Organizations to assist in improving the living conditions of Roma refugees in Suto Orizari camp also western countries to provide support for those refugees unable to return to their country of origin and representatives of IRU to be accepted to observe in the Stability Pact which would give greater priority to the situation of Kosovo Romani refugees in Macedonia, Serbia and Montenegro. The OSCE  is asked to finance action to encourage Romani voter participation in Macedonia for their better presentation in the Macedonian Parliament.
   According to the Resolution, IRU itself plans to organize peace conference for the Kosovo Roma, with hopefully financial help from various international organizations.
   During the second working day of the Parliament session the Members of Parliament discussed and adopted the budget for 2002 with 17 votes in favor and 2 votes against. The decision brought at the Second session of IRU about the amount for the annual membership fee for each member organization was adopted. The Statute of the Court of Justice was also adopted.

 

Resolution of the International Romani Union parliament issued in Skopje, january 19th 2002

   Concerning a thorough investigation by the IRU Presidium of the politically and socially endangered situation of Roma in Macedonia, the IRU Parliament

urges the Macedonian Government to

1.    Implement the agreement signed in Ohrid also with respect to the Romani population. Up to now the Government has undertaken few actions to improve the situation of Roma.

2.    Install an official working group to oversee the implementation of the agreement,

3.    Improve the law for self-government of the Romani communities,

4.    Accept a member of the Romani community in the Security Council,

5.    Accept a delegation of IRU to observe situation of crisis,

6.    Increase significantly financial assistance to the community of Shuto Orizari.

 The IRU Parliament calls upon International Organizations

1.    To improve the situation of the Romani Refugees in the Suto Orizari camp significantly. To date, the situation of the school is desperate; the pupils are in need of materials such as exercise books and other school supplies, as well as free meals. Young people should be encouraged to collect paper and empty bottles from the garbage around the camp, to be recycled and they should be paid for these activities. Health standards in the camp should be improved significantly. The IRU would appreciate information about the budget of the UNHCR for the camp.

2.    Refuges who are unable to return to their communities of origin should be accepted by western countries able to provide support for them.

3.    An IRU representative should be accepted as an observer in the Stability Pact and the new head of the Stability Pact Dr. Erhard Busek is urged to give priority to the situation of Kosovo Romani refugees in Macedonia, Serbia and Montenegro.

4.    The OSCE is asked to finance action to encourage Romani voter participation in Macedonia as to date, Roma have been underrepresented in the Macedonian Parliament.

5.    The International Organizations are urged to cooperate with the local Roma NGOs

 The International Romani Union itself plans to

1.    Organize a voter drive in Macedonia and

2.    Organize a peace conference for the Kosovo Roma in due time, after thorough examination of the situation of Roma in Kosovo, with hopefully financial help from various international organizations.

 

Resolution the Parliament of the International Romani Union Sitting in Skopje on 18th to 20th January 2002

   Addresses its wishes to the Spanish Presidency of the European Union. Being Spain the member State in the Union with the hugest presence of Roma individuals, and addresses the warmest wishes to the Convention chaired by President Valery Giscard d'Estaing charget to reform the institutional assets of the Union toward its enlargement; - declares these wishes to be deeply connected tothe will for the implementation of the decisions taken in the 5. Congress of the International Romani Union held in Prague in July 2000.
   Calls for an adequate representation of the Roma and of the Roma strategy in the work of the Convention.
   Affirms its deep interest for the various and authoritative proposals on the table regarding the conditions and above all the representation of the Roma at an institutional level.The IRU warmly wellcomes proposals like the one made by President AAlonen of Finland and underlines its will for helping a fruitful process toward an adequate representation of the Roma Nation in the inter-governmental and international and supernational institutions. Nevertheless, in full conscience and will for dialogue, the International Romani Union affirms once again that the resources, the know-how, the tools European countries want to put at disposal of a process bringing toward the election of a Roma elected body could be put at disposal of the process leading to the election of the constitutional bodies of the Roma Nation as a Nation which does not want to become a State and is in search for a representation in the frame of the super-national European institutions.
   The Roma are, in Europe, THE ONLY EUROPEANS ONLY, and are fully engaged in the process of transformation of the existing European institutions.
   The International Romani Union, being aware that the goal of each and every State in the Balcans is joining the European Union, asks the EU itself - for the sake of the Roma and of the non-Roma living in the Region, to propose the time-table of the adhesion of these States to the Union, in order to involve immediately as directly as possible these States in the implementation of the principles and rules of democracy, rule of law, liberty and freedom for each and every individual.
   Only an active effort of the existing institutions can help the institution themselves to reform and develop, and only such an effort can assure the Roma and other discriminated individuals the needed protection coming from the implementation of the rule of law. In absence of such an effort the International Romani Union will be forced to ask the EU to give the European Citizenship to those Roma living outside the Union, but suffering discrimination and often menaced in their own life.
   The International Romani Union affirms its will for strenghtening its engagement in every part of the world where Roma individuals live, including the countries of the European Union itself where too often discrimination continue existing.
   The international Romani Union addresses its warmest wishes to UN Secretary General Mr. Kofi Annan, expresses its gratitude for the official meeting Held in New York last June between the UN Secretary General and the President of the International Romani Union, and recalls what was said by Mr. Annan about the IRU in the UN World Conference held in Durban.
   Affirms once again its will for the tool of politics, dialogue, nonviolence as the needed tools for conquering the rule of law, dignity, freedom, democracy, liberty and liberties.

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