Since ECRI’s previous report in 2017 progress has been made and good practices developed in several fields. LGBTI equality has been promoted excluding any distinction based on sexual orientation and with the adoption of the Law on civil unions. A Working Group was set up in 2022 to prepare a proposal aimed at establishing a special commission to combat racism, intolerance and incitement to hatred and violence.
Projects on the prevention of (cyber) bullying and hate speech have been carried out in some secondary schools. San Marino has ratified the Council of Europe’s Convention on Cybercrime and the First Additional Protocol thereto concerning the criminalisation of acts of a racist and xenophobic nature committed through computer systems. Furthermore, the capacity of law enforcement officials to fight hate crimes has been strengthened.
The authorities granted the right to vote in local elections (Giunte di Castello) to foreign nationals who have been resident in San Marino for at least 10 years. The authorities, with the support of the population, have extended an exceptionally warm welcome to Ukrainian citizens displaced as a result of the Russian Federation’s war of aggression against Ukraine.
However, despite the progress achieved, some issues continue to give rise to concern. San Marino has not yet set up an equality body.
Teachers are not adequately sensitised about issues related to sexual orientation, gender identity and sex characteristics. There is growing concern about (cyber) bullying in schools and there is no system for monitoring cases or for compiling official data on the issue. The authorities should work towards the adoption of standards for prevention and combating these phenomena.
An increase in cases of hate speech, mainly occurring on social media, has been observed. In the view of ECRI, the authorities should, in co-operation with the relevant civil society organisations, run an information campaign targeting all sectors of society to raise awareness about racist and LGBTI-phobic hate speech, including online, the legal provisions and existing rights in the field and the remedies available against instances of such speech.
San Marino still does not have a legal framework that explicitly regulates the conditions and procedures concerning legal gender recognition and clear guidelines on gender-affirming healthcare.
The range of language courses available to foreign nationals is still unsatisfactory, especially in terms of the number of hours offered and the level of proficiency to be achieved with a view to facilitating integration. The authorities have also still not granted foreign nationals resident in San Marino the right to stand as a candidate in local elections.
ECRI and San Marino
Source link : https://www.coe.int/en/web/european-commission-against-racism-and-intolerance/-/san-marino-should-adopt-a-comprehensive-body-of-legislation-to-prevent-and-combat-discrimination
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Publish date : 2024-06-27 07:00:00
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