In a report published today, the Council of Europe Anti-racism Commission (ECRI) calls on the Lithuanian authorities to consider adopting an LGBTI equality strategy and ensure that Roma have better access to education.
ECRI notes a number of positive developments since the previous monitoring of Lithuania in 2016, including in the field of inclusive education and anti-bullying prevention in schools, LGBTI equality, access of Roma to education and housing, as well as training of police officers and prosecutors on hate crime. The authorities have also made great efforts to welcome and integrate an extraordinarily high number of Ukrainians displaced as a result of Russia’s war of aggression.
However, despite the progress achieved, some issues give rise to concern. As a consequence, ECRI makes a series of recommendations, including the following.
ECRI recommends that the authorities significantly increase the funding for the Offices of the Equal Opportunities Ombudsperson, the Parliamentary Ombudsperson, and the Inspector of Journalist Ethics for them to be able to effectively fulfil their mandates.
A country-wide system should be set up to collect data on racist and anti-LGBTI bullying in schools.
ECRI also recommends that the authorities establish a permanent working group on LGBTI equality bringing together relevant government services and institutions and civil society actors, carry out or commission a study on the situation of LGBTI persons in Lithuania and consider developing and adopting a separate LGBTI equality strategy and/or action plan.
Moreover, the authorities should take measures to ensure that Lithuania is fully in line with the judgment of the European Court of Human Rights in the case of Macatė v. Lithuania.
ECRI also reiterates its recommendation that the authorities take measures to ensure that Lithuania is fully in line with the judgment of the European Court of Human Rights in the case of L. v. Lithuania on regulating the procedure and condition of gender reassignment.
In addition, the number of staff in the police “virtual patrol” unit should be increased and an evaluation of the different measures taken to combat hate crime, including training activities, should be carried out.
ECRI recommends that the authorities ensure that the necessary funding for a comprehensive coverage with Roma teaching assistants is provided. Low-threshold vocational trainings and skills-building activities for which little or no formal education is required should also be offered, taking into consideration the specific needs of Roma women.
The authorities should also prevent and counter negative sentiments and hatred against ethnic Russians in the public sphere that would pose obstacles to the integration and inclusion of members of the ethnic Russian minority into Lithuanian society.
Finally, ECRI highlights the need to expand Lithuanian language courses for refugees and beneficiaries of subsidiary protection, as well as for Ukrainians with temporary protection status.
ECRI and Lithuania
Source link : https://www.coe.int/en/web/european-commission-against-racism-and-intolerance/-/lithuania-should-better-promote-lgbti-equality-roma-inclusion
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Publish date : 2024-10-23 08:01:00
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