The European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) in cooperation with the High Commissioner organised a round table on preventing and combating racism and intolerance in Monaco on 25 April 2023. This event followed the publication of ECRI's report on Monaco in June 2022. The aim was to discuss the follow-up given or to be given to the recommendations contained in this report.
The round table was divided into three sessions: ECRI’s main findings; the equality body; combating hate speech.
Opening statements has been made by Isabelle Rosabrunetto, Director General of the Department of External Relations and Cooperation of Monaco, Bertil Cottier, Vice-Chair of ECRI and Johan Friestedt, Executive Secretary of ECRI, and Marina Ceyssac, High Commissioner for the Protection of Rights, Liberties and for Mediation of Monaco. ECRI’s report on Monaco has been presented by Kristina Pardalos and Bertil Cottier, ECRI members and co-Rapporteurs.
In addition to national and local officials, the round table brought together representatives of civil society organisations, as well as members of groups of concern to ECRI. This event aimed at contributing positively to the national debate on combating racial discrimination and intolerance in the country.
In its 2022 report on Monaco, ECRI expressed concern about issues such as the need to pass legislation governing the fight against all forms of discrimination and strengthen the High Commissioner’s powers, particularly with regard to inquiries, the need to enable the judicial authorities to tackle online hate speech more effectively, the need to eliminate any unjustified differences in treatment between same-sex couples and opposite-sex couples, the need to include in domestic law a procedure for processing asylum claims in accordance with international law and establish clear norms governing the right to family reunification and residence permits, the need to ratify the revised European Social Charter, prohibit termination of employment without a prior valid reason and take effective measures to guarantee access to housing for foreign residents.
Copyright : Studio Phénix
