20th Session of the Universal Periodic Review
Statement by the Delegation of the United States of America
Geneva,
November 4th, 2014
Thank you,
The United States warmly welcomes the Slovenian delegation to the UPR Working Group and congratulates Slovenia on the completion of its national report and presentation today.
We compliment Slovenia for compensating persons whose status was “erased” after the breakup of Yugoslavia, and urge Slovenia to accelerate these efforts.
While we welcome the government’s Roma inclusion strategy, we are concerned by continuing societal discrimination and harassment faced by members of the country’s Roma population. The Roma population’s harsh living conditions; disadvantages in the areas of education, health care, and employment; and vulnerability to trafficking are also concerning.
We also note that access to justice is hampered by judicial and administrative backlogs and significant delays in trials.
Slovenia’s labor legislation does not include clear, precise, and sufficiently dissuasive sanctions for employers that interfere with trade unions.
Bearing in mind these concerns, we recommend that Slovenia:
1. Involve Romani organizations and communities in the development and implementation of the strategy for Roma inclusion;
2. Increase the efficiency of court case management, thereby ensuring access to trial without undue delay; and
3. Enact and fully implement the necessary laws to ensure protection against interference in the establishment, functioning, and administration of worker organizations, consistent with the recommendations of the ILO.
Thank you Mr. Vice President.