As delivered by Michele Roulbet
Delegation of the United States of America
28th Session
Geneva, November 6, 2017
The United States warmly welcomes the Czech delegation to the UPR Working Group.
The United States commends Czechia for the government’s recent announcement of its intention to remove the pig farm from the former site of the Lety Concentration Camp and properly commemorate the camp’s victims.
We are deeply concerned, however, that Roma continue to face systematic discrimination in accessing education, employment, housing, and healthcare.
While we welcome recent changes to the Czech education law designed to improve educational outcomes for Roma children, we are concerned that many Roma children continue to attend segregated schools.
We are also concerned by anti-Muslim and anti-migrant rhetoric, some of which is in response to European Union policies addressing the increased arrivals of migrants and asylum seekers in Europe.
Bearing in mind these concerns, we recommend that Czechia:
- Fully implement changes to the education law to comply with European court decisions and EU infringement proceedings to ensure that Roma children enjoy equal access to education.
- Revise its position to provide compensation to Roma women who were victims of forced sterilization to properly recognize and provide just restitution for their suffering.
- Ensure that government officials take a firm and consistent stance condemning anti-Muslim and anti-migrant hate speech.
(end statement)