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Wed, Feb 08 2012
Rights hurdles face country
A report to the Council of Europe (CE) on human rights in Bulgaria is expected to highlight problems in the judicial system, police, psychiatric hospitals, and in treatment of the Roma minority.
This follows a four-day visit to the country by Alvaro Gil-Robles, the council's high commissioner for human rights, at the invitation of Foreign Minister Solomon Passi.
Bulgaria was making progress towards adapting to European standards, Gil-Robles said.
On the Laaken EU summit decision to admit only 10 new members in the first round, he said this should not be seen as Bulgaria being left out of the process.
"Bulgaria is moving ahead and will become a full member of the EU after the necessary adaptations," he added.
During his visit, Gil-Robles focused on building contact with civil society in Bulgaria.
He said there was concern about human rights across the world and Bulgaria, like many other countries, had problems.
"My report will be in a positive spirit, which means that when there are problems, this has to be clearly said," Gil-Robles noted on Tuesday.
He said the judicial system, police, Roma minority and psychiatric hospitals were especially challenging areas.
His observations are to be reported to the Committee of Ministers of the CoE.
"Lawmaking alone is not enough, it is also important to change people's social behaviour towards implementation of the laws," Gil-Robles said after meeting the parliamentary committee on human rights and religious denominations.
The committee briefed him on recent proposed laws, including the Ombudsman Bill, and those on religious denominations, sexual equality, and non-discrimination against minorities.
Special attention was given to the problems of the Roma minority, including difficulties in social integration and its high jobless rate.
Gil-Robles also visited the Kurdjali region in Southern Bulgaria where the ethnic Turkish minority population is concentrated.
During a visit to the Agency of Refugees, he called for the adoption of new laws on refugees, noting the law was last amended in 1999.
Gil-Robles discussed the procedure for determination of refugee status in Bulgaria with agency director Boiko Antonov.
This follows a four-day visit to the country by Alvaro Gil-Robles, the council's high commissioner for human rights, at the invitation of Foreign Minister Solomon Passi.
Bulgaria was making progress towards adapting to European standards, Gil-Robles said.
On the Laaken EU summit decision to admit only 10 new members in the first round, he said this should not be seen as Bulgaria being left out of the process.
"Bulgaria is moving ahead and will become a full member of the EU after the necessary adaptations," he added.
During his visit, Gil-Robles focused on building contact with civil society in Bulgaria.
He said there was concern about human rights across the world and Bulgaria, like many other countries, had problems.
"My report will be in a positive spirit, which means that when there are problems, this has to be clearly said," Gil-Robles noted on Tuesday.
He said the judicial system, police, Roma minority and psychiatric hospitals were especially challenging areas.
His observations are to be reported to the Committee of Ministers of the CoE.
"Lawmaking alone is not enough, it is also important to change people's social behaviour towards implementation of the laws," Gil-Robles said after meeting the parliamentary committee on human rights and religious denominations.
The committee briefed him on recent proposed laws, including the Ombudsman Bill, and those on religious denominations, sexual equality, and non-discrimination against minorities.
Special attention was given to the problems of the Roma minority, including difficulties in social integration and its high jobless rate.
Gil-Robles also visited the Kurdjali region in Southern Bulgaria where the ethnic Turkish minority population is concentrated.
During a visit to the Agency of Refugees, he called for the adoption of new laws on refugees, noting the law was last amended in 1999.
Gil-Robles discussed the procedure for determination of refugee status in Bulgaria with agency director Boiko Antonov.
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