European Commission THE ROLE OF NGOs & TRADE UNIONS I N CO M BAT I N G D I S C R I M I N AT I O N Annual thematic conference on non-discrimination issues in the EU 25-26 June 2009 Budapest, Hungary NOVOTEL, Budapest Centrum CONFERENCE AGENDA
1 Thursday 25 June 09.00-10.00 Opening Session Chair and Welcome address: Belinda Pyke, Director for Equality between women and men, Action against discrimination, Civil Society, Directorate General for Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities, European Commission Opening addresses: Edit Rauh, State Secretary for Equal Opportunities, Ministry of Social Affairs & Labour, Hungary Catelene Passchier, Confederal Secretary, European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) Conny Reuter, President of the Social Platform (The Platform of European Social NGOs) SESSION I The role of NGOs and trade unions in making non-discrimination rights effective - Topics to be discussed in Session I will include, amongst others, the role of NGOs and trade unions in providing support to individual victims of discrimination and in litigation, as well as possible fields of cooperation between trade unions and NGOs. The session is also meant to facilitate discussion on how NGOs and trade unions can promote equal opportunities in the workplace and beyond. 10:00-10:45 Keynote speech: Isabelle Chopin, Deputy Director, Migration Policy Group Isabelle Chopin will focus on the role of NGOs and trade unions in providing support to victims of discrimination and in litigation. She will also discuss how NGOs and trade unions can work together to make non-discrimination rights effective and what forms of dialogue can be developed between these two key stakeholders and public authorities. She will propose several recommendations addressed to NGOs, trade unions, national governments and EU institutions, which will be discussed in detail in the parallel workshops and the panel discussion that follow. Questions and Answers session with conference participants 10:45-11:15 Coffee break
2 11:15-13:00 Three parallel workshops on The role of NGOs and trade union in making non-discrimination rights effective Conference participants will join one of the three parallel workshops in order to deepen discussion on the topics addressed by Isabelle Chopin. In each workshop, the discussion will be stimulated by highlighting two practical examples, which illustrate how NGOs and trade unions can make non-discrimination rights effective. Workshops participants will discuss the recommendations proposed in Isabelle Chopin s keynote speech with the aim of finding agreement on a common set of key recommendations. WORKSHOP 2 Moderator: Judit Takács, Hátter Society for LGBT People, Hungary Michaela Dälken, Training Institute of the German Trade Union Confederation (Bildungswerk DGB), Germany Ostalinda Maya Ovalle, European Roma Rights Centre (ERRC) Rapporteur: Pascale Charhon, European Network Against Racism (ENAR) WORKSHOP 1 Moderator: Eric Cédiey, Inter Service Migrants (ISM-Corum), France Liane Venner, Public Service Union (UNISON), United Kingdom Fionuala Devlin, Equality Commission, Northern Ireland / United Kingdom Rapporteur: Lilla Farkas, Chance for Children Foundation, Equal Treatment Authority s Advisory Board, Hungary WORKSHOP 3 Moderator: Frédéric Mertz, Institute for Social Training, Luxemburg Frédérique Bartlett, Confédération Générale du Travail (CGT), France and Silvan Agius, the European Region of the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA-Europe) Jolanta Samuolyte, Legal Director of the Human Rights Monitoring Institute, Lithuania Rapporteur: Dick Houtzager, Lawyer, ART.1, The Netherlands 13.00-15:00 Buffet lunch
3 SESSION I (follow-up) 15:00-16.15 PANEL DISCUSSION: The role of NGOs and trade unions in making non-discrimination rights effective Moderator: Łukasz Bojarski, The Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights, Poland The objective of this panel session is to debate further the proposed recommendations discussed by workshop participants as well as to discuss all relevant topics raised in the first round of parallel workshops. The panel session will also open the debate to all conference participants and try to further determine elements of emerging common recommendations on the role of NGOs and trade unions in making non-discrimination rights effective. Panellists: Isabelle Chopin, Migration Policy Group Lilla Farkas, Chance for Children Foundation, Equal Treatment Authority s Advisory Board, Hungary Pascale Charhon, European Network Against Racism (ENAR) Dick Houtzager, ART.1, The Netherlands Discussants: Frédérique Bartlett, Confédération Générale du Travail (CGT), France Liane Venner, Public Service Union (UNISON), United Kingdom 16.15-16:45 Coffee break
4 SESSION II The role of NGOs and trade unions in raising awareness and developing/monitoring national non-discrimination law and policy - Topics to be discussed during Session II will include, amongst others, ways to enhance cooperation between NGOs and trade unions in raising awareness about inequality and discrimination and possibilities for NGOs and trade unions to monitor, develop and influence national non-discrimination law and policy. 16:45-17:30 Keynote speech: He will also propose some recommendations on how to strengthen the role of NGOs and trade unions in monitoring and developing national non-discrimination law and policy. These recommendations will be discussed in detail in the parallel workshops and the panel discussion the next day. Questions and Answers session with conference participants Ron Holzhacker, Assistant Professor, Comparative European Politics and Law, University of Twente, The Netherlands 19:00-22:00 Networking time followed by a dinner offered by the European Commission Ron Holzhacker will describe in more detail the role of NGOs and trade unions in developing and monitoring national non-discrimination law and policy, how NGOs and trade unions can improve cooperation in raising awareness about on the one hand, inequality and discrimination, and on the other hand, dialogue and consultation mechanisms with public authorities that support their efforts.
5 Friday 26 June SESSION II (follow-up) 9:00-10:45 Three parallel workshops on The role of NGOs and trade unions in raising awareness and developing/monitoring national non-discrimination law and policy Conference participants will join one of the three parallel workshops to deepen discussion on the topics addressed by Ron Holzhacker. In each workshop, the debate will be stimulated by highlighting two practical examples, which illustrate how NGOs and trade unions develop and monitor national non-discrimination law and policy. Workshops participants will discuss the recommendations proposed in Ron Holzhacker s keynote speech with the aim of finding agreement on a common set of key recommendations. WORKSHOP 1 Moderator: Samira Hadjadj, Lawyer, France Liisa Männistö, Ministry of Employment and Economy, Finland Carolyn Clayton, Northern Trade Union Confederation, United Kingdom Rapporteur: Katrin Wladasch, Boltzmann Institute of Human Rights, Austria WORKSHOP 2 Moderator: Neža Kogovšek, Peace Institute, Slovenia Tomasz Szypula, Campaign against Homophobia, Poland Iva Obretenova, European Trade Union Committee for Education (ETUCE) Rapporteur: Joël Delvaux, Council of Persons with Disabilities, Luxembourg WORKSHOP 3 Moderator: David Joyce, Irish Congress of Trade Unions, Ireland Šarlota Pufflerová, Citizen and Democracy, Slovakia Anne-Sophie Parent, AGE - the European Older People s Platform Rapporteur: Declan O Dempsey, Cloisters, United Kingdom 10.45-11:15 Coffee break
6 11:15-12.30 PANEL DISCUSSION: The role of NGOs and trade unions in raising awareness and developing / monitoring national non-discrimination law and policy Moderator: Niall Crowley, Independent equality expert, Ireland Panellists: Ron Holzhacker, University of Twente, The Netherlands Katrin Wladasch, Boltzmann Institute of Human Rights, Austria Joël Delvaux, Council of Persons with Disabilities, Luxembourg Declan O Dempsey, Cloisters, United Kingdom Discussants: David Joyce, Irish Congress of Trade Unions, Ireland Salvatore Marra, Italian General Confederation of Labour (CGIL), Italy 12:30-13.15 CLOSING SESSION Chair: Fay Devonic, Head of Unit Action against discrimination, Civil Society, Directorate General for Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities, European Commission Concluding remarks : Zita Gurmai, Member of the European Parliament, Hungary, tbc Lennart Rohdin, Political Adviser to Minister of Integration and Gender Equality, Sweden Belinda Pyke, European Commission The objective of this panel session is to debate further the proposed recommendations discussed by workshop participants as well to discuss all relevant topics raised in the second round of parallel workshops. The panel session will also open the debate to all conference participants and try to further determine elements of emerging common recommendations on the role of NGOs and trade unions in raising awareness and developing/monitoring national non-discrimination law and policy.
Visit: www.equalitynews.eu to sign up for a free e-newsletter detailing activities, events, publications and funding opportunities in the non-discrimination field