VZCZCXRO8237
RR RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHLN
RUEHLZ RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHPG #0488 2110708
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 290708Z JUL 08
FM AMEMBASSY PRAGUE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0548
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE VIENNA AU

UNCLAS PRAGUE 000488 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/CE TRATENSEK 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EZ KDEM OSCE PGOV PHUM PREL
SUBJECT: CZECH RESPONSE ON OSCE DIALOGUE 
 
REF: STATE 76294 
 
¶1.  (SBU)  Summary:  On July 25, Emboffs delivered reftel 
demarche to Czech Director of Human Rights and Transition 
Policy, Gabriela Dlouha.  Dlouha noted that the Czechs are 
prepared for and engaged in the upcoming OSCE Human Dimension 
Implementation Meeting (HDIM).  Emboff also raised the reftel 
human rights concerns with respect to the Czech Republic,s 
Roma minority.  MFA officials outlined several proactive 
changes the Czech government has adopted to address these 
concerns.  End Summary. 
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Czech Agenda for HDIM 
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¶2.  (SBU) The GOCR,s agenda for the HDIM, including Czech 
priorities and concerns, will be completed by early to 
mid-September, and Dlouha offered to share it with the 
Embassy.  Dlouha cited Czech concerns raised by several 
domestic and international NGOs regarding the existence of 
neo-Nazi hate speech on U.S.-based Internet domains and 
websites.  Embassy will report on these concerns septel. 
According to Dlouha, the GOCR does not plan to raise this 
subject at the HDIM "at this time." 
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Improvements made to the human rights of the Roma minority 
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¶3.  (SBU)  In response to the points on discrimination 
against the Roma community, Dlouha noted a number of actions 
the Czech government is taking to address these concerns.  In 
January 2008, the GOCR established the Agency for Social 
Inclusion of Roma Communities, which will act as an umbrella 
for organizing social programs.  The Agency, in cooperation 
with Czech NGOs, will focus its attention on reducing 
unemployment, improving the housing situation, and 
implementing preventative health measures for the Roma 
communities.  The Agency will work to procure EU funds and 
encourage "networking" and partnership of local institutions. 
 Through the Agency's efforts, GOCR will implement the Roma 
Integration Policy Concept, a policy document outlining 
concrete steps that will be taken to further integrate the 
Roma.  A status report on the Agency's implementation efforts 
will be passed to Emboff in mid-September, prior to the HDIM. 
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GOCR focus on Roma education 
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¶4.  (SBU) Dlouha also addressed the November 2007 European 
Court of Human Rights ruling related to discrimination 
against Roma children in schools.  She attributed the fact 
that Roma children often lag behind other students to the 
fact that most Roma are non-native Czech speakers. 
Therefore, GOCR will focus on enhancing preschool education 
for Roma children and on improving their Czech language 
skills.  Dlouha passed Emboffs a full summary of Czech 
progress in this area, which the Embassy will email to the 
Department. 
Thompson-Jones