United Nations

CERD/C/LTU/Q/9-10

International Convention on the Elimination of A ll Forms of Racial Discrimination

Distr.: General

18 February 2019

Original: English

English, French and Spanish only

Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination

Ninety-eighth session

23 April–10 May 2019

Item 4 of the provisional agenda

Consideratio n of reports, comments and information submitted by States parties under article 9 of the Convention

List of themes in relation to the combined ninth and tenth periodic reports of Lithuania

Note by the Country Rapporteur

1.The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination decided at its seventy-sixth session (A/65/18, para. 85) that the Country Rapporteur would send to the State party concerned a short list of themes with a view to guiding and focusing the dialogue between the State party’s delegation and the Committee during the consideration of the State party’s report. The present document contains a list of such themes. This is not an exhaustive list; other issues may also be raised in the course of the dialogue. No written replies are required.

Statistics (arts. 1 and 5)

2.Statistics on the ethnic composition of the population, disaggregated by ethnicity, national origin and languages spoken, including on migrants, asylum seekers and refugees. Economic and social indicators disaggregated by sex, gender, ethnicity, disability and age (CERD/C/LTU/CO/6-8, para. 9; CERD/C/LTU/9-10, paras. 9–10).

The Convention in domestic law and the institutional and policy framework for its implementation (arts. 1, 2, 4, 6 and 7)

3.Update on the application of the Law on Equal Treatment (CERD/C/LTU/9-10, para. 4) and of articles 169, 170 and 171 of the Criminal Code (CERD/C/LTU/CO/6-8, para. 5; CERD/C/LTU/9-10, para. 5). Progress on the adoption of a new draft law concerning national minorities (CERD/C/LTU/CO/6-8, para. 7; CERD/C/LTU/9-10, paras. 7–8).

4.Legislative and other measures to ensure victims of racial discrimination have access to reparations (CERD/C/LTU/CO/6-8, para. 31; CERD/C/LTU/9-10, paras. 129–131). Update on the adoption of a new draft law to amend the Law on State-Guaranteed Legal Aid (CERD/C/LTU/CO/6-8, para. 29 (b); CERD/C/LTU/9-10, para. 121).

5.Update on the implementation, impact and evaluation of the action plan to promote non-discrimination for 2017–2019 (CERD/C/LTU/9-10, para. 4) and of the inter-institutional action plan to promote non-discrimination for 2011–2019 (CERD/C/LTU/9-10, paras. 32 and 90).

6.Update on the mandate, independence and human and financial resources of the Seimas Ombudsman’s Office and its activities to counter racial discrimination (CERD/C/LTU/CO/6-8, para. 11; CERD/C/LTU/9-10, paras. 11–12). Update on the human and financial resources of the Department of National Minorities and of the Equal Opportunities Ombudsman and on their activities to promote and protect the rights of minorities (CERD/C/LTU/CO/6-8, para. 13; CERD/C/LTU/9-10, paras. 13–16).

Racist hate speech, incitement to racial hatred and hate crimes (art. 2, 4 and 6)

7.Measures to combat hate speech and incitement to hatred, including in the media and other public platforms such as the Internet, and by politicians and public figures. Information on reported cases of hate speech, incitement to hatred and hate crimes, on cases brought to court and their outcome, and on cases where racial discrimination is considered to be an aggravating circumstance in the commission of a criminal act (CERD/C/LTU/CO/6-8, paras. 15 and 17; CERD/C/LTU/9-10, paras. 17–23, 30–31 and 37–51).

8.Measures to increase awareness on combating hate speech. Activities of the Office of the Inspector of Journalist Ethics to combat expressions of hatred in the media (CERD/C/LTU/CO/6-8, para. 15 (d); CERD/C/LTU/9-10, paras. 24–29).

9.Measures to train law enforcement officers on how to address hate crime (CERD/C/LTU/CO/6-8, para. 17; CERD/C/LTU/9-10, paras. 32–36).

Situation of the Roma community (arts. 2, 3 and 5)

10.Update on measures, and their impact and evaluation, to ensure that members of the Roma community, particularly Roma women, have access to adequate housing, quality education, employment, health care and compulsory health insurance. Measures to address the rate of illiteracy, early school dropout and absenteeism among Roma children (CERD/C/LTU/9-10, paras. 60–73 and 84–88).

11.Measures to ensure that all members of the Roma community have access to citizenship, such as measures to raise awareness among Roma communities, including about the Law on Citizenship and the procedures for obtaining citizenship (CERD/C/LTU/CO/6-8, para. 23; CERD/C/LTU/9-10, paras. 59 and 89).

12.Update on the implementation, impact and evaluation of the action plan for Roma integration into Lithuanian society for 2015–2020, the programme for the integration of the Roma community living in Vilnius into society for 2016–2019, and other programmes relating to Roma integration (CERD/C/LTU/CO/6-8, para. 21 (d); CERD/C/LTU/9-10, paras. 62–83).

Situation of other minorities (arts. 2 and 5)

13.Measures to ensure that members of minority groups have access to the labour market without discrimination (CERD/C/LTU/CO/6-8, para. 25; CERD/C/LTU/9-10, paras. 90–91).

14.Statistics on the representation of minorities in public and political life (CERD/C/LTU/CO/6-8, para. 25; CERD/C/LTU/9-10, para. 92).

15.Update on the adoption of draft laws concerning the spelling of names and surnames in personal identity documents in a language other than Lithuanian, to give full effect to the Constitutional Court’s decision of 27 February 2014 on the matter (CERD/C/LTU/CO/6-8, para. 25; CERD/C/LTU/9-10, paras. 98–101).

Refugees, asylum seekers and stateless persons (arts. 2 and 5)

16.Information on the implementation of legislation and other measures to improve the reception conditions of refugees and asylum seekers, including at the foreigners’ registration centre, and on measures to support their integration into society (CERD/C/LTU/CO/6-8, para. 27; CERD/C/LTU/9-10, paras. 106 and 109).

17.Update on the application of the Law on Citizenship and on the monitoring of cases where persons may be deprived of their citizenship and left stateless, and on other measures to prevent statelessness. Update on the naturalization process of stateless persons living in the State party’s territory, including through the simplified procedure and the restoration of Lithuanian citizenship (CERD/C/LTU/CO/6-8, para. 27; CERD/C/LTU/9-10, paras. 102–105).

Trafficking in persons (arts. 2, 5 and 6)

18.Information on the effective implementation of legislation against human trafficking, including the Criminal Code, on the implementation of the inter-institutional action plan to combat trafficking in human beings for 2017–2019 and on other measures relating to the protection of and support to victims of human trafficking. Activities of the commission for the coordination of the fight against trafficking in human beings (CERD/C/LTU/CO/6-8, para. 29; CERD/C/LTU/9-10, paras. 115 and 122).

Human rights education to combat prejudice and intolerance (art. 7)

19.Update on the implementation, impact and evaluation of measures in the field of education and culture to combat racial discrimination, prejudice and intolerance. Information on the representation in school textbooks and curricula of minorities, Roma, refugees, asylum seekers and other groups (CERD/C/LTU/9-10, paras. 170–179).