COMMITTEE ON THE ELIMINATIONOF RACIAL DISCRIMINATION

R EPORTS SUBMITTED BY STATES PARTIES UNDER ARTICLE 9 OF THE CONVENTION

Information provided by the Government of Liechtenstein

on the implementation of the concluding observations

of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination*

[21 February 2008]

F ollow-up information to the consideration of the second and third periodic report of the Principality of Liechtenstein under article 19 of the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Racial Discrimination

1.In its concluding observations, adopted on 8 March 2007, the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination held that “The State party should within one year provide information on the way it has followed up on the Committee’s recommendations contained in paragraphs 17 and 18, pursuant to paragraph 1 of rule 65 of the rules of procedure.”

Recommendation contained in paragraph 17:

In light of its general recommendation 30 (2004) on discrimination against non-citizens, the Committee recommends that the State party consider amending the Act on Facilitated Naturalization (2000) with a view to reducing the required period of residence in the naturalization procedure, and ensure that particular groups of non-citizens are not discriminated against with regard to access to citizenship. The Committee also urges the State party to take the necessary measures to ensure that outcomes of municipal popular votes in relation to the naturalization applications of non-citizens are subject to legal review and that the right to appeal against decisions is guaranteed.

2.In the framework of the ongoing political discussion and policy implementation to promote the integration of non-Liechtenstein nationals, based on mutual respect and understanding, the Liechtenstein Government has elaborated a draft bill on the revision of the Act on Facilitated Naturalization (2000). The draft bill has been submitted to a broad-based consultation procedure among interested groups and institutions. In this consultation procedure the content of the above-mentioned recommendation was raised by several participants. All contributions, including those introducing proposals for amendment of the draft bill, are currently being considered by the Government. Based on the results of the consultation procedure the Government intends to submit the bill to Parliament in the course of 2008.

Recommendation contained in paragraph 18:

The Committee encourages the State party to continue to monitor all tendencies which may give rise to racist and xenophobic behaviour, and recommends that it undertake a sociological study of the phenomenon of right-wing activities in order to acquire a more accurate picture of the problem and its root causes. The Committee requests the State party to report back on the results of the study, as well as measures taken and progress made.

3.On 3 July 2007 the Liechtenstein Government requested, as a direct follow-up to the above-mentioned recommendation, the national Commission on Violence Protection to undertake a sociological research study on root causes of extremism, in particular right-wing extremism, in Liechtenstein. The study is currently being conducted by the University for Applied Sciences of Basel (Switzerland). Its results are expected by 2009. The research programme explicitly refers to the above-mentioned recommendation of CERD. It aims at assessing forms of right-wing extremism occurring in Liechtenstein and their relation to the European context and is methodologically based on interviews with persons of right-wing conviction or affinity.

4.The national Commission on Violence Protection is mandated to compile, by the end of 2009 and on the basis of the results of the study, a catalogue of measures to prevent the further development and to counter current forms of right-wing extremism in Liechtenstein.

5.An abstract of the research programme (in German) is attached for further information.

Vaduz, 20 February 2008

Annex

A bstract of the research programme on Root Causes of Forms of Right-wing Extremism in the Principality of Liechtenstein

Die Studie setzt sich generell zum Ziel, die vom UNO-Überwachungsausschuss CERD sowie der Gewaltschutzkommission formulierten Fragestellungen sowie Ursachenzusammenhänge in einem erweiterten Rahmen zu untersuchen. Dazu soll die rechtsextremistische Szene im Fürstentum Liechtenstein im internationalen und insbesondere europäischen Vergleich bewertet und beschrieben werden. Ziel ist es herauszuarbeiten, inwiefern sich Besonderheiten bezüglich ideologischer Überzeugungen und Orientierungen, Gewaltbereitschaft und Organisation abzeichnen. Dabei sollen sowohl auf der Ebene des Individuums (Schicht, Alter, Geschlecht, Bildung, soziale Integration) als auch auf Ebene der Gruppe (z.B. Organisiertheit, Kontakte zu anderen Gruppierungen) geforscht werden. Zudem soll die gesellschaftliche Ebene nicht vernachlässigt werden, denn es sind unterschiedliche Signale (z.B. stillschweigende Akzeptanz, offene Ablehnung), die von hier ausgehen und die Grundhaltung gegenüber dem Fremden beeinflussen (vgl. Eser Davolio, Eckmann & Drilling 2004).

Aufgrund dieser mehrdimensionalen Perspektive (Mikroraum: rechtsextremistisch orientierte Jugendliche/junge Erwachsene; Mesoraum: Gemeinden im Fürstentum Liechtenstein; Makroraum: Fürstentum Liechtenstein im europäischen Kontext von Rechtsextremismus) schlagen wir zwei parallel zu erforschende - aber weitestgehend aufeinander zu beziehende - Teilstudien vor:

1) Befragung rechtsextrem orientierter Jugendlicher/junger Erwachsener

2) Fallstudien in zwei Gemeinden, in denen das Phänomen des Rechtsextremismus virulent ist.

Anhand der Fallstudien sollen einerseits die Aussagen der rechtsextrem orientierten Ju-gendlichen/jungen Erwachsenen in einen Gesamtzusammenhang gestellt werden; ande-rerseits ist es möglich, das Entstehen eines Rechtsextremismus fördernden Kontextes zu verstehen sowie die zivilgesellschaftlichen Gegenreaktionen in ihrer Prozesshaftigkeit zu beschreiben und zu bewerten. Daraus erhoffen wir uns Antworten, die über repressive Massnahmen hinaus, Perspektiven für die weitere Präventionsarbeit eröffnen.

- - - - -