In view of the importance of the conference and with
a view to obtain a very high quality of participation,
a one-day preparatory meeting of a small Steering Committee
will be convened. This meeting will, inter alia, deliberate
on and finalise the following issues:
Scope
and agenda of the Conference;
commissioning
of the Background papers for the conference (terms of
reference for the paper-writers, criteria for selection
of paper-writers, etc.); andfinalise
criteria for selection of participants at the conference
and, further, wherever possible, identify participants
for the conference.
In the constitution of this Steering Committee ICES
will aim to bring in one representative from each South
Asian country. These representatives will ideally be
people who not only have a thorough knowledge of the
working of the institutional structures (relating to
minority rights) in their own country, but who also
represent normative human rights constituencies. ICES
will also draw upon its rich list of past associates
in this regard.
Resource
Input
Seven
Background papers covering the following areas
(a) the problems of diversity and critical assessments
of the effectiveness of national institutions;
(b) possible regional initiatives on minority issues;
and
(c) the relevance of international standards and inter-governmental
initiatives to minority protection in South Asia
will be circulated amongst the participants in advance.
Outcome
The
outcome of the Conference will include:
(a) Seven Background papers
(b) The statement of Principles on minority protection
(to be described as the Colombo principles)
(c) Workshop Report
(d) A programme of co-operation with national/state
level institutions - (including diagnostic studies of
their effectiveness, intellectual support when required
and further refinement and elaboration of regional standards).
Venue
and Dates
The
Conference will be organised in Colombo by the International
Centre for Ethnic Studies (ICES), Colombo, in collaboration
with the Ministry of Justice, Constitutional Affairs,
Ethnic Affairs and National Integration of Sri Lanka.
The Conference will take place in Colombo during the
last week of August 2000. |
