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MT 11 May 2017

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2 maltatoday, THURSDAY, 11 MAY 2017 News NGO calls on parties to put human rights on agenda JURGEN BALZAN THE People for Change Foun- dation yesterday called on polit- ical parties to prioritise human rights issues ahead of the 3 June election. In a letter to Labour leader Joseph Muscat, PN leader Si- mon Busuttil, AD chairperson Arnold Cassola and PD leader Marlene Farrugia, the foun- dation's directors Jean-Pierre Gauci and Christine M. Cassar said "whilst elections can be di- visive, human rights issues and concerns should be prioritized to ensure that beyond the politi- cal process of voting, Malta can benefit from positive and proac- tive measures to boost equality, equity and ongoing participa- tion." Pointing out that the parties are in the process of finalising their political mani- festoes outlining their vision for Malta in the coming years, "we request that you ensure the hu- man rights concerns take centre stage in both the election pro- cess and policies." People for Change Founda- tion added that over the past 10 years it has reported on a num- ber of key human rights con- cerns, including discrimination and racism towards minorities, a lack of integration policies, insufficient attention and con- tributions towards official de- velopment assistance, a delay in the formation of a human rights commission, and a lack of understanding of the socio- demographic requirements of an ever-changing population in Malta. Among the proposals, the foundation urged all parties to "avoid populist and divisive dis- course" and address sensitive topics relating to migration, mi- grant groups and ethnic minor- ities, including asylum seekers and refugees "responsibly and fairly" to safeguard their dignity and avoid stigmatisation. Parties were also urged to condemn, and wherever pos- sible stop, any materials and statements that intentionally or indirectly incite hatred or ex- press prejudice on the grounds of race, colour, nationality or national origin, ethnic back- ground, migrant and legal sta- tus or religious belief. People for Change Foundation also said that parties should re- frain from political alliance or association with any political party, organisation or individu- al candidates that incite ethnic prejudice and racial hatred and to ensure that all candidates contesting on the party's ticket refrain from such rhetoric. "Candidates who engage with such rhetoric should be repri- manded and removed from the party's ticket." Turning to policy, the founda- tion called for a strong commit- ment to uphold human rights principles and practice when it comes to policies relating to minorities and particularly mi- gration policies and practice including access to protection, reception conditions, status and protection, residence rights and access to citizenship. Among the 10 proposals put forward in its document, People for Change Foundation urged parties to set up a up a "truly in- dependent and strong" equality body or human rights commis- sion. The foundation said parties should make "an effort to inves- tigate and prosecute hate crimes and hate speech including those occurring online. This work should include investment in training and resources needed for law enforcement bodies to adequately investigate and pros- ecute such offences." In a letter sent to leading political parties, People for Change Foundation called on all major party leaders to bar racist candidates from running for election

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