His Excellency President Georgi Parvanov No 2 "Dondukov" Blvd. 1123 Sofia Republic of Bulgaria 30 August 2010 Re: Joint Protocol of the Peshtera municipality, Biovet company and the local Roma Initiative Committee
Dear President Parvanov, The Centre on Housing Rights and Evictions (COHRE) is an international human rights non‐governmental organisation based in Geneva, Switzerland, with offices throughout the world. COHRE has consultative status with the United Nations and works to promote and protect the right to adequate housing for everyone, everywhere, including preventing or remedying forced evictions. COHRE also has consultative status with the Council of Europe and is authorized to lodge collective complaints before the European Committee of Social Rights. COHRE and the European Roma Rights Centre (ERRC) remain concerned about the threat of forced eviction of the Ediveren community in Peshtera, Bulgaria which is ostensibly to create a buffer zone for the Biovet company. We reiterate that if implemented this forced eviction would contravene the international human rights legal obligations of the Republic of Bulgaria. Those legal obligations include the requirement that evictions only occur in the most exceptional circumstances and that all feasible alternatives to eviction are explored in genuine consultation with the affected community. We welcome the Joint Protocol of the Peshtera municipality, Biovet company and the local Roma Initiative Committee which will result in a land swap allowing the Ediveren community to remain in place. We consider this tentative agreement as a model means of meeting the above‐referenced human rights obligations. Additionally, we recognise other practical benefits by bringing this community within the jurisdiction of the
municipality. However, we remain concerned that this tentative agreement has yet to be finalized and implemented. We hope that this agreement can be finalized and implemented as soon as possible, including having the national government of Bulgaria agree to the required land swap. We also hope that this will lead to transfer of legal land rights to the affected Roma. Indeed, if this occurs, COHRE would speak favourably about this agreement at the forthcoming Universal Periodic Review session before the UN Human Rights Council to occur in November 2010. Additionally, if this agreement is finalized and implemented, COHRE would withdraw its Individual Complaint regarding the threatened forced evictions in Peshtera which was filed with the Human Rights Council on 24 April 2009 and is currently being considered by the Council. We look forward to hearing from your about the status of the Joint Protocol of the Peshtera municipality, Biovet company and the local Roma Initiative Committee so that we can begin our follow up work with the Human Rights Council here in Geneva.
Sincerely,
Sincerely,
Salih Booker Executive Director Centre on Housing Rights and Evictions
Robert A. Kushen Executive Director European Roma Rights Centre
cc:
Boiko Borisov Prime Minister No 1 "Dondukov" blvd. 1194 Sofia Republic of Bulgaria Tzetzka Tzacheva Chair Person of the Parliament No 2 "Narodno subranie" sq. 1000 Sofia Republic of Bulgaria Atanas Atanasov Deputy Chair Person No 2 "Narodno subranie" sq. 1000 Sofia Republic of Bulgaria
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Georgi Pirinsky Deputy Chair Person No 2 "Narodno subranie" sq. 1000 Sofia Republic of Bulgaria Christo Biserov Deputy Chair Person No 2 "Narodno subranie" sq. 1000 Sofia Republic of Bulgaria Pavel Shopov Deputy Chair Person No 2 "Narodno subranie" sq. 1000 Sofia Republic of Bulgaria Ekaterina Mihaylova Deputy Chair Person No 2 "Narodno subranie" sq. 1000 Sofia Republic of Bulgaria Kemal Eup Chair Person of the Commission on Discrimination No 35 Dragan Tzankov blvd. 1125 Sofia Republic of Bulgaria Doncho Baksanov Regional governer of Pazarjik region No 2 Ekzarh Josev str. 4400 Pazarjik Republic of Bulgaria Stelian Varsanov Mayor of Peshtera No 17 Doiranska epopeya str. 4550 Peshtera Republic of Bulgaria Uksel Yasharov Roma Initiative Committee No 17 Doiranska epopeya str. 4550 Peshtera Republic of Bulgaria
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Mr. Gancho Ganev Ambassador Mission of the Republic of Bulgaria Chemin des Crêts‐de‐Pregny 16 1218 Grand‐Saconnex Switzerland
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