Ladies and Gentlemen,
Several weeks ago we turned the last leaf of the twentieth century. A century that inflicted on humankind two of the bloodiest military conflicts in history, the Cold War, and the criminal despotism of totalitarian ideas put into practice, and we have paid a high price for the common realization that we need to enforce and observe human rights and liberties thoroughly. The end of the Second World War fuelled a rebirth of ideas from the Natural Law School on the natural, vested, and inalienable rights of every human being. The last century provided proof enough that not respecting and not adhering to these basic rights damages and even prevents the promotion and application of democratic principles in society, which, taken to extremes, can result in the annihilation of whole nations and a threat to international peace and security.

We must fan this consciousness with specific action at all levels under the auspices of governmental and non-governmental organizations and institutions. It would be appropriate to remind ourselves of the fundamental dimension and importance of the European Convention on Human Rights, the fiftieth anniversary of which we have recently commemorated.

Does the European system of protecting human rights give us the guarantees we require? Despite the significant progress on the international and national stage over the past fifty years, we still come across breaches of the basic principles of human rights and freedoms today. It could be said, then, that we have built a solid house, but we have not yet finished furnishing it. I am convinced that this is a challenge to make further improvements to already existing mechanisms, and to create new mechanisms, for the protection of human rights that will put a stop to manifestations of xenophobia, intolerance, and racism, and the practical consequences of these phenomena in the form of racial discrimination or racial violence.

The Czech government, which I have the honour of representing today, is fully aware how important it is for our common, harmonious development to promote the principles of tolerance between individual cultural entities in all areas of the life of Czech society.
The roots of intolerance and racial prejudice the Czech Republic has to wrestle with were planted in part by the nature of the former regime, which, with its selective approach to the application of generally acknowledged principles of human rights, taught part of Czech society not to respect these principles, not to acknowledge them, and not to promote them actively. The new situation following the collapse of the Communist system also, paradoxically, played a role. Part of civil society found itself in entirely new circumstances, where it had lost its hitherto totalitarian certainty and tended towards xenophobic defence against fresh arrivals of foreigners and their different cultures.
I feel it should be pointed out here that the Czech Republic has assumed obligations stemming from international agreements on human rights and is systematically striving to protect minorities, eliminate xenophobia, and combat open forms of racism. The Czech government has been taking increasingly greater pains in the struggle against these phenomena over the past few years, and is devoting considerable attention to finding solutions to the social problems that are the essence and source of tension between the majority and minorities.

Of the whole complex of activities the Czech government is implementing in this area, I would like to highlight the extensive educational campaign against racism, called Project Tolerance, launched in the first half of 2000 and comprehensively focusing on the coexistence of the majority and minorities. New advisory bodies of the Czech government have sprung up (Council for Human Rights, Interdepartmental Committee for Romany Community Affairs), which, besides the different government departments, also host representatives of the Romany community and their non-governmental organizations. We have passed an amendment to the Act on the Acquisition and Forfeiture of State Citizenship of the Czech Republic, the Ombudsman Act, and we have presented a Bill on the Rights of Members of National Minorities to Parliament. A comprehensive educational project called Phenomenon Holocaust, initiated in 1999 by President Vaclav Havel, also enjoys a prominent role.

One of the most burning problems in Czech society today is the co-existence of the Czech majority and the Romany minority; some problems also relate to foreigners, but on a much lesser scale. In 2000, the government adopted a fundamental concept of Romany integration, after long and open discussions, a concept setting out a number of specific tasks aimed at overcoming the problems faced by the Romany minority. It should also be emphasized that the Czech government does not want to force the 'Czechification' or assimilation of this minority, but to create opportunities for their full integration into Czech society while preserving, or even reinforcing, their own cultural identity.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I consider this conference to be a challenge for us all to cooperate more closely in our common fight against xenophobia, intolerance, and racism, a fight to suppress phenomena that have no place in an integrating Europe. It is my wish, then, that we are all able to draw inspiration here for further possible approaches in removing mutual ignorance between different cultures and the dangerous, negative consequences this entails for today's global society.
Thank you for your kind attention.