III. Main areas of concern and recommendations
C. General principles (arts. 2, 3, 6 and 12)
Non-discrimination
15. The Committee shares the concern of the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance that the implementation of the Anti-discrimination Act is not being adequately monitored and that the Slovak National Centre for Human Rights, as the monitoring body, does not function effectively and independently. The Committee is seriously concerned that:
(b) Incidents of different forms of hate speech against vulnerable groups, such as the Roma, Muslims, and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex persons, including children, are increasing.
16. The Committee urges the State party to:
(a) Ensure the implementation of the Anti-discrimination Act as well as other laws prohibiting discrimination, including by ensuring the full independence, impartiality and effectiveness of the monitoring body;
(b) Conduct awareness-raising programmes on the prohibition of discrimination and related sanctions, paying particular attention to Roma children, children with disabilities, and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex children or children from lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex families;
(d) Investigate and sanction all cases of political figures and religious leaders using anti-Roma and anti-Muslim rhetoric as well as offensive discourse targeting sexual orientation;
(e) Ensure that law enforcement officials and legal professionals are adequately and systematically trained to effectively investigate and sanction hate crime, including in social and other media;
(f) Use legislative, policy and educational measures, including sensitization and awareness-raising, to end stigmatization of Roma, Muslim and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex children and children with disabilities.
Link to full text of the report: Concluding Observations-CRC-Slovakia-2016-eng