Today's Date:

The Prime Minister, Jean-Pierre Raffarin, chaired the second meeting of the Interministerial Committee to fight Racism and Anti-Semitism on Tuesday, 27 January.

The Minister for Culture and Communication, Jean-Jacques Aillagon, presented a report on action to address the propagation of anti-Semitic and racist images and ideas using audiovisual means. The Interministerial Committee also heard M. Dominique Baudis, Chairman of the Conseil supérieur de l'audiovisuel (CSA – Higher Council for the Audiovisual Sector), on this issue.

The Prime Minister assured the Committee that the public authorities' determination would not waver in this matter in which the legal aspects are particularly complex. He made it clear that the government will very shortly be looking at the conditions in which the CSA's powers with respect to satellite broadcasters might be strengthened.

The Minister of the Interior, Internal Security and Local Freedoms reported on the work of the police and gendarmerie in 2003. The number of anti-Semitic acts and threats fell by 37% compared with 2002 (588 as against 932). That of other racist acts was down by 41% and now stands at levels comparable with those of the mid-1990s. While stressing the importance of the results achieved, the Prime Minister emphasized that the situation warranted continuing vigilance and action by the public authorities. He announced the establishment of a €15 million fund to finance up to 50% of work to increase security at sensitive sites.

A new boost will be given to the Commissions départementales d'accès à la citoyenneté [departmental commissions created by order of the Interior Minister in 1999 to identify cases of discrimination and put forward proposals for promoting the integration of young people from immigrant families]. These bodies, which bring together, under the chairmanship of the préfet [high-ranking civil servant representing the State at departmental or regional level], representatives of all the State services and the voluntary sector in the department, must be particularly active in the fight against discrimination and racist and anti-Semitic acts of violence, and in the implementation of a determined policy to promote citizenship. The Interior and Social Affairs Ministers will shortly be sending the préfets instructions on this.

The Justice Minister, Dominique Perben, presented the government's policy on combating any tendency for prisoners to divide into ethnic groups. After noting that prison staff are particularly alert to signs of proselytizing, he emphasized the need for the presence of chaplains of all faiths. Consequently, in cooperation with the Conseil français du Culte musulman, new Muslim chaplains will be appointed in the coming months.

The Minister for Youth, National Education and Research, Luc Ferry, and the Minister Delegate for Schools, Xavier Darcos, reported on the events held on 27 January to mark the Day of Remembrance of the Shoah (Holocaust Memorial Day). The duty of remembrance is today recognized as being a major responsibility in our society. It is unacceptable that, in certain schools, the historical events which took their toll on the Jewish community cannot be taught correctly. Special attention is being given to the messages contained in school textbooks. Two books containing questionable passages have been withdrawn in the past few months.

In each Education Authority inspectorate, representatives of teachers and parents of pupils have been appointed to look at matters to do with racism and anti-Semitism. Coordination at local level of the principal State services concerned guarantees operational effectiveness in the fight against racism and anti-Semitism./.