Seminar on Minorities and Majorities in Estonia
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Date: Sun, 31 Jan 1999 16:46:16 +0200 (EET)
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Subject: Seminar on Minorities and Majorities in Estonia
From: MINELRES moderator <[email protected]>
Original sender: Aleksei Semjonov <[email protected]>
Seminar on Minorities and Majorities in Estonia
Seminar on Minorities and Majorities in Estonia:
Problems of Integration at the Threshold of the EU
Brief Information
Europe is steadily moving towards greater integration and increased
public participation and inclusion, as well as greater involvement of
citizens and non-citizens alike in local affairs. For Estonia to take
its place as a full member of the new Europe, it must follow the same
path of inclusion and integration of all of its inhabitants.
It must be acknowledged that there has been definite progress made in
Estonia, such as the establishment of government integration
programmes and similar measures. In addition, the objectives of
promoting and protecting the Estonian language and national culture
are clearly valid and appropriate given the historical context of the
country. Nevertheless, the means to achieve these objectives cannot be
contrary to international human rights and European minority rights
standards and fundamental principles, especially non-discrimination,
reflected in Council of Europe, United Nations and OSCE documents.
The ECMI Baltic Seminar "Minorities and Majorities in Estonia", which
was held in Flensburg/Aabenraa 22-25 May 1998, has to be regarded as
an event of high importance. The seminar has achieved its success
through the quality of the presentations given and due to the skill
and dedication of its key participants and organisers. Several very
important contributions presented a fresh view on the problems of
integration and actually were opened for deliberation by competent
experts for the first time. The decision to publish contributions to
the seminar will improve political and public importance of the event.
The success of ECMI's first event definitely has produced better
understanding of the problems discussed among participants and
stimulates their creative thinking.
During the seminar many participants expressed the wish to continue
such fruitful deliberation. Two suggestions were made. First, at the
final session it was proposed that a follow-up meeting should be
organised with the help of ECMI. It became obvious, that the Estonian
society in general, and especially politicians and decision-makers,
have to know more about humanitarian and human rights standards and
practice of the European community. At the same time, it would be
worthwhile for the EU officials to get information about the situation
in Estonia from independent scientific experts from Estonia and abroad
who have studied the problems carefully and continuously. It would be
an important supplement to the reports of official delegations and
missions, which are inevitable occasional and (too often) one-sided.
Consequently the second proposal which was made by a group of
scientific experts at the Flensburg/Aabenraa meeting was, that they
should have the opportunity to meet in advance in order to be better
prepared for an efficient follow-up dialog and to better meet the
needs of the political representatives. The second round of discussion
promises to be more productive, if based on the prepared collection of
the ECMI seminar's contributions as well as on a deepened
understanding of the problems.
The seminar in Tallinn picked up this second suggestion. It was
co-organised by the Legal Information Centre for Human Rights
(Tallinn), the European Centre for Minority Issues (Flensburg) and the
Norwegian Institute for Human Rights (Oslo).
List of main contributions:
Gudmundur Alfredsson. The process of integration in the light of
minority rights and obligations to non-discrimination.
Hanne-Margret Birckenbach. The understanding of "integration" by
international organisations with respect to the Estonian case.
Carmen Thiele. International Law, Citizenship Issues and Human Rights
in Estonia.
Vello Pettai and Mati Heidmets. Societal resources and readiness for
integration: monitoring the process.
Fernand de Varennes. Linguistic rights, non-discrimination and
political participation.
Erik Andre Andersen. Economic and social aspects of integration in
Estonia; the Northeast region.
List of participants:
1. Andersen, Erik Andre
Researcher, Danish Centre for Human Rights, Copenhagen
2. Birckenbach, Hanne-Margret
Senior Researcher, Schleswig-Holstein Institute of Peace Research,
Kiel University, Germany
3. Hallik, Klara
Senior Researcher, Legal Information Centre for Human Rights and
Institute of International and Social Studies, Tallinn, Estonia
4. Jarve, Priit
Senior Analyst, ECMI, Germany
5. Kolsto, Pal
Professor, University of Oslo, Norway
6. Lundberg, Maria
Researcher, Norwegian Institute of Human Rights, Oslo
7. Semjonov, Aleksei
Director, Legal Information Centre for Human Rights, Tallinn, Estonia
8. Thiele, Carmen
Researcher, University of Frankfurt/Oder, Germany
9. Tsilevich, Boris
Director, Center for Educational & Social Research "Baltic Insight",
Riga, Latvia
10. Wellmann, Christian
Deputy Director of the Schleswig-Holstein Institute for Peace Research
(SHIP)
11. Heidmets, Mati
Dean, Social Science Department, Tallinn Pedagogical University
12. Laius, Ago
Director, Jaan T�nisson Institute, Tallinn
13. Pettai, Vello
Estonian President's Plenipotentiary at the Roundtable on Minorities,
Lecturer at Tartu University
14. Semjonova, Larissa
Deputy Director, Legal Information Centre for Human Rights, Tallinn
15. Stadnikov, Sergei
Lecturer on Comparative Religion Studies and Ethics, Tallinn
Pedagogical University
16. Vetik, Raivo
Director, Institute of International and Social Studies, Tallinn
17. Arjupin, Andrei
Legal Information Centre for Human Rights, Estonia
18. Alfredsson, Gudmundur
Director, Raoul Wallenberg Institute of Human Rights and Humanitarian
Law, Lund, Sweden
19. Bloed, Arie
Director, Open Society Institute, Budapest, Hungary
20. Butenschon, Nils
Director, Norwegian Institute of Human Rights, Oslo
21. Eide, Asbjoern
Chief Researcher, Norwegian Institute of Human Rights, Oslo
22. Grin, Francois
Acting Director, European Centre for Minority Issues, Flensburg,
Germany
23. de Varennes, Fernand
Director, Asia-Pacific Centre for Human Rights and the Prevention of
Ethnic Conflict, School of Law,
Murdoch University, Australia
24. Ziemele, Ineta
Director, Latvian Human Rights Institute, Riga
25. Mits, Martins
Deputy Director, Latvian Human Rights Institute, Riga
26. Ohna, Vanja
Norwegian student at sociology
27. Brennan, Neil
OSCE Mission, Estonia
-----------------
PRESS RELEASE
Statement of International Seminar
�Minorities and Majorities in Estonia: Problems of Integration at the
Threshold of the E.U.�, Tallinn, Estonia, 8-9 January 1999.
* * *
An international seminar on minorities and majorities in Estonia and
its different regions was convened to discuss issues of integration at
the threshold of the European Union. It brought together about 30
experts on international law, human rights, and minority issues from
ten different countries.
The meeting was co-organised by the Legal Information Centre for Human
Rights (Tallinn), the European Centre for Minority Issues (Flensburg)
and the Norwegian Institute of Human Rights (Oslo). It constituted a
follow-up to a seminar on the same topic held in May 1998 in the
German-Danish border region.
The participants recognised with appreciation the decision by the
authorities of Estonia to initiate an integration programme but also
expressed some concern with its limited scope and the slowness of its
implementation. They explored the process and means of integration in
the light of international standards governing human rights and
minority protection. They noted that, in addition to compliance with
international standards, there is a continuing need for a broad
discussion between majorities and minorities in Estonia on the process
and aims of national integration, and for ensuring widespread public
awareness of the process.
The programme is at present intended to include language training,
grassroots integration projects and regional development. The
participants at the seminar felt that the integration programme should
also include a dialogue on citizenship issues and minority protection,
as already envisaged in the Government�s policy paper on national
integration.
Participants discussed at some length issues related to language
policies. While there was full support for the objective to promote
and protect the Estonian language and culture, many participants
expressed concern, however, that current language provisions create
significant problems for many of those who are not proficient in the
Estonian language. It was pointed out that recent changes in the
language requirements of Estonian electoral law are not consistent
with the functioning of an inclusive democracy, as required by the
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, in particular
Article 25.
The participants also noted that the concerns underlying international
human rights and minority standards are to ensure equality of everyone
in dignity and rights, and to protect cultural, religious and
linguistic pluralism in society as a basic element for ensuring peace
and stability in the country and the region at large.
Participants further noted with concern that developments during the
last decade have caused significant differences in the enjoyment of
economic and social rights among members of Estonian society, and that
appropriate measures should be taken to ensure that discrimination
does not occur on the basis of language and ethnicity.
The participants welcomed the changes in citizenship legislation which
facilitate access to citizenship for children born in Estonia after 26
February 1992 who would otherwise be stateless. Participants
considered it important, in order to achieve equality, to extend these
provisions and to further facilitate access to citizenship for all
those who have de facto become permanent residents of Estonia.
The seminar also discussed the draft amendment to the language law
(Draft 1030 SEI). While participants recognised the legitimacy of
strengthening the position of the Estonian language in society, they
also underlined the importance of avoiding that this lead to
discrimination in access to employment and economic activity, and that
the law should not regulate matters which are beyond the normal reach
of state involvement in private language use.
A follow-up to this seminar in order to pursue dialogue and
consideration of the issues at hand is being considered for the near
future.
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The Legal Information Centre for Human Rights in Estonia
Nunne str 2, 10133 Tallinn, Estonia
Tel (+372 ) 64 64 27 0
Fax (+372) 64 64 272
E-mail: [email protected]
Web site: Http://www.lichr.ee
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