Monitoring of the Framework Convention gets underway

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From: MINELRES moderator <[email protected]>
Date: Sat, 27 Mar 1999 10:36:51 +0200 (EET)
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Subject: Monitoring of the Framework Convention gets underway

From: MINELRES moderator <[email protected]>

Original sender: Antti Korkeakivi <[email protected]>

Monitoring of the Framework Convention gets underway


The monitoring of the Framework Convention for the Protection of
National Minorities gets underway
 
STRASBOURG, 25.03.99 - The Advisory Committee on the Framework
Convention for the Protection of National Minorities - a committee of
18 independent experts - started its monitoring activities in
Strasbourg this week. It began the examination of the first state
reports submitted under the Framework Convention with a view to
adopting opinions on them.

Under the Framework Convention, the States Parties are required to
present, within one year after the entry into force of the Convention
in the country concerned, a report containing full information on
legislative and other measures taken to give effect to the Convention.
These reports are made public and submitted to the Advisory Committee
for analysis and opinion. After the Advisory Committee has adopted its
opinions, the Committee of Ministers will adopt its conclusions and
possible recommendations, which shall be made public.

Countries having submitted their reports include Croatia, Cyprus,
Finland, Liechtenstein and San Marino. A number of States Parties have
not yet submitted their report as foreseen in the Framework
Convention. The President of the Advisory Committee, Professor Rainer
HOFMANN, encouraged these States to finalise and submit their reports
as soon as possible. 


Note for Editors:

Opened for signature on 1 February 1995, Framework Convention for the
Protection of National Minorities is the first legally binding
multilateral instrument for the protection of national minorities. It
has been ratified by Austria, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic,
Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Liechtenstein,
Malta, Moldova, Norway, Romania, Russia, San Marino, Slovakia,
Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, "the former Yugoslav Republic of
Macedonia", Ukraine, the United Kingdom as well as Armenia.

It has also been signed by Albania, Bulgaria, Greece, Iceland,
Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland,
Portugal and Sweden. 

The Convention entered into force on 1st February 1998.

The Framework Convention sets out the principles to be respected and
implemented by the States Parties. They thereby undertake: 

to combat discrimination, 
to promote full and effective equality, between national minorities
and the majority and to promote the conditions necessary to preserve
and develop the culture and safeguard the identity of national
minorities, their language, religion and tradition, 
to afford persons belonging to national minorities freedom of peaceful
assembly, freedom of association, freedom of expression and freedom of
thought, conscience and religion, 
to ensure the right to access to and use of the media. 

in the field of linguistic freedoms 

to allow the use of the minority language in private and in public, as
well as in dealings with administrative authorities, 
to recognise the right to use one's name in the minority language, 
to recognise the right to display information of a private nature
visible to the public in the minority language, 
to make efforts to display topographical indications in the minority
language. 

in the field of education 

to provide opportunities for learning a minority language and for
receiving instruction in this language, 
to recognise the creation of educational and training establishments, 

not to hinder transfrontier contacts, 
to foster transfrontier and international co-operation, 
to encourage participation in economic, cultural and social life, 
to promote participation in public affairs, 
to prohibit forced assimilation. 

Non-member states may also be invited to accede to Framework
Convention. 

A political organisation set up in 1949, the Council of Europe
promotes democracy and human rights continent-wide. It also develops
common responses to social, cultural and legal challenges in its 40
member states. 

Press Contact
Sabine Zimmer, Council of Europe Press Service
Tel. +33 3 88 41 25 97 - Fax. +33 3 88 41 27 89
E-mail: [email protected]

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