Russia ratifies European Framework Convention

Reply-To: [email protected]
Sender: [email protected]
From: MINELRES moderator <[email protected]>
Date: Mon, 24 Aug 1998 09:59:04 +0300 (EET DST)
Message-Id: <[email protected]>
Subject: Russia ratifies European Framework Convention

From: MINELRES moderator <[email protected]>

Original sender: Felix Corley <[email protected]>

Russia ratifies European Framework Convention


Council of Europe
 
Russian Federation ratifies the European Convention for the protection
on national minorities
 
STRASBOURG, 21.08.98 - The Russian Federation today ratified the
COUNCIL OF EUROPE Framework Convention for the Protection of National
Minorities. Mark ENTIN, Deputy Permanent Representative of the Russian
Federation to the Council of Europe, Charge d'affaires a.i, handed the
instrument of ratification of this text to Hans Christian KRUGER,
Deputy Secretary General of the Organisation.
 
Opened for signature on 1 February 1995 this text is the first legally
binding multilateral instrument for the protection of national
minorities. It has already been ratified by Austria, Croatia, Cyprus,
Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Italy,
Liechtenstein, Malta, Moldova, Romania, San Marino, Slovakia,
Slovenia, Spain, "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, Norway,
Poland, Portugal, Russia, Sweden and Switzerland. It will enter into
force for the Russian Federation on 1st December 1998.
 

For more information:
 
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, 
- 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.
 
Implementation
 
The Convention includes a monitoring mechanism, whereby the Committee
of Ministers, assisted by an Advisory Committee composed of
independent experts, evaluates the adequacy of the Convention's
implementation. The States Parties will be obliged to present, within
one year after the entry into force of the Convention, a report
containing full information on legislative and other measures taken to
give effect to the Convention. Moreover, each Party shall thereafter
submit a report every five years and whenever the Committee of
Ministers so requests. The reports of the States and the conclusions
of the Committee of Ministers will be made public.
 
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
Christiane Dennemeyer, Council of Europe Press Service
Tel +33 3 88 41 25 63 - Fax. +33 3 88 41 27 89
E-mail: [email protected]

-- 
==============================================================
MINELRES - a forum for discussion on minorities in Central&Eastern
Europe

Submissions: [email protected]  
Subscription/inquiries: [email protected] 
List archive: http://www.riga.lv/minelres/archive.htm
==============================================================