Press Release: ACFC visits Hungary

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From: MINELRES moderator <[email protected]>
Date: Tue, 30 Nov 1999 22:11:03 +0200 (EET)
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Subject: Press Release: ACFC visits Hungary

From: MINELRES moderator <[email protected]>

Original sender: Nicola Markes-Goerlach
<[email protected]>

Press Release: ACFC visits Hungary


The Advisory Committee on the Framework Convention for the Protection
of National Minorities visits Hungary

STRASBOURG, 30.11.99 - A delegation of the Advisory Committee on the
COUNCIL OF EUROPE's Framework Convention for the Protection of
National Minorities visits Budapest this week (29 November - 1
December 1999) in the context of the monitoring of the implementation
of this convention in Hungary. The visit is the second country-visit
conducted by the Advisory Committee since its establishment in 1998.
The Committee is composed of 18 independent experts elected by the
Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe.

Hungary submitted its first state report under the Framework
Convention in May 1999, and the delegation of the Advisory Committee
will be in Hungary in order to seek further information. The
delegation will meet representatives of the Government and other
relevant sources, including the Parliamentary Commissioner for the
Rights of Ethnic and National Minorities, representatives of NGOs and
other experts. On the basis of this and other information, the
Advisory Committee will subsequently adopt an opinion on how Hungary
has implemented the various articles of this new human rights
convention of the Council of Europe. 

The delegation visiting Hungary includes the following members of the
Advisory Committee: Mr Dalibor J�LEK (Czech Republic) Ms Marju
LAURISTIN (Estonia) Ms Eva SMITH-ASMUSSEN (Denmark).

In addition to the report by Hungary, the Advisory Committee has
received state reports for analysis and opinion from the following
countries: Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland,
Italy, Liechtenstein, Malta, Romania, San Marino, Slovakia, Ukraine
and the United Kingdom. State reports are made public.

* * *

Note for Editors:
Opened for signature on 1 February 1995, the 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 Albania, Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, the
Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Ireland,
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 Greece, Iceland, 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 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 as well as a wide range of principles
in the area of education, effective participation, media and
transfrontier contacts etc and aims to guarantee respect for a certain
number of fundamental freedoms.

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

Under the Framework Convention, the States Parties are required to
submit, 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.

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 41
member states.


Nicola Markes-Goerlach
Council of Europe
Directorate of Human Rights
Minorities Unit
F-67075 Strasbourg-Cedex
[email protected]
 
Tel:   00 33 - (0)3 90 21 44 33
Fax:  00 33 - (0)3 88 41 27 93

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