The National Minorities Convention enters into force for Russia

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Date: Mon, 7 Dec 1998 12:33:03 +0200 (EET)
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Subject: The National Minorities Convention enters into force for Russia 

From: MINELRES moderator <[email protected]>

Original sender: Felix Corley <[email protected]>

The National Minorities Convention enters into force for
Russia 



Council of Europe

Deputy Secretary General welcomes entry into force for Russia of the
National Minorities Convention

STRASBOURG, 01.12.98 - The COUNCIL OF EUROPE's Framework Convention
for the Protection of National Minorities today entered into force for
the Russian Federation.

Deputy Secretary General of the Strasbourg-based Organisation Hans
Christian KR=DCGER stated: "The entry into force of this convention,
which is one of the most important Council of Europe texts for human
rights protection, is a significant step in this great country's
evolution towards pluralist democracy and respect of cultural
diversity for the people concerned.

"The convention's control mechanism set up by the Committee of
Ministers and an Advisory Committee will be critical to its success,"
stressed Mr KR=DCGER, adding that "the Russian Federation is to submit
to the Advisory Committee and the Committee of Ministers a full report
on the measures taken in accordance with the convention, to guarantee
the rights of national minorities on their territory." 

* * *
 
The Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities
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.

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,
the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Hungary,
Italy, Liechtenstein, Malta, Moldova, Romania, Russia, San Marino,
Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland (01.02.99), "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 and Sweden.

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]

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