[RETRANSCRIPTION]
Comm. 307*/93
CSCE(logo)
High Commissioner
on National Minorities
His Excellency
Mr Géza JESZENSZKY
Minister for Foreign Affairs of the
Republic of Hungary
BUDAPEST
Republic of Hungary
The Hague
8 November 1993
Reference:
No 1331/93/L
Dear Mr Minister,
The Team of Experts, which, in accordance with the Terms of Reference agreed upon in the CSO Vienna Group on 27 May l993, visited Slovakia and Hungary in September of this year, made an extensive study of the Slovak minority during its visit to your country.
In discussions which the members of the Team had with Hungarian officials and representatives of the Slovak minority, it became clear that the policy of assimilation pursued by previous Hungarian regimes had had particularly negative effects on Slovak language education. This, and the fact that Slovak national consciousness only began to manifest itself more clearly in the course of the nineteenth century and therefore after the assimilation process had already had its effects, caused a considerable weakening of the cultural and linguistic identity of the Slovak minority in Hungary. On the other hand, the representatives of Slovak organizations have left no doubt about the importance they attached to the safeguarding of the Slovak culture and the continuing use of the Slovak language.
Against this background, the repeatedly expressed commitments of the Government to grant the minorities in Hungary a wide range of possibilities is of special importance. The Act on the Rights of National and Ethnic Minorities, which was passed on 7 July l993 and which has now entered into force, is of special relevance. If its potential is used to the full, this Act could have a great beneficial effect for the minorities. As far as the Slovak minority is concerned, the Act could provide the basis for steps to promote the position of the Hungarian language as a language in the Hungarian school system.
Having these considerations in mind, I take the liberty to present the following recommendations to your Government:
1. The Hungarian Government should ensure that the recently adopted Act on the Rights of National and Ethnic Minorities is made public in such a way that all relevant groups and communities will be aware of its contents and its relevance to them. Part of this should be that the Hungarian Government explain to these groups and communities what possibilities relevant to them the Act contains and how they could use these possibilities. Without detracting from the importance of the other provisions, particular attention should be given to those concerning language education.
2. The Hungarian Government should ensure that any additional legislation necessary for the actual implementation of the said Act be presented to parliament in the near future, emphasising the importance of its speedy adoption by Parliament.
3. The Hungarian Government should ensure that sufficient funds are made available in its budget for the effective implementation of the Act in all its aspects, so that all relevant groups and communities can benefit from its possibilities.
4. The Hungarian Government should accord special attention to the position of the Slovak language as a language of instruction in the Hungarian school system. If necessary, positive action should be undertaken to promote its use as language of instruction for Slovak pupils.
I look forward with great interest to your comments on these recommendations.
Yours sincerely,
(s i g n a t u r e)
Max van der Stoel
CSCE High Commissioner
on National Minorities
