MINELRES: MInority RIghts Network in Macedonia: Appeal to the Minister of Foreign Affairs

[MINELRES moderator]

Original sender: Albert Musliu <adi@adi.org.mk>


Dear Sir/madam

Please find attached the appeal of the Macedonian Minority Rights
Network, sent to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Macedonia Mr.
Slobodan Casule, requesting submission of the State Report of the
Government of Macedonia on the implementation of the provisions of the
Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities of the
Council of Europe in Macedonia.

With Kindest regards

Albert Musliu, ADI

=================================
Albert Musliu
Association for Democratic Initiatives ADI
B. Jovanoski St. 61
91230 Gostivar
Macedonia
tel:    +389 42 22 11 00
fax:    +389 42 22 11 02
e-mail: albert@adi.org.mk
URL: http://www.adi.org.mk


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To: Mr. Slobodan Casule Minister
    Ministry of Foreign Affairs Skopje


Your Excellency

I have the honor to present you, on behalf of the Macedonian Network
of NGO's working in the field of Minority Rights, established in Ohrid
in March 2002, with the support of the Secretariat of the Framework
Convention for the Protection of National Minorities of the Council of
Europe, 25 signed and stamped letters of support for the Appeal to the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Republic of Macedonia, requesting
fulfillment of the obligation to submit a State Report for the
Implementation of the provisions of the FCNM of CoE in Macedonia,
which is signed and ratified by our country, namely:

The Network of NGO's working in the field of Minority Rights in the
Republic of Macedonia at the beginning of March 2002 in Ohrid realized
a seminar on the topic: Increasing Knowledge on Minority Rights
Standards. On the seminar, were reviewed the European Charter on
Regional and Minority Languages and the Framework Convention for the
Protection of National Minorities of the Council of Europe.

The participants reviewed the European Charter on Regional and
Minority Languages and the Framework Convention on the Protection of
National Minorities and acknowledged the fact that Republic of
Macedonia has signed and ratified the Framework Convention for the
Protection of National Minorities, with which R. of Macedonia took the
obligation for submitting regular state reports on the implementation
of provisions of the Framework Convention for the Protection of
National Minorities in the country

The Network came to the conclusion that the submission of State
Reports is of a crucial importance for having a better overview on the
status of the respect and implementation of the Convention in R. of
Macedonia.
On the Seminar, the Network of the NGO's in Macedonia, concluded that
the State Report which was supposed to be submitted and presented to
the CoE by the Government of Macedonia in 1999, is still not
submitted, with which the Council of Europe and the Network of NGO's
can't have a clear observation of the implementation of the Framework
Convention for the Protection of National Minorities in Macedonia

Therefore we as a network of NGO's working in the field of minority
rights in the R. of Macedonia, urge you and the government of
Macedonia to prepare and submit the state report to the Council of
Europe at the shortest possible period. This is an obligations rising
from article 25 of the Framework Convention towards all the countries
that have signed and ratified the Convention

In this context we would also like to offer our cooperation in the
preparation of the report, and all this with aim of preparing a
comprehensive and complete report, which will mean fulfillment of the
international obligations we have as a country

We hope that you will undertake the necessary activities in accordance
with this request and will inform us on the activities connected with
the report

Thank you for your cooperation

On behalf of The Network of NGO's working in the field of Minority
Rights in the Republic of Macedonia

Albert Musliu
Executive Director
Association for Democratic Initiatives ADI

Annexes:
- Copies of the signed letters by the members of the network
- List of NGO's signatories of the letters of support for the appeal