MINELRES: New ECMI and ECMI-Related Publications

[MINELRES moderator]

Original sender: William McKinney <mckinney@ecmi.de>


New ECMI and ECMI-related Publications

Annual Report 2004 published

ECMI is pleased to announce the publication of its annual report for
2004. 

2004 has been an exceptional year for ECMI with significant successes
both in its project work, as well as in the development of the centre
and its expertise as a whole. The annual report for 2004 contains
detailed information on ECMI's project work in 2004, its organizational
improvements, as well as more general information on ECMI's staff,
structure, capacity and expertise.

The ECMI Annual Report 2004 can be downloaded at www.ecmi.de.

Recent ECMI Reports, Working Papers and Briefs

ECMI Report #53 

Decker, D. Christopher. Enhancing Minority Governance in Romania. Report
on the Presentation on Cultural Autonomy to the Romanian Government.
March 2005, 20 pp., appendix.
http://www.ecmi.de/download/Report_53.pdf

ECMI gratefully acknowledges the generous support of the "Enhancing
Minority Governance in Romania" programme by the Global Conflict
Prevention Fund of the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

The goal of this project is to strengthen the qualitative aspects of
inter-ethnic dialogue and minority representation vis-a-vis the Romanian
government. The project seeks to improve inter-ethnic relations in a
visible and sustained manner by enabling the Romanian Government to
develop a new law on the status of national minorities based upon good
practices and to establish standards for enhanced minority governance.
It is hoped that the project will improve inter-ethnic understanding and
acceptance by clarifying the legal status of national minorities;
improving stakeholder involvement in the drafting of the law on national
minorities; improving the quality of the draft law; and enhancing
awareness of minority issues among the main political parties in
parliament.

In March 2004, the Romanian state secretary and head of the Department
of Inter-Ethnic Relations (DRI) came to the European Centre for Minority
Issues (ECMI) headquarters to discuss the minority situation in Romania.
At this meeting it was decided that the DRI and ECMI would forge a
working relationship on minority-related issues and, particularly, the
draft law on the status of national minorities that the government was
planning to submit to parliament. ECMI was invited by the DRI to attend
a seminar in Romania on the draft law in May 2004. Following the
presidential and parliamentary elections which took place in November
and December 2004, a new government was formed and a new head of the DRI
was appointed by the prime minister. Cooperation between ECMI and the
DRI has grown progressively closer over time and activities concerning
the drafting of the law and capacity building of the Council of National
Minorities are set to continue.

 
ECMI Working Paper #23

Wheatley, Jonathan. Obstacles Impeding the Regional Integration of the
Kvemo Kartli Region of Georgia. February 2005, 49 pp., appendix
http://www.ecmi.de/download/working_paper_23.pdf

This report is intended to provide an overview of the current social,
economic and political situation in five rayons (districts) of Kvemo
Kartli province in south-eastern Georgia: Gardabani rayon, Marneuli
rayon, Bolnisi rayon, Dmanisi rayon and Tsalka rayon. By identifying and
providing information about the current problems impeding the regional
integration of those parts of Kvemo Kartli province in which national
minorities are concentrated, this working paper will act as a guide for
defining priorities and ensuring more informed intervention in the area.

Most of the fieldwork for this survey was carried out in these five
rayons during the period 3 -17 September 2004 and is informed by data
obtained from a total of forty-two interviews and two focus group
discussions. This fact-finding mission was also successful in serving an
additional purpose at the grass roots level as it identified key
stakeholders for a planned stakeholders' meeting which will be initiated
by ECMI in the near future.


ECMI Brief #13

Malloy, Tove H.

The Lisbon Strategy and Ethnic Minorities: Rights and Economic Growth,
April 2005, 13 pp.
http://www.ecmi.de/download/brief_13.pdf

Following the re-launch of the Lisbon Strategy by the European Council
in March 2005, the European Commission published on 12 April 2005 a
blueprint for growth and jobs in support of a re-focused Lisbon
Strategy. The blueprint identifies a number of factors that have
contributed to the slow growth rate in Europe, acknowledging among
others, that social exclusion is a major factor, especially among
unemployed women, and young and older workers. To alleviate this,
members of the European Union (EU) must adopt macroeconomic policies for
growth and jobs that will secure economic stability, economic
sustainability and efficiency. They must ensure a dynamic and
well-functioning Euro area, make it more attractive to invest and work
in Europe, and improve productivity, improve investment in research and
development to spur knowledge and innovation for growth. However, while
the young and older workers and women are of vital importance to the
rejuvenation of Europe's economy, ethnic minorities appear ostracised
from this new process. The new set of Employment Guidelines issued
alongside the blueprint discusses the need to ensure an inclusive labour
market for job seekers and disadvantaged people. Out of twenty-three
guidelines, only one pertains to minorities and that is in relation to
combating discrimination.


External Publications by ECMI Staff

THE RIGHTS OF MINORITIES: A COMMENTARY ON THE EUROPEAN FRAMEWORK
CONVENTION FOR THE PROTECTION OF NATIONAL MINORITIES

Edited by Marc Weller

688 pages, bibliography & index

ISBN 0-19-927858-X  hardback   ?95.00

The rights of minorities are becoming increasingly important, especially
in the context of enlargement of the European Union, yet there are
remarkably few treaties dealing with minority rights under international
law. The Council of Europe's Framework Convention for the Protection of
National Minorities is one of these. This volume provides the first
expert commentary on the Convention, which is the principal
international document establishing minority rights in a legally binding
way. Many minority rights such as those to political participation,
non-assimilation, and the use of native languages are not incorporated
in other major Human Rights agreements. The Convention is therefore
often taken to be the leading standard in the international law of
minority rights.

This commentary offers a detailed article-by-article analysis of the
Convention, by a group of international legal experts in minority
rights. Their commentary draws upon the Convention's negotiating history
and implementation practice, in addition to examining the pronouncements
of the Advisory Committee, which is the implementation body attached to
the treaty. It offers a clear sense of the concrete meaning of the
provisions of the Convention to scholars, students, and members of
minority rights groups.

For further information about this book, please see our ECMI Library.

This publication may be ordered directly from the publisher.

Oxford University Press

Mail or fax order form available here.

Telephone credit card orders:  +44 (0) 1536 454534

*********************************************************