MINELRES: Council of Europe: PACE Sub-Committee on Rights of Minorities set up

[MINELRES moderator]

Original sender: MINELRES moderator <minelres@mailbox.riga.lv>


In accordance with the decision of the PACE Committee on Legal Affairs
and Human Rights, the Sub-Committee on the Rights of Minorities was
constituted during the recent PACE April part-session in Strasbourg (25
- 29 April 2005). 

According to the Sub-Committee's Terms of reference, the sub-committee
shall deal with all matters relating to the rights of national
minorities and other minorities. It shall consider matters concerning
the Council of Europe's treaties and mechanisms relating to minorities,
in particular the Framework Convention for the Protection of National
Minorities and the European Charter for Regional and Minority Languages,
and contribute to their promotion. The sub-committee shall consider
proposals for improving the protection of minority rights in Europe,
strengthening Council of Europe standard-setting instruments and
corresponding monitoring mechanisms. The sub-committee shall monitor
activities of relevant Council of Europe bodies, in particular the
Advisory Committee of the FCNM, European Commission against Racism and
Intolerance (ECRI) and the Committee of Experts on Issues relating to
the Protection of National Minorities (DH-MIN), as well as of other
international organizations in the field, in particular the OSCE High
Commissioner on National Minorities. The sub-committee shall maintain
relations with relevant NGOs, organise hearings of these organisations. 

At the first meeting of the sub-committee held on 27 April, Mr Boriss
Cilevics (Latvia, Socialist group) has been elected chairman, and Mr
Egidijus Vareikis (Lithuania, European People's Party group)
vice-chairman of the sub-committee.