Slovenia ratifies the European Minorities Convention

From: MINELRES moderator <[email protected]>
To: [email protected]
Date: Sat, 4 Apr 1998 01:30:21 +0300 (EET DST)
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Subject: Slovenia ratifies the European Minorities Convention

From: MINELRES moderator <[email protected]> 

Original sender: Felix Corley <[email protected]>

Slovenia ratifies the European Minorities Convention


Council of Europe
 
Slovenia ratifies the European Convention for the protection of
national minorities

STRASBOURG, 25.03.98 - Slovenia today ratified the COUNCIL OF EUROPE
Framework Convention for the protection of national minorities.
Ambassador Magdalena TOVORNIK, Permanent Representative of Slovenia to
the Council of Europe handed the instrument of ratification of this
text to Daniel TARSCHYS, Secretary General of the Organisation.

The Framework Convention sets out, in the form of provisions, the
principles to be respected 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 the public 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 cooperation, 
- 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 system for implementing these
provisions, 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 submit reports on a periodical basis 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.

Opened for signature on 1 February 1995 this text is the first legally
binding multilateral European instrument for the protection of
national minorities. It has already been ratified by Croatia, Cyprus,
Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Italy,
Liechtenstein, Malta, Moldova, Romania, San Marino, Slovakia, Spain,
"the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia", Ukraine and the United
Kingdom. Non-member states may also be invited to accede to it. It has
also been signed by Albania, Austria, Bulgaria, Greece, Iceland,
Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway,
Poland, Portugal, Russia, Sweden, Switzerland as well as Armenia. It
will enter into force for Slovenia on 1 July 1998.

Founded in 1949, the Council of Europe is the oldest European
Organisation. Based in Strasbourg, France, it has 40 member countries
and covers every policy area except defence. It is separate from the
European Union.

Press Contact
Emma Hellyer, Council of Europe Press Service
Tel. +33 3 88 41 36 44 - Fax. +33 3 88 41 27 89
E-mail: [email protected]
 
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