Conference “National Minorities and Minority Languages in a changing Europe” in Strasbourg next week

A high-level conference “Minorities and Minority Languages in a Changing Europe” will be held in Strasbourg on 18-19 June on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the entry into force of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities and the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages, the two key treaties of the Council of Europe in this area.

The event held under the Croatian Chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe will take stock of the evolution of the protection of national minorities’ rights and their languages over the past twenty years. The conference will specifically look at the current developments shaping the situation of national minorities and languages, the role of language and education policies in the interplay between minority and official languages, as well as the opportunities offered by technological innovations to persons belonging to minorities.

The conference will be opened by Thorbjørn Jagland, Secretary General of the Council of Europe; H.E. Marija Pejčinović Burić, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of Croatia, Chair of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe; Vesna Crnić-Grotić, Chair of Committee of Experts of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages; and Edita Žiobienė, Interim President of the Advisory Committee on the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities. The keynote speech will be delivered by Josefina Skerk, member of the Swedish Sami Parliament.

The high-level session that will follow is expected to feature addresses by Péter Szijjártó, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary; Bernd Fabritius, Federal Government Commissioner for Matters Related to Ethnic German Resettlers and National Minorities, Federal Ministry of the Interior, Building and Community of Germany; Ketevan Tsikhelashvili, State Minister for Reconciliation and Civic Equality of Georgia; Artemis Dralo, Deputy Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs of Albania; Vigen Kocharyan, Deputy Minister of Justice of Armenia; Leon Gjokaj, Deputy Minister for Human and Minority Rights of Montenegro; Monica Gheorghiţă, Secretary of State, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Romania and Ivan Bošnjak, Secretary of State, Ministry of Public Administration and Local Self-Government of Serbia.

The conference will start on Monday, 18 June at 2.30 p.m. at Room 1 of the Palais de l’Europe and will be open to print, online and radio journalists.

A press briefing by Vesna Crnić-Grotić (Chair of Committee of Experts of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages) and Edita Žiobienė (Interim President of the Advisory Committee on the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities) will take place on 18 June at 1.30 p.m. in Room 2.

A short stand-up press briefing by and H.E. Marija Pejčinović Burić, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of Croatia, and Thorbjørn Jagland, Council of Europe Secretary General, will take place on 18 June at 3.15 p.m. in front of the Room 1.

Original source: CoE
Published on 14 June 2018