CoE Celebrates 20 Years of Protecting National Minorities, Urges Georgia to Sign Up

On 18 June, the Council of Europe hosted a conference to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities (FCNM) & European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages (ECRML), organized as part of Croatia’s six-month Chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe. The event was attended by high level guests, including Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó, and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of Croatia, Marija Pejcinovic Buric.

The two documents are considered as the most important international legal instruments for protecting national minorities at the European level. So far, Georgia has not ratified the European Charter for Regional and Minority Languages.

The Council of Europe Action Plan for Georgia for 2016-2019 says:

“Georgia is under a commitment to the Council of Europe to sign and ratify the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages (ECRML). Since 2013, a high-level inter-ministerial commission on the ECRML has been in place and dialogue with the media and the public about this Convention has been initiated. A draft of a ratification instrument was prepared in June 2013, with the support of the Council of Europe. Since May 2015, within the framework of the EU/CoE Joint Project, the CoE has conducted activities which aim to create the conditions for the signature, ratification and subsequent implementation of the ECRML. The CoE will support the Georgian authorities in their preparation for signing, ratifying and subsequently implementing the ECRML, assist in protection and promotion of regional and minority languages and enhance and strengthen national mechanisms for minority protection.”

The draft ratification document lists the languages that, if/when Georgia ratifies the Charter, would be protected under it. “In accordance with Article 2, paragraph 1 of the Charter, Georgia declares that Article 7, paragraphs 1-4 of Part II of the Charter (“objectives and principles”) shall apply to the following minority languages: Azerbaijani, Assyrian, Abkhazian, Greek, German, Estonian, (Urum) Turkish, Kurmanji/Kurdish, Ossetian, Polish, Russian, Armenian, Udi, Ukrainian and Kist/Chechen, Avar.”

As for the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities, Georgia did sign and ratify it without derogations back in 2005.

The Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Thorbjorn Jagland, delivered a speech at the conference, calling on member countries for a higher level of protection of human rights and rights of national minorities.

“In light of the range of recent challenges that Europe has faced, and the rise of extreme nationalism and xenophobia that we have witnessed, the protection of European minorities’ rights must remain a priority today,” the Secretary General stated. “Otherwise, we put at risk the benefits for everyone that come from living and working together in a spirit of unity where the minority is valued as part of the whole.”

By Vazha Tavberidze