Order 501 (1995)

Protection of the rights of national minorities

Author(s): Parliamentary Assembly

Origin - Assembly debate on 31 January 1995 (3rd Sitting) (see Doc. 7228, report of the Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights, rapporteur: Mr Bindig). Text adopted by the Assembly on 31 January 1995 (3rd Sitting).

1. The Assembly refers to its Recommendation 1255 (1995) and to its previous texts concerning the protection of national minorities. The protection of national minorities and their rights has now become one of the major assignments of the Council of Europe today.

2. The Assembly therefore instructs its Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights:

2.1. to consider the action taken to follow up Recommendation 1255 (1995);

2.2. to closely follow the ratification and implementation of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities (1994) and of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages (1992);

2.3. to make sure that the advisory committee to be set up by the Committee of Ministers, in accordance with Article 26 of the framework convention, may be as independent, effective and transparent as possible;

2.4. to further examine the ways in which the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages may be most effectively implemented;

2.5. to closely follow the elaboration, by the Committee of Ministers, of a protocol complementing the European Convention on Human Rights "in the cultural field by provisions guaranteeing individual rights, in particular for persons belonging to national minorities".

3. Furthermore, the Assembly, referring to its Orders Nos. 474 (1992) and 484 (1993), instructs the Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights to continue its work on minorities, particularly concerning the creation of a mediation instrument, if necessary in close co-operation with the other competent committees.