Doc. 9360

4 February 2002

Situation of the Mari minority

Motion for an order

presented by Ms Tytti Isohookana-Asunmaa and others

In 1998 the Assembly approved a report (Doc. 8126) and a subsequent resolution (Resolution 1171 (1998)) concerning the endangered Finno-Ugrian minority cultures. Many of the Finno-Ugrian minorities are quite small in number, which make their situation particularly vulnerable.

In the report and resolution special attention was given to the situation of media and education. The resolution states inter alia that "the Assembly expresses great concern about the physical circumstances and low level of social protection of small Uralic peoples", stresses that "the educational field is the most important one for the preservation of the national identities and cultures of the Uralic peoples, and considers it vital to take urgent measures to preserve and develop education in the national languages of the Uralic peoples". Regarding the role of the media, the resolution points out that a "prerequisite for the preservation of languages is their active use in all written and oral communication. Therefore newspapers, radio and television programmes and other electronic media in minority languages must be maintained or promoted".

Among these small Finno-Ugrian minorities there is the Marij-El, which today is facing particular difficulties. Recently, for instance, media in the Mari language have been suspended and the Writer's Union of the Republic of Marij El has been evicted from their premises. The national department of the Ministry of Education has been suspended and the status of the Mari language in schools weakened considerably.

Considering the above, the Assembly should instruct its Committee on Culture, Science and Education to make a study of the situation of the Marij El minority with particular emphasis on the media, culture and education as well as the implementation of the Council of Europe documents signed by the Russian Federation with respect to the Mari minority.

Signed (see overleaf)

Signed : ¹

Isohookana-Asunmaa, Finland, EDG

Billing, Sweden, EPP/CD

de Puig, Spain, SOC

Dromberg, Finland, EDG

Duka-Zólyomi, Slovakia, EPP/CD

Elo, Finland, SOC

Fehr, Switzerland, LDR

Hooper, United Kingdom, EDG

Hovhannisyan, Armenia, EDG

Judd, United Kingdom, SOC

Kautto, Finland, SOC

Korkeaoja, Finland, LDR

Laakso, Finland, UEL

Luhtanen, Finland, SOC

Małachowski, Poland, SOC

Ringstad, Norway, LDR

Roseta, Portugal, PPE/CD

Sağlam, Turkey, EPP/CD

Toshev, Bulgaria, EPP/CD

¹        SOC: Socialist Group

      EPP/CD: Group of the European People’s Party

      EDG: European Democratic Group

      LDR : Liberal, Democratic and Reformers’ Group

      UEL: Group of the Unified European Left

      NR: not registered in a group