Conference organised in the framework of the Hungarian Presidency of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe

On 7 September 2021, the Council of Europe and the Hungarian authorities are organising a conference on “The role of NGOs and research institutes in promoting Council of Europe norms and standards on national minority rights”.

The conference will take place in hybrid format in the European Youth Centre in Budapest and via web streaming.

 Background

National minority rights are essential to ensure peace and stability on the European continent. The Council of Europe provides a widely recognised normative scheme and key mechanisms to ensure the protection for persons belonging to national minorities. Hungary supported the organisation’s endeavours in this area from the outset. The first priority of the Hungarian Presidency therefore focuses on promoting the effective protection of national minorities, and the conferences of the Hungarian Presidency aim both to highlight the role of the Council of Europe and to present the activity of civil society and its co-operation with international organisations.

 Objective

Following up on the high-level conference “Council of Europe norms and standards on national minority rights: Results and challenges”, held on the 29th June, 2021, this event will focus on another area of interest for minority protection in Europe. Indeed, this conference’s objectives is to discuss the contribution of civil and non-governmental organisations, as well as research institutes, in promoting international standards for the protection of national minorities and the norms and standards of the Council of Europe in particular. During the three panel discussions of the conference, representatives from non-governmental organisations and civil society, as well as experts from various research institutes with a broad range of experience in different fields, will express their views on the role of international organisations in protecting national minorities, especially in context of current challenges, and share their experience on the involvement of civil society in the activities of multilateral fora. This conference will also provide a forum to present a new and particularly relevant sector shaping public life – the active political participation of national minority youth, on which the Steering Committee on Anti-Discrimination, Diversity and Inclusion has drafted a study.

 Speakers

The conference will be opened by Péter Sztáray, State Secretary responsible for Security Policy (Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary) and Hallvard Gorseth, Head of Anti-Discrimination Department (Council of Europe). Further speakers include representatives international and Hungarian NGOs, research institutes, as well as youth representatives from national minorities.