As delivered by Bjørn Berge, Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Europe

A very good morning to all of you !

It is great to be with you at our Youth Center in Budapest on this important day.

State Secretary for Security Policy and Energy Security, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary,

Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Hungarian National Assembly,

Permanent Representative of Hungary to the Council of Europe,

Secretary of the Steering Committee on Anti-Discrimination, Diversity and Inclusion ,

Distinguished guests,

The Council of Europe has an extraordinay history encompassing over seven decades.

The purpose of the Council of Europe Days is to tell our Organisation’s story –

To make people aware of the way their fundamental rights are protected in Europe today.

Rights that they may take for granted, but which are based on the European Convention of Human Rights, the Human Rights Court in Strasbourg and the Convention system.

The subject that you have chosen could not be more appropriate.

A focus on young people from national minorities, encouraging them to participate in politics –

And take part in the public life of their country.

This is about the very fabric of a democratic society – safeguarding the rights of everyone.

It is about treating national minorities as equals, and share with all others the responsibility for shaping their shared future.

The Council of Europe has long supported its member states in making this a reality.

Every one of our 46 member countries must implement the judgments of the European Court of Human Rights –

And, over the years, the Court has made many rulings that have helped national minorities –

Confirming, for example, that our ethnic identity is something personal and protected by the European Convention on Human Rights –

And that forming an association to express and promote that identity, might be central to preserving and upholding its rights.

We also have other relevant and specific, tailor-made tools that countries can join.

These include the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities –

Which Hungary ratified almost thirty years ago.

It helps governments to ensure the equality of national minorities –

Preserving the essential elements of their identity –

Including religion and language –

And traditions and cultural heritage.

It also enables their participation in public life.

Dear friends,

Speakers at this event –

Many of you –

Will be able to share your experience of what this means in your daily lives.

The Framework Convention has helped many people – many communities – throughout our continent.

Drawing on its guidance, Albania, for example, has established a State Committee on Minorities that makes recommendations to the government on what to do, to support national minorities and their participation.

A county in Croatia has introduced measures to inform and assist Roma in obtaining the healthcare insurance that they had often lacked.

And Norway is funding young Sami and Jewish people to visits schools and give talks about the issues that their communities face.

The European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages is also playing a very important role.

It entered into force in 1998.

The Charter promotes the use of these languages in all fields of public life, including education –

And it guarantees speakers of minority languages participation in language policymaking, the media and cultural life.

Let me give you also here a few concrete examples:

After joining the Charter, Schleswig-Holstein in Germany adopted a law to promote the North Frisian language in public life –

So that people can use it when they contact public authorities, for example.

The Czech Republic has a dedicated grant scheme that funds policies such as producing bilingual place name signs in Czech and Polish.

And in Serbia’s Autonomous Province of Vojvodina, the public service broadcaster has introduced television and radio programmes in Czech and German.

All of this is of course helpful and positive.

It indicates a level of mutual respect and points the way to a future in which Europeans of all origins and ethnicities can integrate and live together in peace and harmony.

And enjoy their full rights and the richness of their community’s culture –

And at the same time contribute in full to the future of their country.

Also important steps have been taken in Hungary.

I also note that the topic of national minorities was the main priority during the recent Hungarian Presidency of the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers.

I hope that in your reflections today, you will be able to recognise how this approach can be helpful to your work –

And you may identify of what more might be done to ensure that you, your neighbours, and every community shares in a better future.

I wish you very a successful conference.

Thank you for your attention.