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Documents of the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities

Documents of the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities OSCE DOCUMENTS Documents of the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities Editors' note: In the last months the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities has released the following statement on 15 July 1999 on the decision of the President of Latvia to return the State Language Law to the Parliament for reconsideration. On 19 July 1999 he released a press report on the restoration of the use of minority languages in official communications in Slovakia. PRESS RELEASE 15 July 1999 I warmly welcome the decision of the President of Latvia to return the State Language Law adopted on 8 July by the Saeima to the parliament for reconsideration. I would like to reiterate that I strongly support the aim of strengthening the role of the state language in Latvia. The international community should support the promotion of the Latvian language through increased contributions to Latvian language training provided to non-Latvians. It is my firm conviction that a State Language Law can be elaborated by the parliament which will enhance the position of the Latvian language while at the same time being in conformity with international standards. * * * High Commissioner welcomes restoration of use of minority languages in official communications in Slovakia PRESSRELEASE 19 July 1999 The OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities, Mr. Max van der Stoel, issued the following statement today: I welcome the restoration of the use of minority languages in official communications in Slovakia, according to Article 2 of the Law on the Use of Minority Languages adopted by the Slovak Parliament on 10 July. As a result of the new Law, persons belonging to minorities will be able to use their language in communications with public administrative organs and organs of local self-administration in those municipalities where the minority constitutes at least twenty per cent of the population. By adopting Article 2 of the new Law concerning the use of minority languages in official communications, not only has the Slovak Republic restored an established practice which was eliminated under the previous Government, but it brings Slovakia's law in this matter back into conformity with the Slovak Constitution, applicable international standards and specific recom- mendations from relevant international institutions, including my own office. With regard to application of the Law as a whole, I have received the assurance of the Government that the provisions of the Law on the Use of Minority Languages will prevail, as a matter of subsequent and specific law, when interpreting and applying the Law in relation to provisions of the Law on the State Language. I consider solution of the question of the use of minority languages in official communica- tions to be a step forward which follows previous decisions of the Government in the field of inter-ethnic relations, for example with regard to use of bilingual school certificates and improve- ,...... ,.... , .......... http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Helsinki Monitor (in 2008 continued as Security and Human Rights) Brill

Documents of the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities

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Publisher
Brill
Copyright
© 1999 Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, The Netherlands
ISSN
0925-0972
eISSN
1571-814X
DOI
10.1163/157181499X00285
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

OSCE DOCUMENTS Documents of the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities Editors' note: In the last months the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities has released the following statement on 15 July 1999 on the decision of the President of Latvia to return the State Language Law to the Parliament for reconsideration. On 19 July 1999 he released a press report on the restoration of the use of minority languages in official communications in Slovakia. PRESS RELEASE 15 July 1999 I warmly welcome the decision of the President of Latvia to return the State Language Law adopted on 8 July by the Saeima to the parliament for reconsideration. I would like to reiterate that I strongly support the aim of strengthening the role of the state language in Latvia. The international community should support the promotion of the Latvian language through increased contributions to Latvian language training provided to non-Latvians. It is my firm conviction that a State Language Law can be elaborated by the parliament which will enhance the position of the Latvian language while at the same time being in conformity with international standards. * * * High Commissioner welcomes restoration of use of minority languages in official communications in Slovakia PRESSRELEASE 19 July 1999 The OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities, Mr. Max van der Stoel, issued the following statement today: I welcome the restoration of the use of minority languages in official communications in Slovakia, according to Article 2 of the Law on the Use of Minority Languages adopted by the Slovak Parliament on 10 July. As a result of the new Law, persons belonging to minorities will be able to use their language in communications with public administrative organs and organs of local self-administration in those municipalities where the minority constitutes at least twenty per cent of the population. By adopting Article 2 of the new Law concerning the use of minority languages in official communications, not only has the Slovak Republic restored an established practice which was eliminated under the previous Government, but it brings Slovakia's law in this matter back into conformity with the Slovak Constitution, applicable international standards and specific recom- mendations from relevant international institutions, including my own office. With regard to application of the Law as a whole, I have received the assurance of the Government that the provisions of the Law on the Use of Minority Languages will prevail, as a matter of subsequent and specific law, when interpreting and applying the Law in relation to provisions of the Law on the State Language. I consider solution of the question of the use of minority languages in official communica- tions to be a step forward which follows previous decisions of the Government in the field of inter-ethnic relations, for example with regard to use of bilingual school certificates and improve- ,...... ,.... , ..........

Journal

Helsinki Monitor (in 2008 continued as Security and Human Rights) – Brill

Published: Jan 1, 1999

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