DELEGATION OF SLOVENIA

WORKING GROUP 3

4 november 1994

BY FERENC HAJOS, AMBASSADOR

HEAD OF DELEGATION OF THE REPUBLIC OF SLOVENIA AT THE CSCE REVIEW CONFERENCE IN BUDAPEST

Mr. Chairman,

May I at the outset express my thanks for comprehensive contributions of previous speakers of todays session and of former sessions fo this Working Group.

Discussions and presentations already represented in this Group make a very useful and enlightening contribution to the evaluation, implementation and further development of human dimension issues.

The national minorities are particulalry sensitive issue to which the CSCE is increasingly committed. NAtional minorities are the expression of cultural diversity and as such part of European identity. They should represent non-violent co-existence, they should enrich Europe and create paths towards rapprochement and cooperation between nations and states.

Mr. Chairman,

Before becoming a full member of Council of Europe and CSCE, Slovenia has carefully accompanied this important issue. That was the reason why we already in that early stage included in our legislation and its implementation standards of protection of national minorities beyond existing European average level.

The existence of high level of protection of national minorities was also conclusion of international representatives from Council of Europe, which were at that time visited Slovenia and monitored the status of national minorities in our state.

Slovenia warmly welcomes and support international legal binding documents and agreements existing in the Council of Europe and also in CSCE framework.

In already adopted documents of the Council of Europe and those which are now in final stage, such as "European Charter for minority and regional languages" - document which will be signed by slovenia in early future, we see the important contribution to the strenghtening and further developing the level of protection of national minorities.

Slovenia also welcomes and support other new initiatives in that field. None the less importance in comparison with already existing documents represents for us the Council of Europes draft named "Convention of the protection of national minorities" and framework proposal for "additional protocol to the European convention on human and cultural rights".

Slovenia is actively involved in activities of protection of rights of national minoritites, not just because of the fact, that we should fulfill necessary and inevitable international binding obligations, but also because we conceive them as one of the most important part of our international activities, also in regional based cooperations as are Alpe-Adria and Central European Initiative.

We support and welcome the fact and process, that Council of Europe in preparation of nw international documents dealing with this issue stress the importance and encourages cooperation among states in accordance with generally accepted rules of good neighbourhood cooperation and respecting of international integrity and soveregnity of states.

In that cooperation and framework, minorities represent important element and can contribute important to the enrichment of international cooperation and enhancing stability and peace in Europe.

Mr. Chairman,

We also warmly welcome achievements in the another and at the same time most broader European institution dealing with minority issues, that is in the CSCE.

This is particularly important, taking into considerations fact, that there exiat broad consensus about protection of minorities and rights of the persons belonging to minorities, and that they should represent integral part of international protection of human rights in Europe.

In this framework Slovenia see minority issues as an important factor contributing to the development and progress of democratic societies in Europe.

At the same time we are also convinced, that question of national minorities represents also highly important political security dimensions.

In this context the role of the CSCE High Comissioner for Minorities is of the utmost importance. His activities have within a relatively short period of time, fully justified his existence.

Moreover, his orientation towards conflict prevention represents a vital part in the realisation and consolidation of European standards, drawn up in particular in the 1990 Copenhagen Document.

For us it goes without saying, that High Comissoner represents pillar which contribute to the creation and implementation of international standards for protection of national minorities in Europe. His role is also very important regarding the monitoring of the standards and their implementation in CSCE states.

We need further implementation and well coordinated action in the framework of CSCE, in Council of Europe and between both most important European institutions dealing with protection of national minorities.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.