The Alternative Report on the Implementation of the Charter for Regional or Minority Languages

In cooperation with the Vojvodina Centre for Human Rights, the Network of Committees for Human Rights CHRIS created the Alternative Report on the basis of Article 15 of the Charter for Regional or Minority Languages based on the second monitoring cycle in June, 2010. The Alternative report is supported by the Fund for an Open Society – Serbia.

In the course of the second reporting cycle that started in November 2009 and ended in June 2010, the basic idea of the Vojvodina Centre for Human Rights (VHCR) and the Network of Committees for Human Rights in Serbia (CHRIS) in drawing up the Alternative Report on the Implementation of the Charter for Regional or Minority Languages was to get a maximum involvement of the national minorities, national councils, and NGO representatives with the aim of obtaining a more authentic approach and presentation of minority languages status.

The Alternative Report 2010 is a compilation of 14 individual reports including the stands of experts and the newly elected minority national councils’ representatives. The report relied on the systematically followed up data on minority languages status in Voivodina, which is not a regular practice in Serbia proper. That obstacle was alleviated by willingness of the state authorities to cooperate with the national minorities and NGO sector in promoting the Charter and its practical application.

Serbia agreed to promote and protect languages of national minorities relying on the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities. The Council of Europe monitors application of the Convention informing on the results in a Charter on Languages in a three year period; and the Council’s Committee of Ministers make recommendations referring them to Serbia afterwards. In an endeavour to facilitate and ensure protection and promotion of minorities human rights, VRHC and CHRIS Network keep contributing to this process by monitoring, researching and compiling shadow reports.

The Alternative Report on the Implementation of the Charter for Regional or Minority Languages 2010 is the third shadow report prepared by VHRC and CHRIS Network since 2006. The first two were submitted in 2007, as follows:

Alternative report on implementation of the Charter for Regional or Minority Languages in Serbia, submitted by VHRC and CHRIS in June 2007 ; supported by the Fund for an Open Society, Serbia.
Alternative Report on the Implementation of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities by CHRIS Network, submitted in September 2007; supported by the Fund for an Open Society, Serbia.

To present the findings and make recommendations, a conference was organised in Novi Sad in November 2009. The two main items of the agenda were:

Implementation of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities andthe European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages in Serbia, and
Monitoring Results and Recommendations with Special Emphasis on Education and
Effective Participation of Minorities in Public Life.

Recommendations of the National Councils of National Minorities became part of a final declaration which was sent to state bodies, institutions, national and international NGOs to whom it concerns. The conference was organised by the VHRC, Council of Europe - Belgrade, CHRIS, and supported by the Fund for an Open Society - Serbia, and the Provincial Secretariat for Administration, Regulations and National Minorities.

Please visit the internet presentation of the conference: http://vojvodina-hrce.weebly.com/index.html