Strasbourg, 13 October 2015

 

 

 

 

 

 

ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON THE FRAMEWORK CONVENTION

FOR THE PROTECTION OF NATIONAL MINORITIES

 

 

Conference on

“Minority rights in divided societies”

 

Sarajevo, 15 October 2015

 

Venue: Hotel Marriot Courtyard, Skenderija 1, Sarajevo

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Persons belonging to national minorities in the Western Balkans face a number of important obstacles when it comes to the enjoyment of their rights today, as bias and divisions are still present and noticeable in everyday life. The promotion of integrated and cohesive societies where diversity is respected and encouraged therefore remains a crucial challenge in a process in which international instruments such as the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities play an important role. 

The purpose of this conference is to address the remaining sources of division and develop concrete proposals to overcome them. Participants are invited to actively contribute to discussions on practical and theoretical issues surrounding the role of states, international organisations, civil society, persons belonging to national minorities and others in promoting the protection of minority rights in diverse and integrated societies.

 

 

9:00 – 9:30Registration

9:30 – 9:45Opening

Semiha Borovac, Minister for Human Rights and Refugees, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Mary-Ann Hennessy, Head of Council of Europe Office in Bosnia and Herzegovina

 

9:45 – 10:00Key-note address

Francesco Palermo, President of the Advisory Committee

Implementation of the Framework Convention in divided societies

 

10:00 – 11:30Panel I: Minority rights in divided societies: opportunities and challenges

 

Chair: Petra Roter, Vice President of the Advisory Committee

 

Panelists: María Ochoa-Llido, Head of Anti-Discrimination and Social Cohesion Department, Council of Europe

Council of Europe tools for the promotion of minority rights

 

Christine Hirst, Chief Communities Section, OSCE Mission in Kosovo

Communities’ rights in a post-conflict context

 

Jan Snaidauf, Head of Political and Economic Section, Delegation of the European Union to Bosnia and Herzegovina

EU approaches for the protection of minorities and social inclusion

 

Claude Cahn, United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights

The United Nations Human Rights Protection System and minorities: recent developments and good practices

Discussion

11:30 – 11:45Coffee

11:45 – 13:15Panel II: Promoting the enjoyment of minority rights in the Western Balkans

Chair:Antonija Petričušić, Additional member of the Advisory Committee in respect of Croatia

 

Panelists:Jens Woelk, Associate Professor, School of International Studies, University of Trento

Models of statehood and their consequence for the promotion of minority rights

 

Denisa Sarajlić Maglić, President of the Board – Foreign Policy Initiative BH

The role of the international community in minority rights protection in the Western Balkans

 

Aleš Balut, Senior Political Advisor, Office of the High Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Access to rights of returnees

 

Jakob Finci, President of the Jewish Community in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Fighting discrimination through legal means: a personal story
 

Discussion

 

13:15 – 14:30 Buffet lunch

 

 

 

 

14:30 – 16:00Panel III: From division to inclusion through minority rights

 

Chair:Ivana Jelić, Second Vice President of the Advisory Committee

 

Panelists:Neven Anđelić, Member of the Advisory Committee in respect of Bosnia and Herzegovina

When the majority becomes a minority

 

Dervo Sejdić, Vice President of NGO Kali Sara Roma Information Centre

Roma inclusion in the Western Balkans

 

Brigitta Busch, Member of the Advisory Committee in respect of Austria

Language as a factor of inclusion or exclusion

 

Steinar Bryn, Senior Advisor, Nansen Center for Peace and Dialogue, Norway Reconciliation and the promotion of inter-cultural dialogue

 

General discussion

 

16:00 – 16:15Final remarks and conclusion

Francesco Palermo, President of the Advisory Committee

 

Coffee/Reception