The Advisory Committee’s 13th activity report covering the period from 1 June 2020 to 31 May 2022 has been published end of September after having been presented to the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers. The report sums up the activities of the Committee during the two-year period and outlines trends and challenges for minority protection in Europe, from the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russian Federation’s aggression against Ukraine to climate change and the position of minority youth.

The second half of 2022 started off with a monitoring visit to the Republic of Moldova in September, followed by a coordinated visit with the Committee of Experts (COMEX) of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages to Austria in October. In November an Advisory Committee delegation visited Albania. In addition to these visits, two follow-up events took place in November in Norway and in Slovenia.

Through its jurisprudence, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has substantially advanced the legal protection of national minorities. A dedicated page on the Framework Convention's website provides a regularly updated overview of the most influential cases before the Court in this field, including in respect of states which are not parties to the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities.

On 1 February 1998, the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities entered into force as the first legally binding multilateral treaty on minority protection. For over two decades now, the Advisory Committee has advised on the implementation of the FCNM, given visibility to national minorities and promoted integration of diverse societies. That is a reason to celebrate and the FCNM website will soon feature a dedicated page with facts and figures, statements, interviews, success stories, a quiz and much more.