1 Kätlin Saaliste Counsellor to Minister for Population and Ethnic Affairs The implementation of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities – the experience of Estonia

2 Legal background in Estonia The Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities was signed on 2 February 1995 and it entered into force on 1 of February The first report on the implementation of the requirements of the Framework Convention was submitted in 1999 and the second report in 2004.

3 Reporting to the Advisory Committee Preparing the report to the Advisory Committee different parties were included: Government Ministries The Presidential roundtable on national minorities NGOs Cultural associations

4 Achievements on protection of national minorities certain legislative and administrative steps to make the naturalization process more accessible and streamlined the start of the transfer to Estonian as the main language of instruction in upper secondary schools in the school year 2007/2008 initiative to exempt of the elderly citizenship applicants from the Estonian language proficiency examination

5 Achievements on protection of national minorities the language proficiency requirements for electoral candidates have been abolished legal to use a foreign language in oral communications with officials of state agencies and local government by agreement of the parties

6 Proposals of the Advisory Committee to protect national minorities the positive measures to speed up and facilitate the naturalization process need to be strengthened further there is a need to intensify the training and other efforts to ensure that teachers have adequate Estonian language considering the educational reform the recruitment of persons belonging to national minorities in public service

7 Aims and measures to protect national minorities Naturalization – wide-ranging information campaigns, free language courses, consultations, aid-materials, organisation of obligatory base courses in Estonian history and culture Educational reform – teacher training, study literature, media campaigns

8 Aims and measures to protect national minorities Socio-economic aspects together with learning of Estonian – implementation of labour exchange programs, combined employment-language programs Support for the ethnic groups – improved financing mechanisms Consumption of media – increasing the volume of bilingual media programs

9 The new national integration program for The new program will be completed by the end of 2007, when the 1st program expires. Cooperation with different ministries, NGOs, ethnic organisations, experts. Informing the public of the preparation of the program to encourage people to express their visions about objectives and measures.

10 For further comments and questions, please contact the Office of Minister for Population and Ethnic Affairs in Estonia: Phone: Rahukohtu street, Tallinn Thank you for your attention!