Budapest: In the framework of the Hungarian Presidency of the Committee of Ministers, Hungary and the Council of Europe are organising a conference on “The role of NGOs and research institutions in promoting Council of Europe norms and standards on national minority rights” to be held on 7 September at the European Youth Centre in Budapest and via web streaming.

This conference is following up on the high-level conference “Council of Europe norms and standards on national minority rights: Results and challenges”, held back on 29 June in Strasbourg. It is dedicated to the contribution of civil and non-governmental organisations, as well as research institutes, in promoting international standards for the protection of national minorities and the norms and standards of the Council of Europe in particular.

During the three panel discussions of the conference, representatives from non-governmental organisations and civil society, as well as experts from various research institutes with a broad range of experience in different fields, will express their views on the role of international organisations in protecting national minorities, especially in context of current challenges, and share their experience on the involvement of civil society in the activities of multilateral fora.

This conference will also provide a forum to present a new and particularly relevant sector shaping public life – the active political participation of national minority youth, on which the Steering Committee on Anti-Discrimination, Diversity and Inclusion (CDADI) has drafted a study.

For more information, please consult the conference website, where you will also find the programme as well as the link to follow the livestream of the conference.