Kätlin Saaliste Counsellor to Minister for Population and Ethnic Affairs 29.11.2005

1. The implementation of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities – the experience of Estonia Kätlin Saaliste Counsellor to Minister for Population and Ethnic Affairs 29.11.2005

2. Legal background in Estonia TheFrameworkConvention for the Protection of National Minorities was signed on 2 February 1995 and it entered into force on 1 of February 1998. 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 candidateshave 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 consideringthe 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 2008-2013 • 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. Thank you for your attention! For further comments and questions, please contact the Office of Minister for Population and Ethnic Affairs in Estonia: rahmin@riigikantselei.ee Phone: +372 693 5251 1 Rahukohtu street, Tallinn www.rahvastikuminister.ee