CONFERENCE ON THE INTEGRATION OF NATIONAL MINORITIES IN EUROPE
“STRENGTHENING THE COHESION OF EUROPEAN SOCIETIES: EFFECTIVE PARTICIPATION OF PERSONS BELONGING TO NATIONAL MINORITIES IN THE DECISION-MAKING PROCESS”
HOTEL HOLIDAY INN, SKOPJE
7-8 JUNE 2010
PROGRAMME
First day, 7 June 2010
9-9.30
Registration of participants
10 am
Opening of the Conference
Address by H.E. Antonio Miloshoski, Chairman of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, Minister of Foreign Affairs
Address by Ms Michèle Akip, Head of the Secretariat of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities, Directorate General of Human Rights and Legal Affairs, Council of Europe
Address by H.E. Knut Vollebaek, OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities
Address by Mr Zoran Petreski, President of the Committee on the political system and inter-ethnic relations, Macedonian Assembly
10.30 am
Coffee Break
10.45 am
Plenary session: Overview of the current situation in member states of the Council of Europe regarding effective participation of persons belonging to national minorities in the decision-making process.
- Presentation of a case study-specific country situation
Moderator: Ms Sanja Zografska-Krsteska, Macedonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Coordinator of the Committee of Ministers Chairmanship
Introduction by Mr Alan Phillips, President of the Advisory Committee on the Framework Convention on National Minorities, on the effects of the thematic Commentary produced by the Committee in 2008 on the Effective Participation of Persons belonging to National Minorities in Cultural, Social and Economic Life and in Public Affairs
Address by Mr Boriss Cilevičs, Rapporteur at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on Minority Protection in Europe: best practices and deficiencies in the implementation of common standards,
Ms Aleksandra Bojadzieva, Member of the Advisory Committee on the FCNM – “Macedonian Participation Arrangements with Comparative Focus on Roma”- case study
Ms Vesna Babic Petrovski, Director of the Agency for implementation of the rights of smaller communities – Presentation on the Agency
11.45 am
Discussion – Intervention by participants
.30 Family photo
.45 Press Conference
12.35 pm
Side-event organized by the NGO “InSoC Initiative for Social Change”, Presentation of Romani-Macedonian/Macedonian-Romani Dictionary and followed by Gazment Berisha Band, a Romani jazz band
1.00 pm
Lunch hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Workshop 1
3.00 pm
Sub-theme 1: Creating conditions for more effective participation in the political and public life for the future: what needs to be done to strengthen the cohesion of our societies while respecting diversity.
Moderator: Mr. Alan Philips, President of the Advisory Committee on the FCNM
Keynote speakers: Dr. Florian Bieber, University of Kent
Dr. Oleh Protsyk, Senior Research Associate,
European Centre for Minority Issues, Flensbourg
Professor Dr. Lidija Basta Fleiner, Member of
Advisory Committee on the FCNM
4.00 pm
Coffee Break
4.15 pm
Intervention by participants and discussion on Sub-theme 1
5.30 pm
End of the first day
Workshop 2
3.00 pm
Sub-theme 2: Synergies and Comparative advantages of the Council of Europe, OSCE/HCNM, EU, UN actions that contribute towards more effective participation of minorities in the decision-making process
Moderator: Ms Ilze Brands Kehris, 1st Vice-President of the Advisory Committee of the FCNM
Keynote speakers::
H.E Ambassador Jose Luis Herrero,
Head of the OSCE Spillover Monitoring Mission in Skopje
Ms Deirdre Boyd,
United Nations Resident Coordinator
and UNDP Resident Representative, Skopje
Ms Elisabeth Gross, Minority Rights Group – Europe
Ms Elena Andreevska, SEE University, Tetovo
Ms Margarita Tsatsa Nikolovska, former Macedonian Judge at the ECtHR, Legal Advisor
4.00 pm
Coffee Break
4.15 pm
Intervention by participants and discussion on Sub-theme 2
5.30 pm
End of the first day
7.00 pm
Cultural programme: visit to the Daut Pasha Hamam National Gallery, located in the Old Town, walking distance from the hotel
(6.45 pm departure from the hotel to the National Gallery)
8.30 pm
Cocktail – dinner hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
venue “Pivnica An” in the Old Town
Second day, 8 June 2010
9.30 am
Plenary session: Future activities and conclusions from the discussion
Moderator: Ms Sanja Zografska-Krsteska, Macedonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Coordinator of the Committee of Ministers Chairmanship
Keynote speaker: Professor Dr. Gjegj Sinani, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Tirana, Member of Advisory Committee on the FCNM
Interventions by participants
11.00 am
Coffee Break
11.30 am
Concluding remarks by Ms Ilze Brands-Kehris, 1st Vice-President of the Advisory Committee on the FCNM
12 noon
Closing session
Mr Abdulaqim Ademi, Deputy Prime Minister and Head of the Secretariat for the Implementation of the Framework Agreement
Ms Michèle Akip, Head of the Secretariat of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities, Directorate General of Human Rights and Legal Affairs, Council of Europe
Mr Antonio Miloshoski, Chairman of the Committee of Ministers, Macedonian Minister of Foreign Affairs
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