Strasbourg, 27 April 2006                                                                                                     Restricted

                                                                                                                                                                        CDL-MIN(2006)001

Study 294/2004

 

 

EUROPEAN COMMISSION FOR DEMOCRACY THROUGH LAW

(VENICE COMMISSION)

 

 

ROUND TABLE ON “NON-CITIZENS AND MINORITY RIGHTS”   16 June 2006 09.00 a.m.-1.00 p.m.   University of Geneva Law Faculty - Department of Constitutional Law Room 3042 40 Bd du Pont d’Arve 1211 Geneva 4 Tel + 41 22 379 85 30 /22

 

 

DRAFT PROGRAMME

 

1.                  Short introduction in the light of earlier exchanges of views organised by the Venice Commission in May 2004 and June 2005.

 

2.                  General discussion on:

a) Cultural rights (education, media, use of minority languages in public life);

 

b) Effective participation (right to vote and to stand for elections, consultation mechanisms, access to the civil service);

 

c) Full and effective equality, non-discrimination.

 

3.                  Identification, relevance and admissibility of criteria such as residency, numerical size, length of time on a given territory.

 

4.                  General human rights and core minority rights: distinct or interrelated sets of rights?

 

5.                  Conclusions.