Ireland

Committee of Ministers: Media-specific Provisions in New Resolutions on Minorities

IRIS 2007-8:1/38

Tarlach McGonagle

Institute for Information Law (IViR), University of Amsterdam

The Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers’ (CM) latest batch of country-specific Resolutions adopted in the context of the Second Monitoring Cycle of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities (FCNM) concern: the Russian Federation; Romania; Ireland and Norway. The Resolutions contain a number of provisions concerning the (audiovisual) media (for similar provisions in earlier country-specific Resolutions, see IRIS 2007-3: 6 and IRIS 2006-2: 4).

The CM recommends that the Russian authorities “further improve access to the media of persons belonging to national minorities” and - more generally - increase awareness-raising measures concerning “the dangers of hate speech and the importance of tolerance and respect for diversity”.

The CM recommends that the Romanian authorities “envisage ways to provide more convenient time-slots for minority television programmes and the possibility of extending the time of broadcasting service for national minorities in their language, especially at local level, taking into account the economic constraints within which public stations operate; promote better access of the Roma to the local radio”.

No media-specific recommendations are made in respect of Ireland, although the negative stereotyping of members of the Traveller community by some media reports is noted as an issue of concern. The only media-specific recommendation made in respect of Norway is directed at the enhancement of information and awareness-raising measures “on minority issues and the growing diversity of Norwegian society”. Unsatisfactory media coverage of the cultures and identities of national minorities is noted as an issue of concern.

The implementation of the FCNM by States Parties is monitored by the CM and the Advisory Committee on the FCNM. A system of periodic State reporting forms the basis of the monitoring process. The Opinions adopted by the Advisory Committee are, by their nature, much more detailed than the subsequent Resolutions adopted by the CM.