Statement by OSCE Minorities Commissioner on Slovakia's State Language Act

THE HAGUE, 03 September 2009 - The OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities (HCNM), Knut Vollebaek, released the following statement today:

"Over the past two months I have had numerous discussions with the Slovak and Hungarian Governments and Parliaments as well as representatives of the Hungarian minority in Slovakia in connection with the promulgation of amendments to Slovakia's State Language Act. All parties have sought my good offices in order to help find an amenable solution to outstanding issues surrounding the promulgation and implementation of the Law.

In my talks I emphasized that it is important that an appropriate balance is ensured between strengthening the state language on the one hand, and protecting the linguistic rights of persons belonging to national minorities on the other.

I suggested specific measures on how this balance can be enhanced and recommended a number of steps to be taken in order to implement the law in an appropriate and proportionate way. It is essential that the implementation of the Act does not negatively affect the rights of persons belonging to national minorities in Slovakia.

I also encouraged the Slovak and Hungarian Governments to engage in constructive dialogue on outstanding issues in the spirit of friendly and good-neighbourly relations and to make full use of existing bilateral mechanisms. It is also imperative that the next steps are taken in close co-operation with national minority representatives in Slovakia.

In this context, all sides have welcomed my participation in the upcoming meeting of the Slovak-Hungarian Joint Commission on Issues of National Minorities and have invited me to provide my assistance in ensuring that the next steps will take account of the rights and legitimate needs of all stakeholders. This includes my assistance with the drafting of the implementing guidelines.

I intend to remain engaged with this matter until it is resolved in a way that all sides accept. I will visit Budapest and Bratislava in mid-September to continue assisting Hungary and Slovakia in resolving their differences."