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Indigenous languages are the essence of indigenous peoples' culture and traditions. They constitute the majority of the almost 7 000 languages spoken all over the world, yet, tragically, almost half of them are threatened with extinction. The loss of an indigenous language results in the loss of culture, tradition and ancestral knowledge, mainly botanical, gathered throughout the ages by those who speak it, resulting also in the loss of biodiversity. In light of this, the UN General Assembly declared ...

International Roma Day, marked on 8 April, is devoted to Europe's largest ethnic minority, the Roma, a predominant part of whom suffer from discrimination and isolation. This day also focuses on Roma history, culture, language and aspirations, which remain largely unknown in Europe, even though they are key to mutual understanding and can contribute to closing the gap between communities. The study and promotion of Roma culture and language fall under the remit of legislation concerning the preservation ...

This report summarises the proceedings of a workshop organised by the European Parliament’s Subcommittee on Human Rights (DROI). Academics, representatives of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and the European External Action Service (EEAS) discussed the potential positive and negative impacts of the expansion of the human rights concept on the lives of individuals. Some of the invited experts underlined that human rights have always evolved in response to changing historical contexts and that ...

Sakharov Prize Finalists 2017

Briefing 04-12-2017

Short presentation of two Sakharov Prize Finalists 2017.

On 25 September 2017, the government of the autonomous Region of Kurdistan in Iraq, under its president, Masoud Barzani, organised a referendum on independence, disregarding calls by the Iraqi central government and the international community to postpone it. The referendum was held in the Kurdistan Region's constituencies and also in the neighbouring 'disputed' territories, in particular the oil-rich area of Kirkuk, which have de facto if not legally been governed by the Kurdish authorities since ...

Public opinion surveys suggest that although most Indonesians do not know much about the European Union, they generally feel positively towards it. Looking at the principles underpinning key Indonesian government policies over the past few decades, there is much common ground between the EU and Indonesia. Some of the biggest gaps are in the field of economic policy, where the EU's commitment to trade and investment liberalisation contrasts with Indonesia's more ambiguous stance. There are more similarities ...

The brutal military crackdown since October 2016 in Myanmar/Burma's Rakhine State has highlighted the tragic situation of Muslim Rohingya, often described as one of the most persecuted minorities in the world. Deprived of citizenship and basic freedoms at home, those who risk their lives to escape can at best hope for a precarious existence abroad. This text updates an earlier 'at a glance note', published in February 2017 - PE 599.257.

The EU and India – two multicultural democracies with a constitutional structure containing elements of federalism – potentially have much in common. However, they face different geopolitical concerns; the fact that each party's attention is focused on its own neighbours (in the case of New Delhi, this translates into a 'Chinese obsession'), has prevented them from developing the strategic partnership they had agreed upon in 2004. The stalemate in negotiations for a free trade agreement, which started ...

This study, commissioned by the European Parliament’s Policy Department for Citizens’ Rights and Constitutional Affairs at the request of the LIBE Committee, examines the added value of developing a democratic rule of law and fundamental rights-based approach to the protection of minorities in the EU legal system, from an ‘intersectional’ viewpoint. It presents the state of play regarding the main challenges characterising the protection of ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities in a selection ...

Serbia: 2016 country report

At a Glance 07-06-2017

In June 2017, the European Parliament is to vote on a motion for a resolution on Serbia's 2016 country report. It acknowledges Serbia's progress with EU accession talks and its rigorous reform agenda, and highlights that dialogue with Pristina and 'rule of law' reforms remain areas for priority action.