23-24 November 2023, Pázmány Péter Catholic University, Faculty of Law and Political Sciences

For 25 years, the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages has supported the efforts of the States Parties to protect minority languages. With its innovative à la carte structure, its detailed rules focusing on different elements of linguistic vitality and its rigorous monitoring system, it has not only become a successful protection mechanism in Europe, but can also serve as a model for the international protection of other endangered values (e.g. the natural environment) or regions. The aim of the conference was to provide a comprehensive overview of the last 25 years of the Charter: the drafting of its provisions, the linguistic and political context in which it was born, the experiences and achievements of the last three decades, the composition and working methods of the Charter's Committee of Experts, the links with other Council of Europe regimes and the future development of Charter protection. The conference opened with a keynote lecture by Fernand De Varennes, former UN Rapporteur on Minorities. This was followed by three thematic blocks: experiences and challenges in implementing some of the provisions of the Charter, followed by an analysis of the regulation of certain States Parties and efforts to achieve recognition of the Papiamentu language under the Charter.

The conference enriched our knowledge on the application of the Charter and its challenges with exciting presentations. The authors will publish their papers based on their conference presentations in an edited volume.

The conference was supported by the National Media and Communications Authority.