UN-report: Greece must withdraw from dispute over existence of Macedonian minority

05.03.2009
An UN independent expert on minority issues urged Greece to focus on protecting the rights to self-identification and freedom of expression of the minorities.

The UN independent expert Gay McDougall released a report after paying a visit to Greece on September 8-16, 2008. The principal recommendation included in the report reads that "Greece should withdraw from the dispute over whether there is a Macedonian or a Turkish minority on its territory and focus on protecting the rights to self-identification, freedom of expression and freedom of association of those communities."

The report, which was conveyed Thursday by the party of Macedonians in Greece "Rainbow", adds that the rights of these communities to minority protections must be honored in accordance with the Declaration on Minorities and the core international human rights treaties.

McDougall notes that in the 1920s and 30s, laws required the replacement of non-Greek names of towns, villages, rivers and mountains with Greek names. The family names of the Macedonian-speaking population were also required to be changed to Greek names. Community representatives note that traditional names continue to be in common usage and call for reinstatement and the official usage of a dual nomenclature.

McDougall also noted the talks with Macedonians in Florina/ Lerin who have no right of assembly, though their organisation won in the 1980s a court decision in the International Court of Justice. "Greece is required to comply fully with the judgments of the European Court of Human Rights, specifically those decisions that associations should be allowed to use the words 'Macedonian' and 'Turkish' in their names and to express their ethnic identities freely,"

McDougal underlines in his report. "The minorities are an integral part of the Greek society, and not an alien element," says reports of the UN independent expert Gay McDougall, released last month.

http://www.maknews.com/html/articles/un_report/un_report_Greece_2009.pdf

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