Dr Martins Paparinskis, Reader in Public International Law at UCL Laws, has been elected to the list of experts eligible to serve on the Advisory Committee on the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities (FCNM). The FCNM is the Council of Europe’s most comprehensive text for protecting the rights of persons belonging to national minorities. It is the first legally binding multilateral instrument devoted to the protection of national minorities worldwide. It was adopted on 10 November 1994 by the Committee of Ministers and it entered into force on 1 February 1998. It has 39 member states to date.
The Advisory Committee is the independent expert committee responsible for evaluating the implementation of the Framework Convention in state parties and advising the Committee of Ministers. The results of this evaluation consist in detailed country-specific opinions adopted following a monitoring procedure. This procedure involves the examination of State Reports and other sources of information as well as meetings on the spot with governmental interlocutors, national minority representatives and other relevant actors. The Advisory Committee is composed of 18 independent experts elected and appointed for four years. In accordance with Resolution (97) 10 of the Committee of Ministers, members of the Advisory Committee shall have recognised expertise in the field of the protection of national minorities. They shall serve in their individual capacity, shall be independent and impartial and shall be available to serve on the Committee effectively.