A task force for nationality affairs was set up on Thursday in Budapest at the Government’s initiative with the involvement of civil organisatios. The task force will assist the Government in the future with legislative proposals and policy advice and will also help the Government to draft its national minority policy concept.

The sub-committee began its operation under the auspices of the Human Rights Task Force coordinated by the Office of the Minister of State for Social Relations at the Ministry of Public Administration and Justice, and its founding meeting was attended by the representatives of Roma, German and Croatian organisations, academic and arts associations and organisations operating legal aid services, in addition to government officials.

The president of the body, Csaba Latorcai, Deputy State Secretary for Minority and Civil Social Relations at the Ministry for Human Resources requested the attendees to keep track of the practical enforcement of nationality rights and to make proposals if and when necessary.
The Deputy State Secretary said that the Government intends to draft its national minority policy strategy by the end of the year. Amongst its most important priorities, the strategy aims to slow down the process of assimilation and to support the autonomy of nationalities, inter alia.

Participants of the meeting also discussed the implications of the changed nationality franchise, the introduction of the preferential quota and the fact that the given national minority may elect a representative if the relevant census data confirms that the community in question is indeed present in the locality.

With reference to this, the Deputy State Secretary announced that the Central Statistical Office pledged to publish the latest nationality data on the basis of the last census by the end of March which will identify the communities where nationality elections may be held in 2014.

The next meeting of the task force for nationality affairs will be held at the end of April or beginning of May.

(Ministry of Public Administration and Justice)