SUBMITTED TO: The General Assembly
SUBJECT: Situation in East and Southeast Europe
PROPOSED BY: European Union, Hungary
SIGNATORIES: Egypt, Ireland, Italy, Russian Federation, Spain

The General Assembly,

(01) Acting in full accordance with the purpose and principles of the UN Charter, and;

(02) Reaffirming its commitment to the principle of self-determination of nations, and;

(03) Recalling the UNESCO Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity, and;

(04) Bearing in mind the principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
(05) and in particular its article 2, stressing the validity of the rights and freedoms 
(06) set forth in the Declaration without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, 
(07) sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin 
(08) property, birth or other status, and;

(09) Mindful of the need to prevent outbreaks of conflict as well as resolving it, and;

(10) Deeply disturbed by the repeated rises of controversy in the region of East and 
(11) Southeast Europe over ethnical, cultural, linguistic, and religious issues, and;

(12) Taking note of the fact that stability in this region is crucial to establish 
(13) stability in Europe and, on a wider scale, the whole world, as eloquently 
(14) demonstrated by the history of its local conflicts, and;

(15) Acknowledging that recent changes in the region, such as the break-up of the 
(16) Soviet Union, have only added to the tensions created by conflicts unresolved 
(17) in the past, and;

(18) Aware of the fact that the establishment of national states in the region has led 
(19) to much controversy due to many ethnic groups facing minority status in their 
(20) respective states, and;

(21) Paying, in this regard, special attention to the fact that the solution of issues 
(22) related to the aforementioned minority status often involves, for various 
(23) reasons, intervention from third party countries, and;

(24) Mindful of the fact that the presence of the United Nations in the region with 
(25) regard to the ethnic, cultural, linguistic, and religious conflict has to date often 
(26) been limited to peacekeeping missions, and;

(27) Noting that many countries in the region are negotiating accession to the 
(28) European Union, and;

(29) Keeping in mind that the enlargement of the European Union will enhance 
(30) cultural and linguistic variety and diversity within the EU, giving rise to new 
(31) requirements in terms of promoting and respecting linguistic and cultural 
(32) identity, a common heritage of cultural values and a common European 
(33) identity, and;

(34) Bearing in mind the Framework Convention for the Protection of National 
(35) Minorities and the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages as 
(36) key documents for the protection of the rights of minorities in the region, and;

(37) Affirming that cultural issues are closely associated with the responses that are 
(38) needed to meet major contemporary challenges, such as the acceleration of 
(39) European integration, globalisation, the information society, employment and 
(40) social cohesion, and;

(41) Cognizant of the fact that the financial and political resources of many nations 
(42) in the region are severely limited, and;

(43) Hoping to finally find a solution of problems tormenting the region for a 
(44) considerable period of time, and;

(45) Determined to prevent further escalations of local conflict on ethnic, cultural, 
(46) linguistic, and religious grounds:
(47) 1. Urges all concerned parties to strive to find peaceful solutions of the 
(48) problems arising in the region over ethnical, cultural, linguistic, and religious 
(49) issues, and;

(50) 2. Calls for active implementation of democratic institutions and mechanisms 
(51) of civil society in order to provide feedback to the governments and organize 
(52) an active and constructive dialogue between the different social groups, not 
(53) only on country level, but also on a region-wide scale, and;

(54) 3. Further calls for international assistance in various forms on the part of both 
(55) governmental and non-governmental organizations in the struggle to achieve 
(56) the establishment of such institutions and mechanisms, and;

(57) 4. Emphasizes the special need for efficient governmental minority policies 
(58) and in this regard 
(59) a. reminds all local governments of the need to promote cultural diversity; and 
(60) b. vehemently condemns perpetrating any acts of deliberate suppression of 
(61) minority groups and their cultural heritage on ethnical, cultural, linguistic, and 
(62) religious grounds; and 
(63) c. encourages policies providing minority groups with wider opportunities for 
(64) political, economical, and cultural (viz. cultural, linguistic, and religious) 
(65) self-governance; 
(66) d. commends those governments which have already implemented such 
(67) policies and urges them to proceed with such implementation; and 
(68) e. urges those governments which have not been able to do so for reasons of 
(69) resource and financial constraints to solicit aid from international 
(70) organizations; and 
(71) f. calls on the respective international organizations providing aid to 
(72) governments in this field to exercise whichever means are at their disposal to 
(73) exercise control over the use of resources they provide; and 
(74) g. condemns those governments which are consciously suppressing and 
(75) discriminating minority groups or execute policies which neglect the interests 
(76) of the minorities; and 
(77) h. stresses that unrest among minority groups may be used as a lever to 
(78) destabilize the situation in the whole region; and 
(79) i. urges such governments to reconsider their position and strive to find 
(80) mechanisms of contrastive dialogue with representatives of minority groups in 
(81) their respective countries; and 
(82) j. calls upon representatives of minority groups to find means of influencing 
(83) government policies, albeit respecting the laws and sovereignty of their 
(84) countries, and using only such means as these laws allow, especially 
(85) constructive dialogue of political groups representing minority cultures with 
(86) the governments; and 
(87) k. encourages the representatives of minority groups to seek international aid if 
(88) the situation in their respective countries does not allow them to gain such 
(89) influence over the government policies; and 
(90) l. urges all third party bodies intending to provide such aid to respect the 
(91) sovereignty of the respective states, as well as the norms of international law 
(92) and bilateral and multiparty conventions and agreements, and;

(93) 5. Stresses that the problem involves region-wide geopolitical implications and 
(94) in this regard 
(95) a. urges all local governments in the region to strive to cooperate in resolving 
(96) the controversies, both in bilateral contacts and in wider-scale projects; and 
(97) b. calls upon such bodies (including governmental institutions as well as other 
(98) groups) in various countries which try to exercise influence over the ethnical, 
(99) cultural, linguistic, and religious situation in other countries and its political, 
(100) economical, and social implications and consequences to respect the laws and 
(101) sovereignty of other countries, as well as international laws and conventions, and 
(102) c. strongly opposes any encouragement and support of violent movements on 
(103) ethnical, cultural, linguistic, and religious grounds, stressing that no cause may 
(104) be used to excuse violence; and 
(105) d. condemns efforts, tacit and overt, of various bodies and groups to increase 
(106) the tension over the ethnical, cultural, linguistic, and religious issues, made for 
(107) whatever possible reasons, and;

(108) 6. Notes that the countries of the region have in the course of its history formed 
(109) a unique entity and in this regard 
(110) a. calls for cessation of hostilities on ethnical, cultural, linguistic, and religious 
(111) grounds, stressing that the challenges of today’s world require developing a 
(112) common identity rather than cultivating separating ideas; and 
(113) b. acknowledges, on the other hand, the imperative need of preserving each 
(114) culture’s unique identity and protecting cultural diversity; and 
(115) c. welcomes all efforts aimed at the dissemination of these ideas, in particular 
(116) all forms of cultural and scientific exchange, as well as dialogue between the 
(117) different religions in the region, and;

(118) 7. Approves of the policies adopted by the European Union towards minority 
(119) groups within its countries and of the conditions it sets for nations negotiating 
(120) accession to the Union, stressing that fulfilling these are a powerful means of 
(121) establishing differentiating and efficient approaches in dealing with ethnical, 
(122) cultural, linguistic, and religious issues, and;

(123) 8. Suggests in this connection that the cultural policy of Eastern and South-eastern 
(124) European nations could be guided by the following principles, which 
(125) are also part of the cultural Community action of the EU: 
(126) a. improvement of the knowledge and dissemination of European history and 
(127) culture; 
(128) b. conservation and safeguarding of cultural heritage of European significance; 
(129) c. non-commercial cultural exchanges; 
(130) d. artistic and literary creation, including in the audiovisual sector, and;

(131) 9. Encourages Eastern and South-eastern European nations to create common 
(132) programs with the aim of rising awareness of cultural aspects and promoting 
(133) cultural exchange, and;

(134) 10. Affirms that the following programmes, which are initiated, guided, 
(135) supported and carried out by inter-governmental and international 
(136) organizations such as the European Union, the Council of Europe, and the 
(137) United Nations Education, Science and Culture Organization (UNESCO) in 
(138) cooperation with third countries, are exemplary projects to rise awareness of 
(139) cultural aspects and promote cultural exchange in Europe and world-wide: 
(140) a. the ”Culture 2000” programme of the EU which is open to participation by 
(141) the countries of the European Economic Area, Cyprus and the associated 
(142) countries of Central and Eastern Europe, encourages artistic and cultural 
(143) cooperation in Europe and promotes a common cultural area characterised by 
(144) both cultural diversity and a common cultural heritage, including an inter-cultural 
(145) dialogue to foster social integration and socio-economic development; 
(146) b. the project "European Year of Languages" organised in 2001 by the 
(147) European Union and the Council of Europe celebrated linguistic diversity in 
(148) Europe and emphasised the need, for each European, to learn languages with a 
(149) view to interacting and understanding other cultures, inter alia sign language, 
(150) national, regional and minority languages, languages of migrants and also 
(151) languages of other continents were covered; 
(152) c. the MEDIA programme promotes the circulation of European media works; 
(153) d. the "European digital content on global networks" or "eContent" is designed 
(154) to promote Internet use among Europeans, encouraging digital use of available 
(155) information, particularly in the public sector, market structure and openness, 
(156) cultural diversity and multilingualism on the Net; 
(157) e. "Audiovisual Eureka", having 35 member countries, promotes co-operation 
(158) and exchanges in the audiovisual sector, preservation of cultural identities and 
(159) the diversity of images, aiming at developing a European area for cooperation 
(160) and exchanges in the audiovisual sector, including in particular the countries of 
(161) central and eastern Europe as main focus; 
(162) f. the SOCRATES programme aims to enhance the quality and the European 
(163) dimension of education by promoting various activities at the different levels 
(164) of education; 
(165) g. "Comenius" concerns primary education and encourages cooperation 
(166) between European schools on educational projects which promote knowledge 
(167) of other cultures, e.g. through language learning, and of cultural heritage; 
(168) h. the "Leonardo da Vinci programme" initiates international cooperation 
(169) projects to foster quality, innovation and the European dimension in vocational 
(170) training systems, particularly providing support for cultural and linguistic 
(171) training projects, e.g. crafts and traditional occupations, intercultural 
(172) communication, etc.; and 
(173) i. the PHARE-CREDO cross-border co-operation programme supports the 
(174) development of border regions between Central European countries (CECs) 
(175) and between CECs and NIS (new independent States) so that cross-border 
(176) cultural exchange can take place, and;

(177) 11. Invites Eastern and South-eastern European nations to take part as far as 
(178) this is possible in the projects and programmes mentioned in clause 10 and 
(179) further encourages them to initiate similar programs as well, and;

(180) 12. Generally supports cultural initiatives, such as those mentioned in clause 
(181) 10, which aim at preventing conflict and promoting human rights, and;

(182) 13. Recommends that the concerned parties find opportunities for closer 
(183) cooperation in resolving the issues arising on ethnical, cultural, linguistic, and 
(184) religious grounds, and in this regard: 
(185) a. urges the local governments and other concerned groups and institutions to 
(186) cooperate closely with the European Union and various United Nations bodies, 
(187) such as, inter alia, the United Nations Education, Science and Culture 
(188) Organization (UNESCO), the Economic and Social Council, and the various 
(189) United Nations peacekeeping missions, as well as with international 
(190) financial institutions; and 
(191) b. suggests that the aforementioned bodies and groups discuss a wide range of 
(192) topics as pertain to the ethnical, cultural, linguistic, and religious issues, such 
(193) as, inter alia, cessation of present hostilities, eradication of support of violent 
(194) movements, the situation of minority groups, assistance to minority groups on 
(195) the part of both local and international bodies, implementation of policies 
(196) aimed at building a new common cultural and informational area; and 
(197) c. encourages the emergence and spread of new forms of cultural expression, 
(198) improve access to culture, in particular for young people and the 
(199) underprivileged, and promote the dissemination of live cultural events using 
(200) the new technologies of the information society, and;

(201) 14. Renews its appeal for peaceful resolution of hostilities, and;

(202) 15. Calls upon the Member States to consider the possibility of providing aid to 
(203) such countries of the region as are incapable to efficiently cope with the 
(204) problems by means of financial assistance as well as taking part in the 
(205) consultations as outlined in Operative Clause 13 of this Resolution, and 
(206) participating in region-wide programmes, and;

(207) 16. Recognises the role of culture as an economic factor and as a factor in 
(208) social integration and citizenship so that it may contribute to personal and 
(209) human development through education, to economic and social cohesion, to 
(210) job creation, to eliminating exclusion, and generally to enriching the quality of 
(211) life, and;

(212) 17. Recommends an increased initiation of transnational cultural projects 
(213) involving operators, e.g. companies, associations, public authorities, local 
(214) authorities, universities, research centres, etc., and countries in the region, and;

(215) 18. Resolves to remain seized upon the subject.