International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial
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UNITED NATIONS CERD International Convention on Distr. the Elimination GENERAL of all Forms of CERD/C/329/Add.2 Racial Discrimination 5 July 1999 Original: ENGLISH COMMITTEE ON THE ELIMINATION OF RACIAL DISCRIMINATION REPORTS SUBMITTED BY STATES PARTIES UNDER ARTICLE 9 OF THE CONVENTION Fourth periodic report of States parties due in 1998 Addendum Estonia* [16 March 1999] _______________________ * This document contains the initial, second, third and fourth periodic reports of Estonia, submitted in one document, due on 20 November 1992, 1994, 1996 and 1998. GE.99-42697 (E) CERD/C/329/Add.2 page 2 CONTENTS Paragraphs Page Introduction .............................................................................................. 1 - 9 6 I. GENERAL INFORMATION ............................................................. 10 - 60 6 A. State structure................................................................. 19 - 28 8 B. The economy .................................................................. 29 - 35 9 C. Ethnic composition of the population.............................. 36 - 54 10 D. Estonia’s international obligations .................................. 55 - 60 14 II. INFORMATION ON THE ARTICLES OF THE CONVENTION ......................................................................... 61 - 417 16 A. Article 2 ......................................................................... 61 - 80 16 1. Prohibition of racial discrimination .......................... 62 - 63 16 2. Protection of national minorities............................... 64 - 66 17 3. Integration of the non-Estonian-speaking population into Estonian society............................... 67 - 80 17 B. Article 3 ......................................................................... 81 - 86 20 C. Article 4 ......................................................................... 87 - 92 21 D. Article 5 ......................................................................... 93 - 352 22 1. Right to equal treatment before the tribunals and all other organs administering justice ................. 93 - 98 22 2. The right to security of person and protection by the State against violence or bodily harm............. 99 - 108 23 3. The right to participate in elections on the basis of universal and equal suffrage ........................ 109 - 124 24 4. The right to equal access to public service................ 125 - 129 27 CERD/C/329/Add.2 page 3 CONTENTS (continued) Paragraphs Page 5. Other civil rights: ..................................................... 130 - 249 28 (a) The right to freedom of movement and residence within the borders of the State............ 130 - 137 28 (b) The right to leave any country, including one’s own, and to return to one’s country .......... 138 - 143 30 (c) The right to nationality ...................................... 144 - 162 31 (d) The right to marry and choice of spouse ............ 163 - 168 34 (e) The right to own property alone as well as in association with others .............................. 169 - 199 35 (f) The right to inherit............................................. 200 - 205 41 (g) The right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion ....................................................... 206 - 222 42 (h) The right to freedom of opinion and expression ......................................................... 223 - 232 45 (i) Protection of personal data ................................ 233 - 237 48 (j) The right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association .................................................. 238 - 249 49 6. Economic, social and cultural rights:............................... 250 - 352 51 (a) The right to work and to free choice of employment....................................................... 250 - 260 51 (b) Just and favourable conditions of work.............. 261 - 264 53 (c) Right to protection against unemployment......... 265 53 (d) Just remuneration .............................................. 266 - 267 54 (e) Statistics............................................................ 268 - 273 54 CERD/C/329/Add.2 page 4 CONTENTS (continued) Paragraphs Page (f) Non-Estonians and employment training ........... 274 56 (g) The right to form and join trade unions.............. 275 - 280 57 (h) The right of trade unions to protect the interests of their members................................................ 281 - 283 58 (i) The right to housing........................................... 284 - 291 58 (j) The right to public health, medical care, social security and social services...................... 292 - 313 60 (k) The right to education and training .................... 314 - 343 66 (l) The right to equal participation in cultural activities............................................................ 344 - 350 71 (m) The right of access to any place or service intended for use by the general public................ 351 - 352 72 E. Article 6 ......................................................................... 353 - 376 73 1. The Estonian court system........................................ 353 - 357 73 2. Recourse to the courts .............................................. 358 - 375 74 (a) Constitutional review court procedure ............... 361 - 363 75 (b) Administrative court procedure ......................... 364 - 366 76 (c) Civil court procedure......................................... 367 - 368 76 (d) Criminal procedure............................................ 369 - 372 76 (e) Administrative offences procedure .................... 373 - 375 77 3. The right of recourse to other institutions ................. 376 77 CERD/C/329/Add.2 page 5 CONTENTS (continued) Paragraphs Page F. Article 7 ......................................................................... 377 - 417 78 1. Education................................................................. 377 - 386 78 2. Culture..................................................................... 387 - 390 80 3. Human rights organizations...................................... 391 - 399 81 4. Information .............................................................. 400 - 417 83 CERD/C/329/Add.2 page 6 Introduction 1. Pursuant to article 9 of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, the present report (including the initial, second, third and fourth reports) by the Republic of Estonia is submitted in accordance with the general guidelines adopted by the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination on 9 April 1980, as revised at the 984th meeting on 19 March 1993 (CERD/C/70/Rev.3). 2. The instrument of accession to the said document was deposited by the Republic of Estonia with the United Nations Secretary-General on 21 October 1991. The Convention entered into force in respect of the Republic of Estonia pursuant to article 19 (2) on 20 November 1991. The Convention was published in the State Gazette on 8 March 1995 (RT II 1995, 5-6, 30). 3. The report was prepared by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in collaboration with other ministries. 4. Estonia is a parliamentary democracy which, on 20 August 1991, re-established its independence on the basis of legal continuity of statehood. This was followed by the reinstatement of diplomatic ties with Estonia: Iceland led the way (22 August), Russia and Hungary followed (24 August). On 6 September 1991, the Soviet Union recognized the independence of Estonia. A virtual avalanche of nations recognizing or reinstating diplomatic ties with Estonia followed. 5. A new democratic constitution was approved by a national referendum on 28 June 1992 and it entered into force on 3 July 1992. 6. The first fully free and democratic national parliamentary and presidential elections after regaining independence were held on 20 September 1992. 7. On 5 October 1992, the Riigikogu elected Lennart Meri the first President of the once again independent Republic of Estonia. 8. Estonia has been a member of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) since 17 September 1991 and of the Council of Europe since 14 May 1993. 9. Estonia is a candidate for membership of the European Union. On 13 December 1997, at the Luxembourg Summit, the Council of the EU decided to begin EU accession negotiations in April 1998 with six countries, including Estonia. On 31 March 1998 the Intergovernmental Conference in Brussels marked the beginning of Estonia’s accession negotiations with the EU. I. GENERAL INFORMATION 10. Estonia is located in north-eastern Europe between 57046'N and 59049'N latitude and 21046'E and 28013'E longitude. The territory of Estonia is 45,215 km2. CERD/C/329/Add.2 page 7 11. The Estonian State was established as the result of the Estonian’s struggle for freedom and independence. The Estonians have inhabited the territory of Estonia for over 5,000 years but were ruled by foreign powers since the thirteenth century. The independent Estonian State became a reality only after the 1917 October Revolution in Russia. On 28 November 1917, the Estonian Diet (the Maapäev) declared itself the supreme power in Estonia. In February 1918, the Estonian Salvation Committee was formed which, on 24 February 1918, proclaimed Estonia’s independence in “The Manifesto to All the Peoples of Estonia”. This date is considered as the date of establishment of the Republic of Estonia. 12. Shortly after that, however, Estonia was occupied by Germany in the course of the First World War and it was not until November 1918, after