The new Serbian ethnic cleansing offensive in Kosovo has to be stopped. Germany will continue to offer refuge to the victims of genocide and persecution. It is to be welcomed that 50 years after the Nuremberg trials the appointment of a permanent International Criminal Court was agreed upon in Rome. The German Department of Foreign Affairs strongly supported the independence of this court against the opposition of our western partners. Indigenous Peoples worldwide demand the recognition of their dignity.
Indigenous peoples are especially endangered today.
Ambitious development and infrastructure projects as part of the economic globalisation process destroy their natural habitats and ways of life. Through development co-operation based on human rights principles, Germany can contribute to the survival of indigenous communities and, consequently, the preservation of the world's diversity. Protection of minorities will remain a challenge in Europe Protection of minorities will remain a challenge in Europe. Even though the Council of Europe has created a base for this through its Framework Convention on the Protection of Minorities and its Charter for Regional and Minority Languages, but member states can decide for themselves which parts they want to adopt. In order to stop the decline of cultural diversification, it is necessary to have binding minority protection at European Union level.