E/C.12/EST/CO/2
30. The Committee regrets that adequate information has not been provided to enable it to
ascertain the full enjoyment of the rights guaranteed to the several national, ethnic and
linguistic minorities in the State party. The Committee is also concerned about the absence
of a legislative framework recognizing the identities and the cultural rights of minorities,
in spite of the activities undertaken for their promotion. (art. 15)
The Committee recommends that the State party guarantee in its legislation the
status and rights of national, ethnic and linguistic minorities, including by adopting a
comprehensive law, so as to ensure the protection and promotion of economic, social
and cultural rights for all minorities. In particular, the Committee recommends that
an adequate status be granted to minority languages. For the implementation of this
recommendation, the Committee draws the attention of the State party to its general
comment No. 21 (2009) on the right to everyone to take part in cultural life. The
Committee also requests the State party to include in its next periodic report
information on the share of the public budget invested in the promotion of the culture
of minorities.
31. The Committee is concerned that some sections of the population, in particular
disadvantaged and marginalized individuals and groups, do not participate in cultural
activities due to limited accessibility and affordability. (art. 15)
The Committee encourages the State party to take measures to promote the
realization of the right of everyone to take part in cultural life, including by ensuring
that access to cultural goods is facilitated, particularly for disadvantaged and
marginalized individuals and groups.
32. The Committee requests the State party to include in its next periodic report
more detailed information on:
(a) The impact of the implementation of plans on the improvement of the
quality of water;
(b) The coverage of health care for older persons, particularly older women,
including the services provided to them;
(c) The care of persons with multi-resistant forms of tuberculosis, as well as
their number;
(d) The extent of trafficking in persons in and from the State party, and the
impact of measures taken, including information on the enforcement of
the legislation on trafficking;
(e) The impact of measures taken to address violence in school;
(f) The enrolment of non-Estonian pupils and students at the various levels
of education;
(g) The measures taken to ensure that the population benefits, without
discrimination, from scientific progress and its application.
The Committee further requests that the State party provide the relevant data for (a)
to (f) on a disaggregated basis by year, sex, and urban/rural area, during the
reporting cycle.
33. The Committee encourages the State party to increase the level of its contribution of
official development assistance, which stood at 0.1 per cent of gross domestic product in
2010, and to establish a timeline for reaching the international standard of 0.7 per cent of
gross national income.
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