Human Rights Council Forum on minority issues 7-th session Geneva, 25-26 November 2014 Item 4 of the agenda: Improving prevention of violence and atrocity crimes. Presented by: Oksana Bekeriene, Lithuania - Association “Centre for Research and protection of fundamental rights”, 2014 Mr. Chairman, Distinguished delegates and colleagues, Today I speak on behalf of the Russian minority in Lithuania. (ed. translator: [I represent]) Association “Centre for Research and protection of fundamental rights”. Lithuania was the first country in Central and Eastern Europe to adopt the Law on National Minorities in 1989. The Government established the Department for Immigration and National Minorities, whose main task was to take care of the needs of minorities and preservation of the national identity of all ethnic groups in Lithuania. The situation was changing with time though. In 2010, the Law on National Minorities was repealed, and the new law has never been adopted. In 2009 the Government also abolished the Department for Immigration and National Minorities, and