Administrative Information

APPROVED BY
Resolution of the Government of the
Republic of Lithuania No 492 of 13 May 2015

REGULATIONS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF NATIONAL MINORITIES UNDER THE GOVERNMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF LITHUANIA

CHAPTER I

GENERAL PROVISIONS

1. The Department of National Minorities under the Government of the Republic of Lithuania (hereinafter “the Department”) is an institution of the Government of the Republic of Lithuania involved in the formulation and implementation of national minorities policy.

Amendments to the article:

No 210, 10/03/2020, published in the RLA on 16/03/2020, i. c. 2020-05496

2. The Department shall be guided in its activities by the Constitution of the Republic of Lithuania, international treaties and agreements of the Republic of Lithuania, legal acts of the European Union, the Law on Public Administration of the Republic of Lithuania, the Law on Budgetary Institutions of the Republic of Lithuania, the Law on the Government of the Republic of Lithuania, other laws of the Republic of Lithuania and the legal acts enacted by the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania, the Decrees of the President of the Republic of Lithuania, the Government Resolutions, the Ordinances of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Lithuania, the Regulations of the Department (hereafter “the Regulations”).

3. The Department is a public legal entity with limited civil liability, with a bank account and a stamp bearing the coat of arms of the State of Lithuania and its own name.

Amendments to the article:

No 210, 10/03/2020, published in the RLA on 16/03/2020, i. c. 2020-05496

4. The Department is a budgetary institution supported by the State budget of the Republic of Lithuania, the funds of which are allocated and administered in accordance with the procedure established by the Law on the Budget Structure of the Republic of Lithuania. Other legally received funds may be used for funding of the Department.

5. The Department is owned by the State. The rights and duties of the owner of the Department shall be exercised by the Government, which shall coordinate and control the activities of the Department, approve and amend the Regulations, decide on the change of the seat of the Department, and decide on other matters within its competence as the authority exercising the rights and duties of the owner of the Department.

6. All public statements made by the Department shall be published on the Department’s website and, where appropriate, in other outlets of mass media.

CHAPTER II

THE PURPOSE AND FUNCTIONS OF THE DEPARTMENT

7. The purpose of the Department’s activities is to participate in the formulation and implementation of state policy in the field of national minorities.

Amendments to the article:

No 210, 10/03/2020, published in the RLA on 16/03/2020, i. c. 2020-05496

8. The functions of the Department, in pursuit of its stated purpose, are as follows:

8.1. Compiling, systematising, analysing and summarising information on issues related to the implementation of the national minorities policy, summarising the practice of the application of laws, Government resolutions and other legal acts on these issues, submitting to the institutions proposals on the drafting and improvement of legal acts necessary for the implementation of the policy on national minorities and on the compatibility of such acts with the law of the European Union;

8.2. Drafting, coordination and implementation of strategic planning documents in the field of national minorities policy;

8.3. Compiling, systematising, analysing, summarising and publishing information on the development of national minority relations in the Republic of Lithuania, preparing and submitting proposals to the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Lithuania on the formulation of national minorities policy, and to other state and municipal institutions and bodies on the implementation of the national minorities policy;

8.4. Compiling, systematising, analysing, summarising and publishing information on socio-political situation of national minorities, studying their needs and implementing measures to preserve the cultural identity of national minorities;

8.5. In cooperation with persons belonging to national minorities and Lithuanian national communities, studying their needs for the preservation of their national identity, addressing issues of integration of these persons, and partially financing measures for the integration and preservation of the identity of national minorities;

8.6. Initiating scientific, sociological, demographic, infrastructural and other studies on national relations, as well as public opinion polls;

8.7. Preparing the position of the Republic of Lithuania in the European Union institutions and their working bodies on issues related to national minorities, as well as taking part in the preparation of positions on issues related to national minorities by other state institutions and bodies, and, in accordance with the established procedure, representing the interests of the Republic of Lithuania in international organisations and committees on national minorities;

8.8. Transposing the provisions of European Union legislation in the field of national minorities into national law and implementing them, as well as fulfilling other obligations of Lithuania’s EU membership in the field of national minorities;

8.9. Providing the Ministry of Culture and other state and municipal institutions and bodies with information on the implementation of national minorities policy in the preparation of reports to the European Union, the Council of Europe and other international organisations;

8.10. Analysing the needs and opportunities for international cooperation of the Republic of Lithuania in the field of implementation of the national minorities policy, initiating and preparing drafts of international treaties, and organising the implementation of international treaties in the field of protection of the rights of national minorities of the Republic of Lithuania;

8.11. Implementing the recommendations made by the European Union and other international organisations in the field of national minorities and regular monitoring of the implementation of the recommendations;

8.12. Preparing periodic reports on the implementation of the Council of Europe’s Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities (FCNM) in the Republic of Lithuania, coordinating (organising) the implementation of the provisions of the Convention and carrying out monitoring; preparing information and submitting reports to the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI);

8.13. Implementing non-formal education measures for national minorities;

8.14. Coordinating and implementing measures to promote intercultural dialogue among different national minorities, and to combat national and racial discrimination as well as ethnic hatred;

8.15. Providing information to state and municipal institutions, bodies and enterprises, natural and legal persons, other organisations and their units on matters within the competence of the Department;

8.16. Organising publicity channels for state policy on national minority issues, publicising the activities of national minority NGOs, publishing information publications, as well as organising conferences, discussions, competitions and other events;

8.17. Preparing and implementing measures for the historical and cultural awareness of national minorities, coordinating activities related to the preservation of the identity of the small number of traditional national minorities with no historical homeland (the Karaites, Tatars and Roma of Lithuania);

8.18. Implementing measures to promote integration, civic and intercultural dialogue for people living in Eastern Lithuania, organising non-formal education activities for children and young people;

8.19. Compiling, systematising, analysing, summarising and publishing information on the needs of persons belonging to national minorities who arrive to Lithuania or return from abroad; initiating joint consultations with state and municipal institutions to address the issues of such persons; submitting proposals to state and municipal institutions and bodies for the development of measures to help them integrate more rapidly into Lithuanian society and contributing to their implementation;

8.20. Preparing and implementing measures for developing literacy of mass media of national minorities;

8.21. Preparing and implementing measures for public education and socio-cultural education in the field of national minorities;

8.22. Adopting legislation on national minorities;

8.23. Dealing with complaints and requests from individuals;

8.24. On behalf of the Government, implementing the rights and obligations of the owner or shareholder of public institutions operating in the field of national minorities, monitoring the development of the activities of national minority cultural centres, and defining the main directions of their development;

8.25. Providing conclusions on draft legislation in relation to national minorities.

Amendments to the article:

No 210, 10/03/2020, published in the RLA on 16/03/2020, i. c. 2020-05496

CHAPTER III

RIGHTS OF THE DEPARTMENT

9. The Department shall have the right, in pursuit of its stated purpose and in the exercise of its functions, to:

9.1. Obtain information from state and municipal institutions and bodies, as well as from other persons on matters within the competence of the Department;

9.2. Involve representatives of other state and municipal institutions and bodies, non-governmental organisations to address issues, set up commissions or working groups to address issues within the competence of the Department and to draft legislation;

9.3. Conclude contracts and agreements with legal entities of the Republic of Lithuania and foreign countries, other organisations, their branches and natural persons within the scope of its competence, as well as conclude bilateral and multilateral cooperation agreements with institutions and international organisations dealing with the affairs of national minorities in foreign countries;

9.4. Receive donations in accordance with the procedures set out in the Law on Charity and Sponsorship of the Republic of Lithuania.

CHAPTER IV

ORGANISATION OF THE ACTIVITIES OF THE DEPARTMENT

10. The Department operates in accordance with strategic and annual action plans drawn up in accordance with the procedures laid down by the Government. The Department’s Strategic Action Plan shall be approved by the Minister of Culture, and the Annual Action Plan shall be approved by the Director of the Department in agreement with the Minister of Culture.

11. The activities of the Department’s administrative units shall be governed by the Department’s Rules of Procedure, the Internal Rules of Procedure, the Regulations of the administrative units, and the job descriptions of civil servants and employees working under employment contracts, approved by the Director of the Department.

12. The structure of the Department’s administrative units is approved by the Government.

13. The Department is under the authority of the Director.

Amendments to the article:

No 210, 10/03/2020, published in the RLA on 16/03/2020, i. c. 2020-05496

14. The Director of the Department shall be recruited and dismissed in accordance with the procedure established by the Law on Civil Service of the Republic of Lithuania. The Director of the Department is responsible and accountable to the Government and the Minister of Culture.

Amendments to the article:

No 210, 10/03/2020, published in the RLA on 16/03/2020, i. c. 2020-05496

15. The Director of the Department shall:

15.1. Organise the activities of the Department and be personally responsible for the achievement of the Department’s objectives and the performance of its functions;

15.2. Represent the interests of the Department;

15.3. Ensure the implementation of the laws of the Republic of Lithuania, international treaties of the Republic of Lithuania, decrees of the President of the Republic of Lithuania, decrees of the Government, decrees of the Prime Minister and orders of the Minister of Culture;

15.4. Ensure the implementation of mandates from the Government and the Prime Minister;

15.5. Issue orders and ensure they are implemented;

15.6. Recruit and dismiss civil servants and contract staff of the Department, issue incentives, grant allowances and holidays, send them on business trips, impose penalties on civil servants, decide on breaches of employment duties by contract staff, and exercise other powers of the employer in the field of personnel management;

Amendments to the article:

No 210, 10/03/2020, published in the RLA on 16/03/2020, i. c. 2020-05496

15.7. Approve the regulations of the Department’s administrative units, the list of positions of civil servants and employees working under employment contracts; approve the job descriptions of civil servants and employees holding employment contracts and receiving remuneration from the State budget and State monetary funds, within the limits of the funds allocated for salaries and the maximum number of positions approved by the Government for the Department.

16. In the absence of the Director of the Department, his/her functions shall be carried out by the incumbent of the position of the Head of the Division for Relations with National Communities.

CHAPTER V

COUNCIL OF NATIONAL MINORITIES

17. The Council of National Minorities is a collegiate advisory body accountable to the Department.

18. The purpose of the Council’s activities is to make proposals to the Department and to express an advisory opinion on issues related to the implementation of national minorities policy.

19. The Council’s regulations governing the Council’s constitution and activities and its composition shall be approved by the Director of the Department.

CHAPTER VI

CONTROL OF THE DEPARTMENT’S INTERNAL ADMINISTRATION

20. The public (financial (legality) and operational) audit of the Department is performed by the National Audit Office of the Republic of Lithuania.

21. The implementation of the Department’s strategic plan of action is monitored by the Minister for Culture and the Director of the Department, and the implementation of the annual plan of action is monitored by the Director of the Department.

22. The internal audit of the Department is carried out by the Centralised Internal Audit Division of the Ministry of Culture.

Amendments to the article:

No 210, 10/03/2020, published in the RLA on 16/03/2020, i. c. 2020-05496

23. The financial control of the Department shall be carried out by civil servants or employees under contract of employment appointed by the Director of the Department.

CHAPTER VII

FINAL PROVISIONS

24. The Department shall be reorganised or dissolved in accordance with the procedure established by the Civil Code of the Republic of Lithuania and the Law on Budgetary Institutions of the Republic of Lithuania.

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APPROVED BY
Resolution of the Government of the
Republic of Lithuania No 492 of 13 May 2015

ADMINISTRATIVE STRUCTURE OF THE DEPARTMENT OF NATIONAL MINORITIES UNDER THE GOVERNMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF LITHUANIA

1. The Director

2. The Division for Relations with National Communities

3. The National Minorities Policy Analysis and Information Division

4. The Chief Legal and Personnel Officer

5. The Chief Finance and Accounting Officer

6. The Chief Specialist for General Affairs