2. Current cultural affairs
Liechtenstein
Last update: July, 2016
A standing responsibility of Liechtenstein's cultural policy is a peaceful coexistence and mutual understanding between the various cultural and national groups. The motto is: to express solidarity in the acknowledgement of common cultural values, inwardly and outwardly, and to be curious, tolerant and hospitable towards "strangers". However, since a segment of the foreign population remained closed to integration efforts, the revised Foreigners Act (2009) requires foreigners seeking integration in Liechtenstein to learn the German language and accept a consensus of values: cultural groups must respect all human rights and discrimination is forbidden.
At the beginning of the new millennium, Liechtenstein was still a cultural land of building sites: Two Music School facilities, the School of Fine Arts, the Kunstmuseum and the National Museum were built; the medieval Balzers Castle was being equipped for the 21st century. Since then, the focus has been on the expansion and utilisation of the cultural acquisitions obtained and discovered by the communication and cultural pioneers over the course of the four decades following the Second World War. The institutions continued to develop, aware of their responsibility to the next generations. One motive for this responsibility outlined by cultural policy is the fact that the Liechtenstein must continually document its sovereignty, also by way of its cultural heritage and cultural values.
In 2006, Liechtenstein celebrated 200 Years of Sovereignty and presented its artistic output abroad. In 2006, the Liechtenstein Parliament authorised new avenues of cooperation, approving 1.15 million CHF (731 600 EUR) towards the joint purchase of the Ricke Collection. The Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein – opened in autumn 2000 – together with the Kunstmuseum St. Gallen in Switzerland and the Frankfurt Museum for Modern Art in Frankfurt Main acquired this significant collection of groundbreaking contemporary US art.
In 2007, the Liechtenstein Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced its new objectives. It determined to carry its cultural activities out into the world as a permanent and integral part of its foreign policy: through its embassies, its engagement in the EEA Steering Committee for Culture and in the Council of Europe Steering Committee for Cultural Heritage, through participation in the cultural commission of the International Lake Constance Conference, through participation with the cantons of Eastern Switzerland and with the Austrian province of Vorarlberg.
In 2003, the Cultural Advisory Council of the Government of Liechtenstein published its first detailed annual report. It disclosed all cultural promotion funding allocated by the country of Liechtenstein and the Pro Liechtenstein Foundation, which was established in 1964 for cultural promotion. 2007 was the 43rd and final year of existence for the Cultural Advisory Council. When the new Cultural Promotion Act came into effect in 2008, The Liechtenstein Cultural Foundation assumed the duties of the Cultural Advisory Council. With the revised Act, the state explicitly acknowledges its respect for the independence, freedom and variety of cultural activities.
What was previously regulated by several different laws is now summarised in one modern Cultural Promotion Act which covers issues such as participation on the part of the entire population in cultural activities, the free exercise of artistic and cultural expression, the promotion of new, innovative forms of culture and organisations, the division of responsibilities between the state and the municipalities, the promotion of appearances by groups and organisations abroad and cultural exchange projects. Liechtenstein has also recently passed a Cultural Property Immunity Act, 2008. The Swiss legislation regarding importation, exportation and transit of cultural assets also applies to its customs treaty partner Liechtenstein. With this new legislative act, Liechtenstein exhibitors and museums are equipped for the future exchange of cultural assets.
Liechtenstein has been participating in the European Heritage Days since 1993, however its legislation regarding the preservation of historic sites dates back to 1977. Since that time, the integral preservation of historic sites has evolved into an indispensable part of European history and the cultural landscape. In 1985, Liechtenstein ratified the Council of Europe Convention for the Protection of the Architectural Heritage of Europe. Above and beyond the commitment to maintain historical edifices, ensembles, neighbourhoods and town centres as a whole, additional obligations include: public relations, scientific research, exchange of knowledge and land-use planning.
Since 1997, the European Convention on the Protection of the Archaeological Heritage has also been in force in Liechtenstein. Since October 2006, a more comprehensive proposal for expanded historical preservation has existed. The aim of the revision was the express responsibility of handing down valuable cultural assets to future generations. According to the consultation report on the Law on the Protection of Cultural Assets adopted by the government in August 2012, the plan is to restructure historical preservation and the protection of archaeological heritage and cultural assets in terms of both content and organisation.
Last update: July, 2016
This information will be published as soon as possible.
Last update: July, 2016
This information will be published as soon as possible.
Last update: July, 2016
The state of Liechtenstein is deeply committed to the field of new technologies. The Liechtenstein National Library features workstations with Internet access, young people are trained within the school system in new technologies and the "aha" national support structure provides additional opportunities. Access to new technologies for the general public is a mandate of state and educational policy.
"Liechtenstein's highly developed industry is wide open to the world and could not exist without the widespread use of modern information and communication technologies." Liechtenstein's Prime Minister at the time, Otmar Hasler, emphasised this point in his speech on the occasion of the United Nations World Summit on Information Technology (December 2003), further stressing the significance of these technologies for the economic development of Liechtenstein.
The networking of society and the increasing automation of data processing also entail, however, that every Internet user practically leaves traces anywhere he or she goes. For this reason, the country's Data Protection Commissioner works with various European data protection committees. The Data Protection Act, LGBl. 2002 No. 55, together with the Data Protection Ordinance, LGBl. 2002 No. 102, has been in force since 1 August 2002. Since 1 February 2014, Liechtenstein has offered the possibility of obtaining the Data Protection Label. This is governed by the Ordinance on Data Protection Certification.
Last update: July, 2016
A consequence of the broad range of cultural activity in Liechtenstein – at the very heart of Europe – and a growing foreign population is the creation of national and international intercultural exchange programmes. By way of illustration, the national agency "aha" is responsible for the EU programme "Youth in Action". As a result, a wide variety of opportunities are made available to Liechtenstein's young people: They can, for example, gather experience in another EU country by working for a non-profit organisation coordinated by the European Volunteer Service (EVS). Included are also cultural activities focusing on integration. The programme opens the door to opportunities for new partnerships throughout Europe. Liechtenstein has also established a network with "aha" partners in the Austrian province of Vorarlberg and in the small southern German town of Ravensburg.
Young artists are especially promoted. The Cultural Foundation established by the state awards two scholarships per year to young professional artists, enabling them to spend a work year abroad with the purpose of augmenting their education at music and art schools, institutes of higher education or in studios. Since September 2006, Liechtenstein has also maintained at the disposal of Liechtenstein artists a studio with living quarters in Berlin serving as an artistic, cultural and social centre linking all spheres of art. Additionally, Liechtenstein invites artists from neighbouring countries to attend exhibits at the English Building Art Space, which highlights the current artistic activities in both Liechtenstein and the immediate region. Cooperation for the support of professional artists is available through public as well as private cultural sources.
A unique type of bridge connecting Austria and Liechtenstein is afforded by the Liechtenstein Museum in Vienna. On the initiative of Reigning Prince Hans-Adam II, it was renovated and presented to the art world in March 2004 as both a modern museum and a baroque synthesis of the arts. Displayed at the Liechtenstein Museum is the most notable Rubens cycle in the world, in addition to other masterpieces from the Princely Collections. It was also here in October 2006 in Vienna's largest baroque hall that Liechtenstein celebrated its 200 years of sovereignty. The Princely House and the country's culture are considered the foremost factors for presenting Liechtenstein to the world. On occasion, the Liechtenstein Museum cooperates with Switzerland as well. In 2008 – the first event of this sort took place in 1948 – the Lucerne Museum of Art presented an exhibition including works from the private collection belonging to the Prince's house. In 2009, significant Biedermeier works from the Collections of the Reigning Prince of Liechtenstein were also exhibited at the Pushkin Museum in Moscow.
From October 2012 to June 2013, 140 important works of art from the Collections of the Prince of Liechtenstein were exhibited in Japan and Singapore. The focus was on the history of the Princely Family and on paintings of the Vienna Biedermeier. From November 2013 to May 2014, the Liechtenstein Museum for the first time presented a major exhibition in China. From 12 March to 2 June 2014, the exhibition entitled "Rubens, Van Dyck, and the Flemish School of Painting: Masterpieces from the Collections of the Prince of Liechtenstein" was presented in the China Art Museum in Shanghai. This gigantic museum complex resides in a new building that opened on 20 September 2012 in the spectacular Chinese pavilion at the 2010 World Expo in Shanghai.
Alongside this policy of exhibiting works of the Princely Collections to the public not only in the Garden and City Palaces in Vienna, the acquisition policy of the Collections is also being pursued systematically. With important works by Lucas Cranach the Elder ("Venus"), Lorenzo Costa ("The Adoration of the Three Kings"), Pier Jacopo Alari Bonacolsi, alias L'Antico ("Hercules with the Lion's Pelt"), Jacob Jordaens ("As the Old Sang, So the Young Pipe") or Bernardo Bellotto ("Pirna an der Elbe with Castle Sonnenstein, St. Mary's Church and the Town Hall Tower, Viewed from the Vicinity of the Village Posta"), the Collections have recently been enriched by important works that as a rule are soon exhibited to the public in the Vienna palaces or in the exhibitions abroad.
In 2010, 300 Classicist and Biedermeier works from the Princely Collections were also shown in Palais Waldstein in Prague. H.S.H. Prince Hans-Adam II opened the exhibition. Liechtenstein and the Czech Republic are linked by the centuries of the Princely House's history in Bohemia, Moravia, and Silesia, but only in 2009 did the two countries re-establish diplomatic relations. The origin of the previously cool relations was the dispute concerning confiscation of the Princely Family's property in 1945. Pursuant to the Beneš Decrees, possessions of the Princely House of Liechtenstein were expropriated after the Second World War. A commission of historians is currently examining the shared history of the two countries.
In December 2010, a Liechtenstein-Czech Commission of Historians with equal membership from both countries began its work, investigating the historical relations between the Czech Republic and its predecessor countries (Czechoslovakia, Austria-Hungary, Lands of the Bohemian Crown) and Liechtenstein. A volume entitled "Liechtenstein Places of Remembrance in the Lands of the Bohemian Crown" was published in December 2012. The topics in this volume cover a wide range; it clearly demonstrates the importance of the House of Liechtenstein in the Lands of the Bohemian Crown until the creation of Czechoslovakia. Volume 3 on "The Liechtensteins and Art" is in preparation. Volume 2 on "The Liechtensteins: Continuities – Discontinuities" and Volume 4 on "The Princely House, the State of Liechtenstein, and Czechoslovakia in the 20th Century" were published in 2013. In January 2014, the report of the Commission of Historians was published, and the foreign ministers of the two countries decided to promote mutual understanding with the help of lectures, exhibitions, and other media. They also agreed to intensify their political dialogue within the framework of European integration and international organisations such as the UN and the OSCE.
Intercultural dialogue: actors, strategies, programmes
Peaceful coexistence and mutual understanding between different cultural communities is a permanent Liechtenstein policy goal. On an international level, Liechtenstein is engaged at the UN, which reinforces the dialogue between countries, cultures and civilisations. The country is open to foreign labour and sets a high priority on integration. In recent years – even before the European Year of Intercultural Dialogue 2008 – this dialogue has increased. Numerous small minority groups representing approximately 90 nations reside in Liechtenstein.
The main characteristics of the national integration policy are based on these principles: promoting and demanding. "Promoting" includes measures for improving mutual understanding between the host society and the immigrant population. "Demanding" means the expectation of efforts on the part of the authorities and all members of society, chiefly from the immigrants themselves. Since 2008, the task of integrating all minorities and combating racism has been in the hands of the Office of Equal Opportunity.
Since 2001, the Association for Intercultural Education (ViB) – established on the initiative of the Office of Social Affairs (OSA) – has been responsible for a more simplified integration of foreign-language residents. It offers German courses, organises tours of museums and works together with the Swiss Umbrella Association for Reading and Writing to combat illiteracy. The minimally qualified and those with a history of immigration provide a high percentage of participants. Individuals lacking reading and writing skills run the risk of socio-economic, cultural and social marginalisation, according to the consensus.
Additional Resource:
Government's overall approach to intercultural dialogue
Last update: July, 2016
Since 2003, Liechtenstein's secondary schools have offered the subject "Religion and Culture". This elective is non-denominational. As a result of the culture and history of the Western world, Christianity assumes a key role. However, other major religions, their histories, their ethics and their cultural impact are also studied. Classes deal with religions and the significance of religious attitudes in personal life, society and culture.
The full-time "Formatio" school operates in accordance with the curriculum of the Liechtenstein primary and secondary schools. The languages of instruction are German and English. Among the private school's principal goals and major emphases are the promotion of creativity, development of personality, knowledge of foreign languages and ability to work in a team.
The Liechtenstein Waldorf School operates according to the teaching methods of the Rudolf Steiner tradition. The content of the school's curriculum is virtually identical to that of public schools. Unique to the Waldorf School is the subject Eurhythmics, the art of harmonious and expressive bodily movement in response to the spoken word, vocal and instrumental music. Foreign language instruction (English and French) is offered starting in the first class.
Many children of foreign executives and of individuals employed in Liechtenstein industry and banking attend the International School Rheintal in Buchs, Switzerland. In 2008, the first of these private school students received the international baccalaureate. At universities worldwide, this examination is highly regarded, since the young people exhibit a broad and vast knowledge. Parents, teachers and children work together in an atmosphere of tolerance and mutual understanding towards many nations and cultures.
Last update: July, 2016
Liechtenstein is considered, together with Switzerland, to be the European country with the most highly developed direct-democratic rights. The media perform their function of articulating contemporary issues in Liechtenstein society; that is, they afford all relevant groups the opportunity to express their views. To a large extent, press texts retain the undistorted discussion and communication styles of the political, economic and cultural actors involved and reflect them more authentically than is the case with the construed "reality" produced by media systems operating in their own personal interests.
Media concentration is high in Liechtenstein: with two well-established newspapers, each oriented to one of the two major political parties, an independent, private monthly magazine, a cultural magazine, a radio station under public law (since 2004) and a private TV station. The Media Act of October 2005 emphasises the duty of commitment to free, individual shaping of opinion. No laws exist to prohibit media concentration.
The Media Promotion Act of September 2006 establishes that the media must be privately funded. In order to preserve a diversity of opinion, the state supports the media: directly not exceeding 30% of labour costs or indirectly, for example, through education and continuing education of media employees. Radio license fees have been eliminated in Liechtenstein, and the public-law radio station is financed extensively by the state. According to the October 2003 Liechtenstein Radio Act, information on art, culture and science are to be included in the broadcasting programme. Critics call for a stronger cultural commitment from the radio and daily press.
Last update: July, 2016
German is the official language in Liechtenstein and is taught as the native language for approximately 87% of the population at all schools. In 1996/97, English was introduced as the first foreign language, starting at the third primary class level. The government is aiming for the introduction of English as a foreign language as early as the first primary school level. The country of Liechtenstein additionally supports the International School Rheintal in the border triangle economic region of Liechtenstein, Eastern Switzerland and Vorarlberg / Western Austria.
From kindergarten to the international baccalaureate, German-speaking and non-German-speaking children communicate in the English language. "Formatio", the only private school in Liechtenstein, also offers a part of the instruction in the English language.
The European Commission against Racism and Intolerance, the government, authorities and Parliament in Liechtenstein are convinced that mastery of the German language is an important tool for the integration of immigrants from regions other than German-language areas. A minority of Liechtenstein's population comes from non-German language countries. The authorities have taken measures to motivate individuals with foreign backgrounds to learn German. The government created the position of an Integration Officer in 2008 and adopted a comprehensive integration concept in December 2010. Since 2008, foreigners wishing to acquire Liechtenstein nationality must demonstrate that they have a command of the German language and that they have basic knowledge of the legal order, structure of the state, history and culture of the country. Naturalisation is considered the conclusion of successful integration. At the same time, the residence period for simplified naturalisation on the basis of marriage was reduced from ten to five years.
Under discussion in Liechtenstein is the Alemannic dialect spoken in everyday life. Those learning only dialect are not sufficiently prepared to join the labour market. In order to strengthen one's knowledge of Standard German, practical application of the language is essential.
Last update: July, 2016
In the history of Liechtenstein, three women have headed the Ministry of Cultural Affairs and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs: 1997–2001, 2005–2009 and since 2010. Since September 2006, a woman has directed the Liechtenstein Theater am Kirchplatz for the first time. Interestingly, it was not until 1984 that women in Liechtenstein received the right to vote. Since 1992, gender equality has been anchored in the Liechtenstein Constitution. In 2014, Liechtenstein celebrated 30 years of women's right to vote. Women's share in politics and business is currently around 25-30%.
As a member of the European Economic Area (EEA) since 1995, Liechtenstein has adopted twelve directives on gender equality. In 1996, Liechtenstein ratified the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. Since then, vigorous measures have been introduced to implement the principle of equality. The Gender Equality Act of March 1999 was a milestone on the road to gender equality in the workplace. In 2002, the government resolved to progressively introduce gender mainstreaming and appointed a steering committee for this purpose. In 2006, Liechtenstein adapted the legislation to EU standards for gender equality in the workplace.
Since then, the government has steadily continued its efforts on behalf of de facto equality of women and men. Two measures should be emphasised in particular. First, the Inheritance Law underwent a fundamental revision in 2012 to improve the legal status of the surviving spouse or registered domestic partner. Second, the amendments to the sexual criminal law in 2011 expanded the material legal protection of victims and provided a legal basis for combating violence against women and children as well as domestic violence. The express inclusion of female genital mutilation as a crime also serves to strengthen the protection of victims of violence.
In the country's politics and business, women remain significantly under-represented – in spite of active promotion. Three-quarters of female Liechtenstein citizens decide against careers at the present time. Although 50% of Gymnasium students are female and 42% of female graduates attend a university, traditional gender roles remain strong in Liechtenstein society. In the media, career women are still essentially overlooked. In cultural areas, however, women are strongly represented. According to the Internet platform http://www.artnet.li, 9 out of 18 artists representing the Liechtenstein Professional Association of Visual Artists (BBKL) are women. No special promotion programmes for women exist.
Developing further networking with Liechtenstein's neighbours in Western Austria and Eastern Switzerland is a goal established by the Office of Equal Opportunity (until 2007 Office of Gender Equality). The office promotes equal and equivalent employment opportunities for everyone in Liechtenstein. Since 2001, there has been an inter-regional website for the Lake Constance area http://www.3laenderfrauen.org. Another example for cross-national cooperation is the Interreg Project "Länder-Gender" (2004-2006) for promoting gender mainstreaming in management. Since 2000, the government has awarded an Equal Opportunity Prize for the active advancement of women. Since 2008, the government of Liechtenstein has organised a Women's Business Forum for the border triangle region of Switzerland, Austria, and Liechtenstein.
Last update: July, 2016
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Last update: July, 2016
Very small European states such as Liechtenstein are today ranked among the most economically successful countries. The small state in the Alps has proved to be a cosmopolitan country for business ventures. At the same time, the microstate purchases public goods from neighbouring countries. The various enterprises cooperate with the worldwide leading universities and research institutes and recruit top employees in other European countries. Contributing to the success of Liechtenstein, whose 36 224 (as of 31 December 2013) jobs very nearly correspond to the number of inhabitants, are the 19 140 cross-border commuters who travel to work from neighbouring countries each day. Liechtenstein has excellent relationships with Switzerland and Austria. And for generations in nearly every family, Austrian or Swiss family members, primarily women, have become integrated.
Of the approximately 37 129 (as of 31 December 2013) people living in the small state, approximately 12 519, or 33.7% of the residents, are foreigners, 57% of whom come from Switzerland, Austria and Germany. The great majority is affiliated to a Christian religion, while only 3 to 4% are of the Muslim faith. Racism has been prosecutable since 2000, when Liechtenstein ratified the UN Convention on Racial Discrimination and amended its Criminal Code accordingly. In 2002 the government adopted a five-year National Action Plan concentrating on combating racism and promoting integration. A number of different measures were introduced to instruct officials and to sensitise the general public to combating racism and race-based violence. Since 2004, the integration of non-Liechtenstein citizens has been a state objective.
"Liechtenstein can be considered as a country committed to guaranteeing a high degree of respect for human rights" is the conclusion expressed in 2005 by Gil-Robles, Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe. He praises the "round table" between the government and the foreigners' associations established by the government in 2004 as well as the support of the Association for Intercultural Education (ViB), which offers German language courses for immigrants and organises exhibitions to better acquaint the populace with foreign cultures.
The integration of immigrants corresponds to the principle "promoting and demanding" - "Promoting" includes measures for improving mutual understanding between the host society and the immigrant population. "Demanding" means the expectation of efforts on the part of the authorities and all members of society, chiefly from the immigrants themselves. As the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) confirmed in December 2007, Liechtenstein has implemented a series of measures: for example, remedying the disadvantages experienced by children of foreign backgrounds and educating schoolchildren on the dangers of racism. The fourth ECRI report on Liechtenstein was published on 19 February 2013. It notes further progress: "Liechtenstein has signed the Additional Protocol to the Convention on Cybercrime concerning the criminalisation of acts of a racist and xenophobic nature committed through computer systems. Several racially motivated offences, including violent acts, have been swiftly prosecuted by the judicial authorities. Basic police training includes lessons on human rights and racism; the awareness raising campaign on right-wing extremism has focused on the police, prosecutors and judges. There are plans to set up an independent Ombudsman's Office. Measures have been adopted to strengthen equal opportunities in access to education; inter alia, the number of day care schools offering accompanied learning and homework tutoring has been increased and initiatives targeting parents of pupils with a migrant background, in order to improve their language abilities and raise their awareness of the importance of education, have been taken. The Commission against Violence has commissioned a study on right-wing extremism in Liechtenstein, launched an awareness-raising campaign targeting the public and set up an interdisciplinary professional group to provide counselling in this field. Various initiatives have been launched in order to raise awareness and to commemorate the Holocaust and several history teachers have received training on the issue."
Since 2005, there has also been an Office for Equal Opportunity, dealing among other things with immigration and integration questions. Pursuant to Article 46 of the Foreigners Act, the Office for Equal Opportunities is responsible for coordinating integration measures. A working group for the integration of Muslims began efforts in 2004 to improve conditions for Muslims in Liechtenstein. For more than ten years, the Liechtenstein government has awarded an annual prize for projects dedicated to equal opportunities in the areas of gender equality, disability, social disadvantage, age, migration and integration, and sexual orientation.
Liechtenstein also established a Specialist Office against Right-Wing Extremism in 2010. The office builds up counselling expertise and offers anti-aggression training and other measures to deal with potentially violent right-wing extremists. In April 2012, the 2nd Monitoring Report on Right-Wing Extremism (REX) was published for the year 2011. The Liechtenstein Institute, a research institute in Bendern, was commissioned by the Government's Violence Protection Commission to compile an annual documentation of right-wing extremist incidents over a period of five years. The monitoring report is a component of the Catalogue of Measures against Right-Wing Extremism (MAX), which was adopted by the government for the period from 2010 to 2015. This also implements a recommendation of the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD). In 2013 – as in 2012 – the right-wing extremist scene made headlines with campaigns on "European Action" and the "Liechtenstein Youth Loyal to the Volk". These internationally networked groups distributed pamphlets and presented themselves on websites. Compared with 2012, however, the presence in 2013 was significantly smaller. No violent incidents were reported in 2013, and no criminal prosecutions were initiated in regard to offences with a right-wing extremist background.
On 8 May 2012, Liechtenstein became the first state to ratify the amendments to the Rome Statute covering the crime of aggression. In the preceding years, Liechtenstein signed numerous human rights conventions, such as the Council of Europe Convention on the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse, the Convention on Cybercrime, and its Additional Protocol concerning the criminalisation of acts of a racist and xenophobic nature committed through computer systems. In 2009, Liechtenstein ratified both the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness and the 1954 Convention relating to the Status of Stateless Persons. Also in 2009, Liechtenstein ratified the Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption.
The data situation in the field of human rights protection was a weakness of Liechtenstein in the past. In recent years, the country has made efforts to improve that situation. Since 2010, the government has published an annual report on the situation of human rights. Domestic implementation of international standards is monitored not only through the submission and presentation of country reports, but also through country visits. In particular, the monitoring mechanisms of the Council of Europe visit Liechtenstein regularly. For instance, the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights and the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) both visited Liechtenstein in the first half of 2012. In regard to the mechanisms of the OSCE, election observations are especially relevant. In this context, an ODIHR team visited Liechtenstein in the run-up to the parliamentary elections in 2009.
The Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of the human rights situation of every country by the UN Human Rights Council enjoys a special status among the reporting mechanisms. In the UPR, States review each other reciprocally. Liechtenstein underwent its first UPR in 2008 and the second review was carried out in January 2013. Liechtenstein accepted the recommendation to ratify the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
Last update: July, 2016
For decades now, Liechtenstein has been proud of the harmonious relationship between its social partners. The reliable cooperation between employers and employees is one of the most important prerequisites for social harmony. The state finances half of all social partnership activities for the country and for the general public. Since May 2007, a new Law has been in force guaranteeing all employees occupied in the same industry the right to equal terms and conditions.
Extreme poverty is not really an issue in Liechtenstein, even though there are financially disadvantaged individuals supported by the state. A study on poverty (1997) does not address the issue of foreigners. However, data on state support indicates that foreign-language residents are economically less affluent than the average. Liechtenstein's social state generously assists in cases of financial distress. But private engagement in this small country is also remarkable, whether it is on behalf of families, the elderly, children or disabled people, regardless of their origin. In addition to Caritas and Family Benefits, and the Office of Social Affairs, the Liachtbleck Foundation has been active thanks to private initiative since 2005. Its aim is to non-bureaucratically assist individuals experiencing financial shortfalls consequently living at a disadvantage in affluent Liechtenstein.
Volunteer work is a major pillar that the state could not do without. This applies to the social area as well as to unsalaried cultural efforts. This tendency is reinforced by the long tradition of a historically influenced part-time volunteer system. In a small state, people generally agree on the high value of unsalaried and volunteer efforts. Consequently, a lively, multi-faceted and well-conceived cultural landscape has developed. There are no special social programmes for artists in Liechtenstein. The eleven municipalities are responsible for the support of their own cultural societies. Up to the close of 2007, the Cultural Advisory Council was concerned with the promotion of individuals, projects and organisations, and since 2008 the job has been assigned to the Liechtenstein Cultural Foundation (see chapter 1.2.2).
Various projects deal with the topic of immigration, for instance in 2003, when the Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein exhibited works from the 1960s, dedicated to issues of cultural identity, country of origin and exile, migration and existence as an outsider. The topic of migration was for once not treated excessively realistically, an approach that typically causes the viewer to effectively feel on the verge of drowning within the mass of displayed works. Instead, the theme was geared to a slower pace, affording the opportunity for contemplation. The exhibition revealed that migration characterises the history of mankind, both in political and economic configurations as well as in terms of shaping interpersonal relations and individual lifestyles.
Last update: July, 2016
This information will be published as soon as possible.
Last update: July, 2016
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