Magyarország nemzetiségeinek és a szomszédos államok magyarságának statisztikája /1910–1990/ Az 1992. szeptember 2–5. között Budapesten megrendezett Nemzetiségi Statisztikai Konferencia előadásai (1994)

IV. FÜGGELÉK - Angol nyelvű összefoglaló

CONFERENCE ON NATIONALITY STATISTICS: AN ACCOUNT* A conference on nationality statistics was held in the Europe Institute, Budapest, between September 2 and September 5, 1992. Organizers were the Subcommittee on Historical Demography of the Demographic Committee of the Hungárián Academy of Sciences. Sponsors were the following: " Foundation for the National and Ethnic Minorities in Hungary" of the Office of National and Ethnic Minorities of Hungárián Government, Teleki László Foundation, Europe Institute Budapest, Central Statistical Office. The purpose of the conference was to provide a fórum for the participants to discuss, on the one hand, the conceptual and methodological questions of nationality censuses, and to adopt guidelines for future censuses, on the other. The aim was alsó to publish creditable demographic data relating to the number and composition of the Hungarians living in the neighbouring states, as well as relating to the nationalities living at present within the boundaries of Hungary. Between the opening and closing plenary sessions of the conference three sections treated various subjects. Participating in the presidency of the opening plenary session were Géza Entz, President of Secretariat for Hungarians Living beyond the Frontiers, György Vukovich, President of the Central Statistical Office and János Wolfart, President of the Office of National and Ethnic Minorities. The opening address was delivered by Ferenc Glatz, Academician, Director of the Europe Institute Budapest. He pointed out that the publication of political, economic, cultural and demographic situation of the minorities, living in the former socialist countries, was made possible by the political changes wich took place after 1988. Such data were considered as internál affairs prior to that year. Three lectures were deli vered at the plenary session. András Klinger, Deputy President of the Central Statistical Office, President of the Demographic Committee of the Hungárián Academy of Sciences, presented the practice of nationality censuses as well as the results thereof. The title of his lecture was "Nationality statistics in Europe and in Hungary." In his lecture, entitled "Problems of nationality statistics", József Kovacsics, Head of the Statistical Department /retired/ of the Loránd Eötvös University, offered a review of the institutions, introduced in the period subsequent to World War I., for the defence of nationalities. In respect of data, relating to Hungarians living in the neighbouring states, as well as to nationalities living in Hungary, he stated that there are no reliable materials regarding their numbers, this fact is due to the difference in concepts and to policies that endanger even the existence of minorities; such policies amount to a war with figures, he said. This lack of information could be rectified by carrying out censuses on the basis of uniform concepts, and by verifying the results thereof. Imre Takács, Professor of the Loránd Eötvös University expounded the intemational legal norms that have bearing on the individual and collective rights of the nationalities. He emphasized that one of the pillars of minority policies is the reliable statistics. Subsequently to the plenary session the professional statisticians discussed somé problems in the Central Statistical Office. Leading statisticians spoke about the methodological questions of censuses, carried out in their countries, and presented the results obtained. * The statistical offices of Austria, the Voivodeship, Slovakia, Roumania, Croatia, Slovenia were represented at the conference. Demographers, statisticians, and historians were invited from the neighbouringcountries, as well as from England, Germany, Switzerland, and Hungary. 350