Guidelines of National Identity and Society Integration

Latvia has carried out several institutional reforms that affect all public institutions including those in charge of society integration issues in Latvia.

On 21 November 2002, the Saeima (the Parliament) appointed the Minister for Society Integration Affairs, and 27 December saw the establishment of the Secretariat of the Minister of Special Assignments for Society Integration Affairs (SMSASIA). As a result of an institutional reform the Secretariat has terminated its work.

Up to 7 December 2010, the Ministry of Justice performed the duties of the SMSASIA, but with the decree of the Cabinet of Ministers the functions were handed over to the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Interior.

The Ministry of Culture is in charge of elaborating national policy in the field of society integration, and also of its implementation and coordination. The Ministry of Interior, starting from 1 June 2011, is responsible for the elaboration and implementation of immigrants’ integration policy and for carrying out the supervision functions of the European Fund for the Integration of Third Country Nationals.

On 11 October 2011, the Government approved the Guidelines of National Identity and Society Integration for 2012-2018, drafted by the Ministry of Culture.

The key goal of the Guidelines is a strong and united nation of Latvia – a national and democratic community ensuring the preservation and enrichment of its unifying foundation – the Latvian language, culture and national identity, European democratic values and unique cultural space – for a balanced development of Latvia as a national and democratic country.

Further activities for society integration are divided into three directions.

The direction Civic Society and Integration provides for the development of civic education through applying formal and informal educational methods, strengthening traditional and non-traditional forms of civic involvement, encouraging social inclusion and preventing discrimination, strengthening high quality, democratic information space and increasing the role of the media in society integration.

The direction National Identity: Language and Cultural Space is planned to ensure the use of the Latvian language in Latvia's public space, improve the proficiency of Latvian among Latvians residing abroad, ethnic minorities, non-citizens, new immigrants, and strengthen the Latvian cultural space as a foundation for the unity of society, enhancing the Latvian identity and sense of belonging to Latvia among Latvians living abroad.

The direction United Social Memory provides for strengthening the understanding of World War II and the Soviet and Nazi occupation of Latvia, based on true and verified facts and democratic values, and promotes the awareness raising, research and understanding of Latvian local and European history.