168.Withreference toquestions onarticle Z,therepresentative pointed outthat theEthnicGroupsActof1976safeguarded therightsofnon-German ethnicgroups. Suchgroupshadtherighttousetheirnativelanguage, andfacilities for education innativelanguages wereprovided tothembylocalauthorities, although mostmembers ofthesegroupsrecognized theneed t~learnGermanfordailyliving. Acouncil representing theHungarian grouphadbeen establ~shed, oneforthe Slovene groupwasimminent andonefortheCroatgroupwasplanned, Thesecouncils weredesigned toadvisetheGovernment, particularly withregardtosubsidies for ethniccultural activities. 169.Responding toquestions raisedunderarti.:le 3,therepresentative saidthat Austria's policytowards SouthAfricawasinlinewiththatoftheUnitedNations Security Council. Austria maintained diplomatic relations with,andhadanembassy in,SouthAfrica. Hepointed out,however, thatcommercial relations withSouth Africawerediscouraged bytheGovernment but,asAustria hadafreemarket economy, theStatehadtorespect certain limitsandcouldnotinterfere in economic relations between private enterprises. -38-170.Withreference toquestions onarticle 4,hepointed outthatAustria'S implementation ofprovisions ofthisarticle hadbeenadequately covered inits sixthperiodic report. Regarding neo-Nazi associations, therepresentative pointed outthatallactivities basedonneo-Nazi ideology wereprohibited underalaw passedin1945.Aconstitutional courthadrecently ruledthatsuchassociations hadnolegalstatus, andwerenotentitled tobUyproperty orparticipate in elections. Heacknowledged theexistence ofextreme right-wing group.inthe country, but.aidthatsuchgroupsweresmallinnumberandweretotally without political influence. 171.Onquestions relating toarticle 5,therepresentative sa~dthatnearly 70percentofmigrant workers camefromYugoslavia, with Turk~forming thesecond largest group. Heexplained thatallforeigners neededapermittoworkin Austria, whicharegivenbyemployers wishing toemployforeign workers, whoare required toprovide themwithsuitable housing. Foreigners permanently employed in thecountry weretreated inthesamewayasAu.trian nationals withregardto wages. Education intheirnativelanguage wa.provided forthechildren offoreign workers, andtheywerealsotaughttheGermanlanguage. Dualciti.enship wasnot recognized inAustria. Therepresentative saidtherighttoworkwasacomplicated matter, asinafreemarketeconomy theStatecouldnotguarantee workforall,but Austrian legislation hadgranted therighttounemployment benefits toforeign workers aswellastonfttionals andsetstandards forworking conditions. Headded thatchecountry's unemployment ratewas4percent. Hewasnotawareofany seminars foryoungpeopleonthethemeofcombating racialdiscrimination. 172.Regarding questions raisedunderarticle 6,therepresentative declared that theOmbudsman wascompetent toexamin~ complaints ~gain8t administrative authorities evenifalllegalremedies hadnotbeenexhausted, foritwaspossible towaivetherighttosuchremedies andsubmitacas.directly totheombUdsman. Hestatedthattheombudsman's competence didnotextendtodealing withcomplaints against private employers orindividuals. Therepresentative declared that Austria's systemoflegalprotection washighlyeffective andlegalaidwa.readily available tothosewhocouldnotaffordtoengageinlegalproceedings. MaldiYts 173.Theinitial andsecondperiodic reports oftheMaldiv.s (CERD/CE/125/Add.l and CERD/C/152/Add.1) wereconsidered bytheCommittee atits838thmeeting, heldon 11August1989,without thepart~cipation ofarepresentativ~ ofthereporting State(CERD/C/SR.838). 174.TheCommittee regretted thattherewasnorepre.entative ofth.reporting Statetotakepartinitsproc~edin9s. Remarks madebymembers oftheCommittee were,ofnecessity, briefsinceneither ofthereports followed theguideline. on theformandcontent ofreports, nordidtheycontainalltheinformation stipulated inarticle 9,paragraph 1,oftheConvention. 175.Clarification ongeneral conditions withinthecountry wasreque8ted, and members wishedtoknowwhether theConvention couldbeinvoked before, anddirectly enforced by,thecourtR, othertribunals oradministrative authorities. 176.NotingthatthepopUlation hadincreased by80percent8ince196f,they••ked whether thisconsiderable increase wasduetoahighbirth-rate, orwhether -39-itwascausedbyimmigration Iinthelattercase, ~etails concerning countrieo of emigration weresought. 177.Althouqh theinitial reportclaimed thatracialdiscrimination ~idnotexist intheMal~ives, members requested thatinformation ontheimpl~mentation of
**Analysis**
The text appears to be a report on the implementation of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (CERD) by Austria and the Maldives. The report discusses various aspects of the two countries' policies and practices related to racial discrimination, including education, employment, and human rights. It also touches on issues such as cultural activities, language, and national identity.

**Category**
Education, Employment, Humanitarian aid and relief, Culture