increasing inter-ethnic conflicts. There was a growing recognition that the effective and genuine protection of minorities was possible only within a democratic framework and that without the effective protection of minorities there was no genuine friendship or co-operation between States. In that area the United Nations had an awesome responsibility to shoulder. 32. Hungary considered national and ethnic minority rights to be an important element in the national and international system of human rights. Hungary's minority policy was based on the National Minorities Act of 1868 -the first of its kind in Europe. Its modern formulation was contained in the present Constitution, which declared that the Republic of Hungary ensured equal rights, the use of the mother tongue, education in the mother tongue, and the preservation and fostering of national culture for each national minority living in its territory. 33. In the current process of developing a constitutional State and a multi-party democracy in Hungary, questions having a decisive effect on the life of the national minorities had to be answered. The earlier policy had granted them equal rights but did not refer to their contribution to the powers of the State. The Constitution, as amended in 1989, stated that national and ethnic minorities living in Hungary shared in the people's power, being constituents of the State. Hungary was trying to enlarge permanently the real possibilities of exercising minority rights and of preserving national identity. It was currently important that individual and collective minority rights be incorporated in a new law on minorities which was in the course of preparation. That new legal framework should protect national linguistic minorities from trends to assimilate them. 34. While it was Hungary's duty to ensure a solid future for the different population groups within its territory and to create the necessary conditions 
**Analysis**
The text discusses the protection of national and ethnic minorities in Hungary, highlighting the importance of democratic framework, equal rights, and preservation of national culture. It also mentions the need for a new law on minorities to protect them from assimilation. These topics suggest that the category is related to human rights and social issues.

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