It was not until 1984, later than elsewhere in Europe, that women in the Principality of Liechtenstein were granted the right to vote. Since 1992, gender equality has been anchored in the Liechtenstein Constitution. The Equality Article 31(2) simply states: “There shall be equality of rights between the sexes.” This explicit enshrinement in the Constitution paved the way for amendments to various laws, particularly in the areas of citizenship, old-age and survivors’ insurance and taxes. In 1995, Parliament approved the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. Liechtenstein ratified the convention in 1996. It continues... read more →
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If you are not happy with the results below please do another searchLiechtenstein 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... read more →
Liechtenstein ratified the Council of Europe Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities (1995) on 18 November 1997. Although there are no national minorities in the country as defined by the Convention, Liechtenstein regularly reports on measures to promote equal opportunities, prevent discrimination, racism and intolerance, integrate foreign residents and combat right-wing extremism. In the fifth country report published in 2020, Liechtenstein provided information on a migration study and a study on “Islam in Liechtenstein”, among other things. The purpose of the studies was to learn more about Muslim life and the lives of migrants. They served as the... read more →
The value added by creative enterprises cannot be compared with other clusters. Creative industries are much more fragmented into small and micro enterprises and are not very well networked among themselves. As a result, they are neither politically nor medially perceived in a way that is commensurate with their importance. In 2019, the Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK) published a report on the creative industries in the Lake Constance region, which includes Liechtenstein. According to the “Creative Industries” concept, around 166,000 people were employed in the creative industries in 2015, which corresponded to 5.2 per cent of all employees... read more →
Liechtenstein, an EEA country, has made strong efforts in the first two decades of the 21st century to systematically develop the quality of artistic and cultural creation nationally and internationally (see 1.1). Laws have been passed (see 4), structures and international links have been strengthened (see 1.2.2, 1.2.3 and 1.2.5): for example, for the participation of the entire population in cultural creation, the free exercise of artistic and cultural expression, the promotion of new innovative forms of culture and organisations, the division of tasks between the state and the municipalities, the promotion of performances by groups and associations abroad as... read more →
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. This intercultural dialogue refers to both domestic dialogue (with the migrant population) and international dialogue. Dialogue in Liechtenstein The Liechtenstein Art Museum took up the theme of migration in 2003. Works from the 1960s to the present, for example, were on display at the Liechtenstein Art Museum, addressing questions of cultural identity,... read more →
As a member of the European Economic Area, Liechtenstein, like Iceland and Norway, has had the opportunity to participate in EU programmes such as the European education and youth programmes since 1995 – a success story spanning more than 25 years. The first two phases of the programmes (1995–1999 and 2000–2006) were called “Socrates” (general education), “Leonardo da Vinci” (vocational training) and Youth in Action (2000–2013). Starting in 2007, the two education programmes were merged, first in the “Lifelong Learning Programme” (2007–2013) and in the fourth generation (2014–2020) in the Erasmus+ programme with the areas “Education”, “Youth” and “Sport”. The... read more →
In a small state, cultural policy is closely linked to other political areas, such as foreign policy, financial policy, tourism, communication policy, education policy, migration policy, the economy and environmental policy. Cultural policy is about more than managing and promoting culture; it always affects society as a whole. The country, ministries, authorities and municipalities work together at different levels. Ministries The Department of Education, which is part of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Education and Sport, is responsible for the Liechtenstein education system. This also includes the University of Liechtenstein, the Agency for International Educational Affairs (AIBA) and the Liechtenstein... read more →
Cultural policy objectives Liechtenstein’s cultural policy is aimed at the general population, artists, cultural institutions and projects. This is about more than just promoting culture. Cultural policy represents a public discussion, framework conditions and the interests of artists. Major cultural policy responsibilities are vested in the state. Since the beginning of the 21st century, the country has strived to become an internationally renowned centre of art and culture. For the purpose of sustainably supporting cultural creativity and cultural values while raising public awareness, Liechtenstein has adapted its funding instruments. For example, the Culture Promotion Act (CuPA), which has been in... read more →
In 2010 the Republic of Armenia ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, Article 30 of which refers to cultural life, recreation, participation in entertainment and sports activities. The convention, in particular, states: «1․ States Parties recognize the right of persons with disabilities to take part on an equal basis with others in cultural life, and shall take all appropriate measures to ensure that persons with disabilities: (a) Enjoy access to cultural materials in accessible formats; (b) Enjoy access to television programmes, films, theatre and other cultural activities, in accessible formats; (c) Enjoy access to places... read more →