YEARS ANNIVERSARY HCNM
1 Foreword Content Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe 4
High Commissioner on National Minorities
The High Commissioners 6
In the field 10
Early warning 14 3 Participation 16
Education 20
Language 24
Media 28
International co-operation 32
Bridge builders 36
Recommendations and guidelines 40 Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe High Commissioner on National Minorities
4 The OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities
(HCNM) is an autonomous institution of the Organization
for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), a regional
security organization which comprises 57 participating
States. Established in 1992, the HCNM identifies and
addresses tensions around national minority issues which
may lead to conflict. All friends together: Osh (Kyrgyzstan) celebrates the many colours of diversity at the award ceremony of the “Colours of Friendship” drawing competition, held by the HCNM-supported Centre for Multilingual and Multicultural Education, June 2008. (OSCE/Dildora Khamidova)
55 The High Commissioners
6 The High Commissioner must be an “eminent international personality with
long-standing relevant experience from whom an impartial performance of
the function may be expected”. This exacting standard requires a unanimous
decision by all 57 participating States.
Max van der Stoel was appointed as the first High Commissioner in 1992.
A prominent Dutch statesman and former Minister of Foreign Affairs, he held the
mandate until 2001. His pioneering work shaped the character of the institution
and remains an important reference point in the area of conflict prevention. 77
Max van der Stoel, first OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities.
Photo of Max van der Stoel (Hollandse Hoogte, Joost van den Broek) Rolf Ekéus (R) during a visit to Kyrgyzstan, March 2005. (OSCE)
8
Knut Vollebæk (R) visits looted and burned houses in Maevka, Kyrgyzstan, July 2010. (OSCE/Alimjan Jorobaev) Astrid Thors (R) at the groundbreaking ceremony for the Bujanovac Department of the University of Novi Sad, Serbia, February 2015. (OSCE/Milan Obradovic)
9
Lamberto Zannier during a visit to a bilingual kindergarten, Comrat, Moldova, November 2017. (OSCE/Lurie Foca) In the field
10 The High Commissioner and HCNM advisers
travel regularly throughout the OSCE area,
meeting directly with government and national
minority representatives, and others. The
High Commissioner works independently
and impartially and may collect information
regarding the situation of national minorities
and the role of different parties involved in
a dispute from any source. 11 11
Voices of the future. High Commissioner Astrid Thors speaks with young people during a visit to Moldova, April 2014. (Liubomir Turcanu) 12
High Commissioner Knut Vollebæk during a five-day visit to Kosovo*, January 2008. (OSCE)
* All references to Kosovo, whether to the territory, institutions or population, in this text should be understood in full compliance with United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244. 13 13
High Commissioner Lamberto Zannier in Uzbekistan, April 2018. (OSCE) Early warning
14 The High Commissioner’s work is not
always visible to the public. Serious
disputes which may lead to conflict
are often best addressed through
“quiet diplomacy”. If a dispute rapidly
escalates, the High Commissioner can
issue a formal “early warning”, which
triggers an emergency meeting of the
OSCE participating States. 15 15
The Kyrgyz-Uzbek University of People’s Friendship in Jalal-Abad region (Kyrgyzstan) was looted and burned during the events of 2010. (OSCE/Eric Gourlan) Participation
16 The High Commissioner supports the
OSCE participating States in their work
to promote the effective participation
of national minorities in public affairs
and cultural, social and economic
life. The effective participation of all
citizens is essential for a peaceful and
democratic society. 17 17
The High Commissioner promotes the use of ethnically-mixed police teams for patrolling multi- ethnic areas, Osh, Kyrgyzstan, February 2006. (OSCE) 18
Inside the polling station: local residents vote in Ukraine, March 2006. (OSCE) 19 19
A Roma woman voting in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, April 2004. (OSCE/ODIHR) Education
20 The manner in which education is
provided or regulated by governments
can impact the stability of diverse
societies. The High Commissioner
supports countries with their efforts to
develop integrated education policies,
balancing the needs of national
minorities with measures that foster
social cohesion. 21 21
Running late: the Uzbek-Kyrgyz mixed school in Jalal- Abad, Kyrgyzstan, 2014. (OSCE/Eric Gourlan) 22
South Eastern European University, also known as Max van der Stoel university, has promoted integrated education since 2001, Tetovo, former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. (OSCE) 23 23
Students from diverse communities meet High Commissioner Knut Vollebæk during his visit to the Bujanovac Department of the Subotica Faculty of Economics, Serbia, March 2012. (OSCE/Milan Obradovic) Language
24 Language is a key component of
identity. The High Commissioner
recommends that national minorities’
linguistic rights are respected, while
the learning of the state language
is also promoted. This balanced
approach reduces conflict potential
and promotes a genuine sense of
belonging for all communities. 25 25
Georgian classes for ethnic Armenians in Georgia’s Javakheti region to promote better integration are funded by the High Commissioner, Akhalkalaki, Georgia, December 2006. (OSCE/Gia Chkhatarashvili) 26
Students participate in the first Olympiad on multilingualism in Central Asia that focuses on mother tongues as well as State, official and foreign languages, Kazakhstan, May 2017. (OSCE/Igor Khlebnikov) 27 27
High Commissioner Astrid Thors (L) attends a State-language training course in Gagauzia, Moldova, November 2013. (OSCE/Igor Schimbator) Media
28 The media can play a positive role in
both promoting the participation of
national minorities in the life of society
and by shaping the perception of
national minorities by the majority.
The High Commissioner encourages
governments to foster such conditions. 29 29
The High Commissioner helps provide the ethnic Armenian population of Georgia’s Javakheti region with information in Armenian in order to increase the participation of national minorities in the life of wider society. Akhalkalaki, Georgia, December 2006. (OSCE/Gia Chkhatarashvili) 30 31 31
At the epicentre of Georgian TV. Members of different ethnic groups discuss their issues on national TV with political leaders, Tbilisi, Georgia, May 2016. (OSCE) International co-operation
32 As an autonomous institution, the HCNM works in
partnership with other OSCE structures, such as the
Secretariat, the Parliamentary Assembly, the field
operations, the Office for Democratic Institutions and
Human Rights (ODIHR) and the Representative on Freedom
of the Media (RFoM). It co-operates with the United Nations
and its agencies, the Council of Europe and its affiliates,
and other international and regional organizations. 33 33
High Commissioner Knut Vollebæk in a camp for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) run by the UNHCR near Gori, Georgia, September 2008. (OSCE/Simon Short) 34
High Commissioner Lamberto Zannier at the Council of Europe Conference on the 20th Anniversary of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities, Strasbourg, France, June 2018. (OSCE) 35 35
Presenting the new OSCE-UNHCR Handbook on Statelessness in the OSCE Area: International Standards and Good Practices, Vienna, March 2017. (OSCE/Micky Kroell) Bridge builders
The HCNM partners with many
committed individuals and institutions
working to improve the position of
national minorities and promote social 36 cohesion in the OSCE region. The Max
van der Stoel award, sponsored by
the Government of the Netherlands
and named in honour of the first High
Commissioner, recognizes outstanding
contributions in this area. It is
presented jointly by the HCNM and
the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the
Netherlands on a biennial basis. 37 37
The office of the Association for Historical Dialogue and Research (AHDR) is located in the United Nations Buffer Zone. This Cyprus-based NGO won the 2016 Max van der Stoel Award for its work on history teaching as a tool for reconciliation in Cyprus, September 2016. (Old Nicosia Revealed) High school students from Jajce, who protested against ethnic segregation at schools in Bosnia and Herzegovina, won the 2018 Max van der Stoel Award, July 2018. (OSCE)
38
The 2011 Max van der Stoel Award was presented to the Nansen Dialogue Centre Skopje for its work to promote integrated education in an area affected by the 2001 conflict. (Nansen Dialogue Centre Skopje) 39 39
Spravedlivost, an NGO based in Jalal-Abad in Kyrgyzstan, was named as the 2014 winner of the Max van der Stoel Award, September 2014. (OSCE/Eric Gourlan) Recommendations and guidelines
40 The High Commissioner issues thematic recommendations
and guidelines, highlighting best practices related to
the integration of diverse societies, national minorities in
inter-State relations, access to justice, and linguistic and
education rights. To address specific issues, the High
Commissioner provides confidential recommendations to
the OSCE participating States. 41 41
High Commissioner Lamberto Zannier presents the Graz Recommendations on Access to Justice and National Minorities, Graz, Austria, November 2017. (OSCE/Foto Fischer) 42 Thematic Recommendations and Guidelines The Hague Guidelines on the Use of The Ljubljana Guidelines Recommendations Minority Languages in the on Integration of Diverse regarding the Education Broadcast Media (2003) Societies (2012) Rights of National Minorities (1996)
The Oslo Recommendations on The Graz Recommendations Policing in Multi-Ethnic Recommendations on regarding the Linguistic Societies (2006) Access to Justice and Rights of National National Minorities Minorities (1998) (2017)
The Lund The Bolzano/Bozen Recommendations on Recommendations on the Effective Participation National Minorities in of National Minorities in Inter-State Relations Public Life (1999) (2008)
Visit www.osce.org/hcnm/thematic-recommendations-and-guidelines to download PDFs or order print copies of the above Recommendations and Guidelines. All publications by the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities can be accessed at www.osce.org/hcnm/publications
Follow Follow the OSCE High Commissioner The OSCE High Commissioner Max van der Stoel Award on National Minorities on National Minorities facebook.com/mvdsaward twitter.com/oscehcnm Prinsessegracht 22 2514 AP The Hague The Netherlands Telephone: +31-70 312 55 00 E-mail: hcnm@hcnm.org www.osce.org/hcnm