High Commissioner on National Minorities

OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities Knut Vollebaek in the village of Maevka, northern Kyrgyzstan. During his visits to Kyrgyzstan in April and June 2010, the HCNM recorded serious deterioration of interethnic relations. (OSCE/Dmitri Alechkevitch)
OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities Knut Vollebaek in the village of Maevka, northern Kyrgyzstan. During his visits to Kyrgyzstan in April and June 2010, the HCNM recorded serious deterioration of interethnic relations. (OSCE/Dmitri Alechkevitch)
The post of the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities was established in 1992 to identify and seek early resolution of ethnic tensions that might endanger peace, stability or friendly relations between OSCE participating States.
Finnish Member of Parliament Astrid Thors was named the new OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities on 17 July 2013.

OSCE Chairperson welcomes appointment of Astrid Thors as OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities

KYIV, 17 July 2013 - The OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Leonid Kozhara, welcomed the appointment of Finnish politician Astrid Thors as OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities. Thors has been a Member of the Parliament of Finland since 2004. She has also served as a Minister of Migration and European Affairs of Finland and was a Member of the European Parliament. Her appointment as OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities was a consensus decision of all 57 OSCE participating States...
OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities, Knut Vollebaek (r), alongside Senior Adviser Bob Deen, at a meeting with Moldova's Interethnic Relations Bureau, Chisinau, 27 June 2013.

On visit to Moldova, OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities welcomes dialogue on Latin script schools in Transdniestria

During a visit to Moldova from 26 to 28 June 2013, Knut Vollebaek, the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities, welcomed efforts to find solutions for the Latin script schools in Transdniestria.
OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities during a previous visit to Serbia in March 2010 (second fr. left)

OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities visits Serbia, discusses enhancing minority participation

The OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities, Knut Vollebaek, visited Serbia from 12 to 14 June 2013 to discuss national minority issues with representatives of central and local government and community leaders...
L-r: OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities Knut Vollebaek, speaking with an interpreter and a local resident at Khurvaleti village by the administrative boundary line with South Ossetia, 20 June 2013.

OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities visits Georgia, discusses integration, expresses concern over developments along the administrative boundary line

The OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities (HCNM) Knut Vollebaek visited Georgia from 19 to 20 June 2013...

OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities: State must take responsibility for facilitating integration

OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities (HCNM) Knut Vollebaek has stressed the need for governments to promote integration of society during the last official visit of his mandate to Skopje from 22 to 24 May 2013...
Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands speaks with the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities, Ambassador Knut Vollebaek, at an event in The Hague on 7 March 2013 to mark the 20th anniversary of the Office of the High Commissioner.

OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities marks 20 years of conflict prevention

The institution of the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities marked its 20th anniversary in The Hague on 7 and 8 March 2013...
The OSCE's Chairperson-in-Office, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Leonid Kozhara, speaking at an event in The Hague on 7 March to mark the 20th anniversary of the Office of the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities.

OSCE Chairperson stresses need to respect and uphold rights of national minorities

THE HAGUE, 7 March 2013 – The OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Leonid Kozhara, speaking today at an event marking the 20th anniversary of the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities (HCNM) said lasting peace and security can only be achieved by respecting and upholding human rights, including the rights of persons belonging to national minorities...

Progress made in Serbia-Romania dialogue on minority issues in consultations facilitated by OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities

On 28 February and 1 March 2013, delegations from the Serbian and Romanian Governments met for the second time in the Netherlands for informal consultations under the auspices of the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities (HCNM), Ambassador Knut Vollebaek...
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