High Commissioner on National Minorities

Ethnic conflict is one of the main sources of large-scale violence in Europe today.

To respond to this challenge, the then Conference for Security and Co-operation in Europe (CSCE, now OSCE) in 1992 decided to establish the post of High Commissioner on National Minorities. Netherlands Minister of State Max van der Stoel was appointed as the first High Commissioner in December 1992 and took up his functions in January 1993.

In December 1995 the OSCE Ministerial Conference in Budapest decided to renew Mr. van der Stoel's mandate until 31 December 1998. In July 1998 it was decided to further prolong his mandate to 31 December 1999. At the Istanbul Summit of December 1999 it was decided to ask Mr. van der Stoel to continue in office.

The Eighth OSCE Ministerial Council in Vienna, 27-28 November 2000, appointed Ambassador Rolf Ekéus as High Commissioner on National Minorities for a period of three years with effect from 1 July 2001. This was subsequently extended for another 3 years on 1 July 2004.

On 5 July 2007, the OSCE appointed Ambassador Knut Vollebaek, a former Foreign Minister of Norway, as OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities for a three-year term, succeeding Rolf Ekeus of Sweden.

Instrument of conflict prevention

The High Commissioner's function is to identify ­ and seek early resolution of ­ ethnic tensions that might endanger peace, stability or friendly relations between the participating States of the OSCE. His mandate describes him as "an instrument of conflict prevention at the earliest possible stage".

Although the title of his post sometimes creates the impression that the High Commissioner is intended to function as a national minorities ombudsman or as an investigator of individual human rights violations, this is not the case. In other words, he is the OSCE's High Commissioner on National Minorities and not for National Minorities.

Of course, adequate protection of the rights of persons belonging to national minorities contributes greatly towards a State's success in minimizing ethnic tensions that could create a context for wider conflict, and the High Commissioner's recommendations to States often focus on such concerns, but they are by no means restricted to these concerns.

The office of the High Commissioner is located in The Hague.