High Commissioner on National Minorities

Thematic work

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.

Education

It is the HCNM's experience that ensuring educational opportunities for all, taking into account the rights and needs of all ethnic groups - majorities and minorities - is one of the best ways to prevent the emergence of inter-ethnic tensions.

Language

Language is an issue often at the centre of public debate in almost all the societies where the HCNM is engaged. The HCNM assists states in finding ways to satisfy the language rights and needs of different ethnic communities, both majority and minority.

Participation

Full opportunities for the equal enjoyment of the human rights of persons belonging to minorities entails their effective participation in decision-making processes, especially when decision particularly concern them.

Media

Access to the media in one's own language is important for maintaining cultural identity, sharing information and exercising one's right of freedom of expression.

Policing

The police have considerable power to shape the attitudes and public perception of persons belonging to national minorities about the rule of law in the state and its capacity to act in a just, legitimate and accountable way.

Inter-State relations

Minorities in inter-State relations engage the interest of government authorities in several States and constitute a potential source of inter-State tension, if not conflict. Indeed, such conflict has defined much of older and contemporary OSCE history.