News and press releases
News and press releases from the OSCE's global activities.
OSCE Chairperson welcomes appointment of Astrid Thors as OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities
Publishing date: 17 July 2013
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 visits Serbia, discusses enhancing minority participation
Publishing date: 28 June 2013
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...
Organizational skills of Armenian national minorities enhanced with OSCE involvement
Publishing date: 30 May 2013
A five-day training course on organizational development for national minorities in Armenia kicked off in Yerevan on 31 May 2013. The class, which receives support from the OSCE Office in Yerevan, targets heads and representatives of youth branches of national minority NGOs...
OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities: State must take responsibility for facilitating integration
Publishing date: 28 May 2013
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...
OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities marks 20 years of conflict prevention
Publishing date: 14 March 2013
The institution of the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities marked its 20th anniversary in The Hague on 7 and 8 March 2013...
OSCE Chairperson stresses need to respect and uphold rights of national minorities
Publishing date: 7 March 2013
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
Publishing date: 1 March 2013
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...