National minority issues

Ethnic conflict and tensions between majority and minority groups can be critical sources of large-scale violence, a fact that became evident to the OSCE participating States in the early 1990s, when fighting raged in South-Eastern Europe and violent clashes erupted in several parts of Central Asia and the Caucasus. If states deny, restrict or fail to provide access to justice, national minorities may become alienated, which undermines social cohesion and increases the risk of inter-ethnic tensions. On the other hand, if the rights of minority groups are respected, persons belonging to such groups are more likely to participate effectively in the political and economic life of the state.

We consider the protection of national minority rights a function of good governance and a way to promote integration. Our activities include monitoring the situation of minority groups in our participating States, alerting to and working towards containing possible conflict, integrating minorities better into the States' public life, preventing discrimination and building trust between communities.

Our institutions and offices

Our lead institution on national minority issues is the High Commissioner on National Minorities. The High Commissioner works to contain and de-escalate tensions involving national minorities and acts as a ‘tripwire,’ alerting the OSCE when tensions between majority and minority groups could develop into conflict.