OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities

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Sender: [email protected]
From: MINELRES moderator <[email protected]>
Date: Tue, 26 Oct 1999 20:18:03 +0300 (EET DST)
Message-Id: <[email protected]>
Subject: OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities

From: MINELRES moderator <[email protected]>

Original sender: Jonathan Cohen <[email protected]>

OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities


Dear Colleagues,
 
As many of you will be aware, the term in office of OSCE High
Commissioner on National Minorities, Max van der Stoel, is scheduled
to come to an end on December 31. In the course of the past seven
years Mr van der Stoel has played an important role in addressing
issues relating to the situations of minorities in a number of
countries, in particular focusing on situations in which the position
of minorities could threaten stability. Despite the fact that a number
of conflicts have arisen in the OSCE region during this period, the
instrument of the HCNM has been one of the most influential in both
stimulating debate, raising awareness and engaging in practical
activities to ensure that minority related tensions are addressed at
an early stage.

In addition to his work on the ground in a number of countries -
engaging in persistent and quiet diplomacy with government officials,
representatives of minorities and relevant social and political
constituencies - Mr. Van der Stoel has facilitated the development of
a series of important recommendations. Policy guidelines regarding the
rights of national minorities in the fields of education, language use
and political participation (respectively The Hague, Oslo and Lund
recommendations) have been a constructive contribution in conceptual
and practical terms.
 
In this light, and given the ongoing threat to stability in the OSCE
region often caused by the dissonance between government policies and
national minority expectations, the process of appointing a successor
to Mr van der Stoel, and the future work of the OSCE HCNM, should be
of paramount concern to OSCE states and the community of NGOs working
to protect and advance human and minority rights in the region. The
High Commissioner is our High Commissioner. He (or in the future she)
is not an abstract official, but rather the representative of a
community of states tasked with addressing a series of issues of grave
importance to all citizens in these states.  The NGO community should
therefore assume some responsibility in the process of appointing a
successor to Mr van der Stoel.
 
First, NGOs and all those interested should urge consideration of
appropriate candidates (i.e. independent, impartial, courageous and
with some stature in the region).  Suggestions should be brought to
the attention of your Foreign Minister.  Action must be taken
immediately since the decision is to be made at the forthcoming OSCE
Summit Meeting to be held in Istanbul on 18-19 November 1999.
 
Second, and for the future, NGOs should urge the OSCE and all States
involved in the decision-making process that the process for
appointing a new HCNM should be transparent. Deliberations should be
conducted openly and with the criteria for appointment as clear as
possible.
 
It will be a lost opportunity if the appointment of such an important
actor within the OSCE apparatus (and the HCNM has been portrayed as
one of the OSCE's successes), is left to back room deals by officials
and representatives of OSCE states, bargaining over political turf and
claims to prominent international positions.

It is the responsibility of NGOs to remind the political community
that political representatives and diplomats are elected and appointed
to serve their communities. Minelres seems to be an appropriate forum
within which to initiate a discussion on these issues, and on the
basis of this discussion promote the candidacy of relevant individuals
or to draft a letter highlighting the concern of NGOs to be submitted
to the members of the Permanent Council in Vienna as well as to heads
of OSCE states.
 
Yours,
Jonathan Cohen
Conciliation Resources
PO Box 21067
London N1 1ZJ
UK
tel: 44-171-359-7728
fax: 44-171-359-4081
Wbsite: http://www.c-r.org
email: [email protected]

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