OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities marks 20 years of conflict prevention

The institution of the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities (HCNM) marked its 20th anniversary in The Hague on 7 and 8 March 2013.

On 7 March, Her Majesty Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands as well as several foreign ministers and ambassadors took part in a high-level ceremony. It featured a panel discussion between two foreign ministers – Carl Bildt of Sweden and Miroslav Lajčák of Slovakia – and law professor Rainer Hofmann, moderated by the Economist International Editor, Edward Lucas. Film highlights will be released shortly on osce.org/hcnm.

A conference on the following day provided an opportunity for leading scholars in fields related to minority rights, conflict prevention and other relevant topics to share their views on the work of the HCNM and future prospects.

The current High Commissioner, Knut Vollebaek, along with a majority of speakers on both days, emphasized that the institution of the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities remained as relevant as ever. In particular, many speakers remarked on the uniqueness of the institution, which has a strong mandate to work with both governments and minorities to address issues before they can develop into conflict.

For more information, please see the speeches delivered during the events.