Deadline for Max van der Stoel Award nominations extended

OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities Astrid Thors announced today that the deadline for making nominations for the Max van der Stoel Award will be extended to 20 April 2014. The original deadline was 1 April.

The 50,000 EUR Award recognizes extraordinary and outstanding achievements in improving the position of national minorities in OSCE participating States.

Although nominations can only be formally submitted by OSCE field operations, institutions, and delegations of OSCE participating States, Thors encouraged other interested people to forward names of individuals, groups or institutions to an OSCE field operation, institution or delegation, which can subsequently choose to nominate such candidates on their behalf.            

Nominations must be submitted to the HCNM by 20 April 2014. They can be made to the office of the HCNM, by email to mvds@hcnm.org or through the online nomination form at www.maxvanderstoelaward.com/nominate. Please include the name of the candidate, relevant contact information and the reason for the nomination (100–200 words).

The Award will be presented by Dutch Foreign Minister Frans Timmermans in a ceremony in The Hague on 16 October 2014.

Established in 2001 by the Foreign Ministry of the Netherlands, the Max van der Stoel Award honours the prominent Dutch statesman who was the first OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities, while also highlighting issues related to national minorities.