OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities

Our experts have just presented the key principles of the 10th set of HCNM Recommendations on the Effective Participation of National Minorities in Social and Economic Life and held a panel debate. You can read the #SocioEconomicRecommendations here https://lnkd.in/e5qvM7H7

It is always a pleasure to welcome young people to our office and share more about the mandate of the High Commissioner on National Minorities. Last month, Professor Müge Kinacioglu joined us with a group of students from Leiden University. During their visit, River Hustad and Mikko Vayrynen described the developments which led to the appointment of the first High Commissioner on National Minorities, the revered Dutch statesman Max van der Stoel, while our newest team member Sacha (Sara Charlotte) Minderhout shared experiences of working as a JPO within the wider OSCE family. This week, a big ‘thank you’ goes to Ralph Otten and Sophia Campfens from SPIL Study Association, the Study association for Political Students in Leiden, for arranging for two groups of students to visit us. Presentations by Dr. habil. Elżbieta Kuzborska, @Maryna Bydnyk, Peter Naderer and Edin Elgsæther traced the history of the OSCE and described different aspects of the conflict prevention work carried out by the HCNM during the last 30 years. To date, six High Commissioners have worked closely with the 57 OSCE participating States to prevent, or diffuse, conflicts arising from tensions related to national minority issues in the OSCE region: a vast geographical area stretching from Vancouver to Vladivostok. We look forward to future visits from students in the Netherlands and further afield as the next generation will play a key role in building inclusive societies with respect for diversity throughout the OSCE region. 

For over 30 years, successive High Commissioners have consistently focused on safeguarding and protecting the rights of women, and minority women in particular, and have worked towards their empowerment. Violence against women and girls is the most shocking human rights violation. Our research found that minority women in particular face unique obstacles: they often experience higher rates of poverty and unemployment and are more likely to have traditional gender roles imposed upon them from an early age. In addition to preventing and combating gender-based violence (GBV), we also strive to ensure that minority women have a place at the table as we can only speak of a truly inclusive society when everyone is protected and their voice is heard. Today on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women let us work towards eliminating all forms of violence against women and girls. Empowering women and girls, and holding those who oppress them to account, is the way forward. #NoExcuse Join us @OSCE for the #16days of activism campaign against GBV.

Yesterday, staff from the office of the High Commissioner on National Minorities brought together multilingual education (MLE) teachers in the Republic of Moldova's Gagauzia region to exchange experiences, add to their didactic toolkit and discuss the future of MLE as an integral part of education across all levels. This activity forms part of our long-term support for education stakeholders in the Republic of Moldova. Because MLE is one of the most effective ways to foster integration and social cohesion in diverse societies, we are promoting the development of sustainable policies at the national and regional levels, while continuing to offer expertise to support MLE pilots organized by local stakeholders. 

On 6 November, we held an award ceremony to present the 2024 Max van der Stoel Award to youth environmental group NATUR OG UNGDOM from Norway. During the ceremony, Gytis Blaževičius, Leader of Natur og Ungdom, reminded us that, “this Award for Natur og Ungdom is a recommendation and a reminder that human rights violations cannot go unresolved.” Natur og Ungdom member and Sámi activist Elisabeth Regine Myrland added: “It is a no-brainer that all people, and especially minorities, have to be included and respected in the decision processes regarding the climate transition we have to go through. The transition has to be safe and just for everyone.” The Jury of the Max van der Stoel Award selected Natur og Ungdom in recognition of its efforts to give young people of all backgrounds in Norway a voice in environmental policy. Learn more here: www.osce.org/hcnm/577909

A just #climatetransition must be inclusive. The 2024 Max van der Stoel Award winner made this point clearly: “For the transition to be safe and just, all, especially minorities, have to be included and respected in the decision processes.” This year’s recipient, Natur og Ungdom, exemplifies this by integrating Sámi youth as key actors and coordinating environmental advocacy with Sámi organizations. In that, they help safeguard Sámi traditions and culture, and raise awareness of the vital role Sámi communities play in preserving Norway’s environmental heritage. Every two years, the Max van der Stoel Award, organized by the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities and sponsored by Ministerie van Buitenlandse Zaken, recognizes extraordinary achievements in improving the position of national minorities across OSCE countries. It was an honor to host the 11th Award Ceremony. Once again, warmest congratulations to NATUR OG UNGDOM for this remarkable recognition.

2024 Max van der Stoel Award presented to Natur og Ungdom from 🇳🇴 OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities

As part of their ongoing partnership, staff from the office of the High Commissioner on National Minorities (HCNM) and representatives from all of the regional offices of the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights got together on 1 November to take stock of current practices and share experiences as a first step to improve monitoring capacities. To enhance the capacity of Ukraine’s institutions to develop and implement integration policies that support diversity, the office of the HCNM is working with the office of the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights. Monitoring and assessing minority rights across Ukraine’s diverse regions is vital to effectively protecting national minorities. The office of the Commissioner has been seeking to meaningfully expand the regional dimension and frequency of monitoring and develop a tailor-made monitoring system to that effect. The office of the HCNM is responding to this need by supporting the establishment of such a system, in close consultation with minority communities to ensure it adequately reflects their needs and priorities.

We have just concluded a study visit that we organized in the border area between Germany and Denmark for a delegation from our long-term partner, Ukraine’s State Service on Ethnic Policy and Freedom of Conscience. The visit, facilitated by the European Centre for Minority Issues (ECMI) in Flensburg, provided an opportunity for participants to learn how Germany and Denmark manage issues related to the national minorities living in this border region: the ethnic Germans in Denmark and the ethnic Danes and ethnic North Frisians, as well as the Sinti and Roma in Germany. The experience of these countries, stemming from a history of conflict and contestation, can now be seen as a good example of minority accommodation and inclusion in practice. As such, it can serve as a valuable model of cross-border cooperation for other OSCE participating States dealing with similar challenges. In Germany, the delegation met representatives of the ethnic Danish, ethnic Frisian and Roma minorities, as well as regional institutions working on minority issues. Participants also visited border towns in Denmark, where they met representatives of the ethnic German minority.   This activity is part of the office of the High Commissioner on National Minority’s ongoing efforts to support the capacity of Ukraine’s institutions to develop and implement integration policies that support diversity. We plan to continue working on this activity, with the involvement of other key partners, throughout the autumn. 

How have regional organizations been addressing statelessness? Which initiatives have been developed so far? Today, OSCE HCNM Director and Officer-in-Charge Ambassador Marek Szczygieł participated in a side-event entitled “Harnessing regional collaboration to eradicate statelessness” in Geneva on the margins of the 75th session of the UNHCR Executive Committee. This side-event showcased how regional organizations can inspire each other to address statelessness through a variety of initiatives, which will contribute to the work of the Global Alliance to End Statelessness that was launched this week in Geneva. During the discussion, regional actors shared their experiences and successful practices, such as engaging lawmakers to prioritize statelessness, facilitating the development of regional legal and policy frameworks, providing capacity building and technical assistance, and promoting cross-border collaboration. By highlighting these approaches, the event served as a preview of the Global Alliance to End Statelessness and enabled regional organizations to draw inspiration from each other and explore how they can further contribute to the Alliance’s vision. The discussion also explored how regional organizations can leverage the Global Alliance to co-organize initiatives and enhance their efforts to address statelessness at a broader scale. Speaking on behalf of the office of the HCNM, Ambassador Szczygiel observed “…it is in the interest of States to prevent and address statelessness for two main reasons. First, access to citizenship is a precondition to facilitate a sense of belonging in a society. Second, access to the rights that come with citizenship enables members of society to contribute socially and economically to the State they live in. [This is why] at the regional level, the HCNM has worked in close co‑operation with UNHCR and the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) to raise awareness, engage decision-makers and identify concrete actions to address and prevent statelessness.” Commenting on HCNM’s recent membership of the Global Alliance to End Statelessness and its Advisory Committee, Ambassador Szczygiel observed: “As the OSCE serves as a platform for dialogue, being part of the Global Alliance will enable us to find ways to foster exchanges on a more global level. In this way, States can learn from one another so that we can continue working towards a world where statelessness hopefully becomes a phenomenon of the past.” The Session was moderated by UNHCR Deputy High Commissioner Raouf Mazou and consisted of 5 panelists: Mr. Hichem Bayoudh, Head/Ambassador of the League of Arab States to the UN Office; Mr. Omar Morales, Director CLARCIEV; Ms. Flaviana Charles, Director Gender, Women & Children, International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR); Ms. Tahara Hasan, Director Imkaan Welfare Organization; & Marek Szczygiel, OSCE HCNM.