Effective Participation Of National Minorities And Conflict Prevention

This volume analyses the components of a balanced legal and policy framework related to effective participation of national minorities, with a view to preventing conflict, and reviews the related work of the OSCE and other international organisations.

This report, Minority Rights: The Key to Conflict Prevention, cogently argues that an understanding of minority rights is essential for anyone dealing with conflict prevention and resolution. The report’s authors, Clive Baldwin, Chris Chapman and Zoë Gray, demonstrate the strong links between minority rights violations and the outbreak of major conflicts, drawing on research carried out in China, India, Iraq, Kosovo, Nicaragua, the Philippines and Sudan, among other states. MRG’s report shows how minority rights violations are often warning signs of an approaching conflict. This new report looks at five themes: minority identity, the ability of minorities to participate in political and economic life, land/property rights and justice issues. Using case studies and providing practical advice, the authors show why ignoring early warning signs in any of these areas could lead to a build up of tensions and ultimately, violent conflict. The international community’s record on minority rights and conflict prevention is examined and found wanting. The report concludes with a checklist and a series of recommendations aimed at international bodies working on conflict prevention and resolution.

This new report looks at five themes: minority identity, the ability of minorities to participate in political and economic life, land/property rights and justice issues. Using case studies and providing practical advice, the authors show why ignoring early warning signs in any of these areas could lead to a build up of tensions and ultimately, violent conflict.

This Commentary provides the reader with a review of international standards and practice relating to the political participation of minorities. Political participation has been increasingly recognized as a foundational issue in the debate about minority rights. It is argued that minorities are more likely to feel co-ownership in the state if they have the opportunity to participate freely and effectively in all aspects of its governance, and that sustained and meaningful engagement will guard against the sense of alienation and exclusion among minorities that often emerges in ethnically divided societies. Taking as its starting point the two most important standard-setting documents in the field - the Lund Recommendations on the Effective Participation of National Minorities in Public Life, developed by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, and the Council of Europe's Thematic Commentary on the Issue of Political Participation of Minorities - the Commentary locates the international legal entitlement to political participation within the wider context of the right to democratic governance. It also considers effective participation in relation to the right to full and effective equality, as well as the legal entrenchment of these provisions and implementation mechanisms. Individual chapters then consider each of the principal mechanisms aimed at enhancing political participation, ranging from procedures covering minority representation in political institutions to consultative mechanisms and autonomy solutions. The Commentary draws on a team of experts, all of whom are recognized authorities in this specialized area of minority issues.

Quiet Diplomacy in Action is the first comprehensive account of the work of Max van der Stoel as High Commissioner on National Minorities for the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). Because Van der Stoel worked discreetly, until now very little has been written about his activities. This book takes the reader behind the scenes to explain why the post of High Commissioner was created, what his mandate is, how he worked in practice, and what recurrent themes and issues he encountered. Quiet Diplomacy in Action also gives a detailed summary of the High Commissioner's activities in the more than fifteen countries that he was involved with between 1993 and 2001. Major documents relating to national minorities in the OSCE context are included in an annex. As Michael Ignatieff writes in the Foreword: `Everyone talks about conflict prevention. One of the few senior figures that actually does it is the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities'. This book, written in co-operation with Mr. Van der Stoel, gives a unique insight into conflict prevention, minority rights, and the challenge of resolving inter-ethnic tensions. It should be considered a primary resource for all those interested in these subjects.

This report considers three crucial areas for minorities: participation in public life, employment and education. Lack of equality in these areas serves to keep minorities disadvantaged over generations: if this goes consistently unaddressed, the seeds for future conflict can begin to grow. Given that one of the main concerns of the EU in this region has been inter-ethnic conflict prevention, it is vital that more attention is given to reporting on minorities.