FUEN worried about politicisation of the position of OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities

Astrid Thors, the High Commissioner on National Minorities (HCNM) of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) will not seek re-appointment, according to Finnish media. The reason for her decision not to continue seems to be that the Russian Federation is unhappy with her because of her statements about the annexation of Crimea and will not support re-appointed. Appointments in the OSCE are made by unanimous decision.

Astrid Thors was appointed in 2013. She is the first High Commissioner who has served one term only, which is very uncommon in the OSCE. The High Commissioner’s task is to identify and address tensions involving national minorities which could develop into a conflict.

FUEN President Loránt Vincze is concerned about the message this sends to future office-holders: “If the High Commissioner can no longer be critical in regard to the actions of member states, this may create the impression to conflicting parties that the office is no longer independent, or that it has to obey the member states of the OSCE. This will seriously impede the effectiveness of the High Commissioner on National Minorities to mediate or solve conflicts involving national minorities.”

High Commissioner Astrid Thors was the keynote speaker at the 2016 FUEN Congress in Wroclaw. In her speech the High Commissioner said the following:

“[W]e see [FUEN] as a forceful organization working hard to improve the position of national minorities and their political representation and participation. FUEN’s interesting initiatives, such as the Forum of European Minorities and the Minority SafePack, enhance both the voice and the visibility of minority actors. FUEN has been able to successfully articulate the common concerns of national minorities across Europe for over half a century. Since 1949 you have been active in bringing together minority communities to make their voices heard at the international level. 

The linguistic rights of minorities, their education, and full participation are recurrent topics that my institution has identified as being significant for reducing inter-ethnic tensions and thus mitigating the possibility of tensions escalating into conflict. These are also among FUEN’s key areas of interest, which are addressed by this annual congress as well as within projects directed at minority and majority communities.”

FUEN thanks Astrid Thors for her dedication and for good cooperation between her office and FUEN. We hope that the OSCE will be able to find a good successor for Astrid Thors, who will be effective in preventing conflicts and alleviating tensions in Europe.

Keynote speech by the High Commissioner at the FUEN Congress 2016
Article from the Finnish Television (YLE)