THE OSCE AND MINORITIES PROTECTION Cover Image

ОРГАНИЗАЦИЈА ЗА БЕЗБЕДНОСТ И САРАДЊУ У ЕВРОПИ И ЗАШТИТА МАЊИНА
THE OSCE AND MINORITIES PROTECTION

Author(s): Boris Krivokapić
Subject(s): Law, Constitution, Jurisprudence, International Law, EU-Legislation
Published by: Правни факултет Универзитета у Нишу
Keywords: OSCE; protection of national minorities; High Commissioner; Convention Framework; European Charter

Summary/Abstract: The article deals with the role and importance of the OSCE in protection of national minorities. In that respect a brief development of the OSCE is given as well as review of the OSCE most important organs and institutions. Particular attention is dedicated to the Office for Democratic institutions and human rights (ODIHR) and High Commissioner on national minorities (HCNM). In a separate part of the article the most important documents of the KSCE/OSCE on the minority rights protection, are analyzed. In his concluding remarks the author firstly points out several dimension in which it is obvious that the contribution of the OSCE to minority protection in Europe is truly significant. After that he also notes some weaknesses of the existing practice, in particular the fact that so far OSCE and its High Commissioner were primarily engaged in monitoring status of national minorities in East European states. This regardless of the fact that serious interethnic tensions and even clashes exist in many countries of so-called Western Europe. Yet, author concludes that there is no doubt that OSCE, its documents and institutions (among them particularly the High Commissioner on minorities) have played extraordinary role in the process of developing and implementing protection of national minorities in Europe.

  • Issue Year: XLIII/2003
  • Issue No: 43
  • Page Range: 149-178
  • Page Count: 30
  • Language: Serbian