OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities and Slovak OSCE Chairmanship work with UN to bolster conflict prevention and boost youth engagement
NEW YORK , United States of America, 24 July 2019 – The successful management of diversity in society is key to avoiding conflicts, said OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities Lamberto Zannier at the United Nations in New York on 19 July, as he led a discussion on how regional organizations play a key role in the prevention of conflict.
“The recipe to counter an increasingly polarized geopolitical environment, and to prevent further tensions potentially arising from it, is inclusive policies that help to strengthen the cohesiveness of our diverse societies and, in turn, their resilience to conflicts and crises. Focusing on youth allows us to address the root causes of segregation and exclusion from the outset,” said Zannier.
Organized in co-operation with the OSCE’s 2019 Slovak Chairmanship, the event brought together various regional organizations, including the African Union, the League of Arab States, the European Union, the Organization of American States, the Shanghai Co-operation Organisation and the OSCE, as well as the United Nations, to explore practical approaches to conflict prevention. This group initially met in October 2018, answering the call of UN Secretary-General António Guterres for more work on conflict prevention.
Miroslav Jenča, UN Assistant Secretary-General for Europe, Central Asia and Americas said: “The UN Charter provides us with a framework for co-operation on peace and security between the UN and regional arrangements. Together, we multiply each other’s strengths and can advance the broad prevention agenda.”
“Partnership between the UN and regional organizations is critical,” said Michal Mlynár, Permanent Representative of Slovakia to the UN. “Without regional organizations, the UN would not be able to deliver on its important mandate, especially in the area of conflict prevention.”
Zannier focused on concrete ways to prevent conflicts, and especially how regional partnerships can lend their expertise to this endeavour. He spoke on the role of youth in contributing to a culture of peace, dialogue and reconciliation.
“It is estimated that 408 million youth today live in a context affected by armed conflict,” said Jayathma Wickramanayake, the United Nations Secretary-General’s Envoy on Youth. “It must be clear therefore that we need to engage young people not only as beneficiaries, but as equal partners in all our efforts, especially in our efforts to prevent conflict and build peace.”
As a follow up to the discussion, participants committed to continuous dialogue and exchange of experiences, as a way to build on and maximize each other’s efforts.
The OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities is mandated to address inter-ethnic tensions at the earliest possible stage. In the 25 years since the institution has been working on conflict prevention, successive High Commissioners have amassed a vast body of experience in identifying and managing potential tensions before they develop into conflict.