Q&A: Preventing ethnic conflict

Rolf Ekeus, OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities, shares his views on how protecting national minorities contributes to peace and prosperity.

Profile

Swedish diplomat Rolf Ekeus assumed the position of OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities in July 2001, taking over from Max van der Stoel of the Netherlands who held the post for more than eight years.

Ambassador Ekeus has a long and distinguished career in the Swedish diplomatic service. During his forty-year career he has served his country in Bonn, Nairobi, New York, The Hague and, most recently, was Swedish Ambassador to the United States.

He was active in the Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe (CSCE) during the period of post-Communist transition. He headed the Swedish delegation to the CSCE from 1988 to 1992 and played a key role in drafting the Charter of Paris for a New Europe (1990).

Will you continue with the "quiet diplomacy" approach of your predecessor?

As a career diplomat, I am used to such an approach. Furthermore, the mandate prescribes it.

Of course, people say, "How do we know what you are doing if you are so discreet?" But there are enough mechanisms built into the reporting procedures to ensure that the appropriate parties - particularly the Chairman-in-Office - are informed about my activities. And it is my impression that my interlocutors are grateful for the discretion, which has already been helpful in certain situations.

What has taken me a little longer to get used to is the level of intrusiveness that the mandate allows. As a diplomat, I have always been taught not to ruffle feathers. But in this job, it is sometimes necessary to stick one's nose in where it may not be welcome.
I intend to use the full parameters afforded by the mandate, but in such a way that is most effective for preventing conflict. And to my mind, a key aspect of the High Commissioner's strength is his discretion.

How will the OSCE's focus on countering terrorism be reflected in your work?

My mandate is clear on the limitations of my work when it comes to terrorism.
It states that "The High Commissioner will not consider national minority issues in situations involving organized acts of terrorism" and even stipulates that the High Commissioner will not communicate with and will not acknowledge communications from any party - whether person or organization - that practices or publicly condones terrorism or violence.

I believe that it was the intention of those States that insisted on these limitations that the High Commissioner should not legitimize the activities of those who resort to violence to forward their aims. I support this view.

That being said, the mandate obliges me to focus on the prevention of violent conflict. In fulfilling this task, I must address discrimination, injustice or exclusion - either real or perceived. The persistence of such conditions can breed extremism and sometimes terrorism. I am not suggesting that every situation I am engaged in could lead to conflict; nor am I implying that inter-ethnic issues inevitably spawn violence, or even terrorism.
But the better we are at creating an environment in which people's rights are protected, in which they feel they have a voice, and in which they do not feel isolated, then the greater the chances that we can ensure peace and prosperity and prevent conflict. So if terrorism is at the extreme tip of the conflict scale, efforts to prevent conflict (which we, as an Organization make every day) can, indirectly, reduce the long-term prospects of problems exploding into dangerous and violent crises.

How has the High Commissioner balanced territorial integrity and self-determination?

The twentieth century was defined, in large part, by the clash of these principles. But I do not think that they are contradictory.

Self-determination does not necessarily mean secession. A national group does not have to be independent, in its own nation-state, to have control over its own fate. If it did, Europe would look a lot different than it does now and there would be protracted, violent conflicts in a misguided and vain attempt to create ethnically pure nation-states.

My job is to find ways of allowing national groups to represent their interests and enjoy their cultural identity within states. I advocate diversity and integration rather than forced assimilation.

Will you place special emphasis on Latvia and Estonia, given recent closure of their Missions?

Latvia and Estonia remain two of my higher priorities at the moment.
It was not the High Commissioner's decision to open or close the missions, and their closure has no formal bearing on my work. However, because the mandates of the missions related a great deal to minority issues, their closure would suggest that the Governments of those countries have taken important steps forward concerning the protection of persons belonging to national minorities over the past years. But it does not mean that there are no significant issues left to be addressed. It is my impression, from frequent high-level contacts, that the Governments of Latvia and Estonia recognize this, which is why they have expressed their willingness to continue to work with me.

What have been the major issues confronting you over the first six months?

We have already discussed some of them: the situations in Latvia and Estonia and the relations between Hungary and its neighbours. I have also been to Kyrgyzstan, where we are looking at legislative matters concerning minorities as well as minority education issues, and Moldova, where the main focus is on linguistic issues. I have been engaged in the Balkans as well, particularly concerning legislative reform in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. In early February, I visited Ukraine and Georgia where we are becoming increasingly involved in issues on language and minority rights, especially at the regional level within these countries. I have also been introducing myself to the OSCE community and international partners. This is a complex and to some extent a unique job and every day brings up something new and interesting. I have quickly learned that it is not a desk job. It requires a great deal of travel in order fully to orient and engage myself on the spot.