OSCE and UN promote dialogue on ethnic minorities in Central Asia
BISHKEK, 21 June 2011 - A two-day regional conference on the rights of minorities started in Bishkek today. The conference is organized jointly by the OSCE Centre in Bishkek, the Central Asian Regional Representation of the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the UN Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia.
The conference brings together over 100 participants from Central Asian states, including representatives from State bodies, Parliament and civil society organizations, as well as experts on ethnic minorities’ issues.
“The problems that we faced last year were a strong stimulus for us to revise our policy in this complex area of ethnic communities and minorities, who account for one-third of the population,” said President of Kyrgyzstan Roza Otunbaeva, in her opening remarks. “Now our most important task is to find the way for Kyrgyzstan to become a modern, dynamic and competitive state. Kyrgyzstan’s people are ready for peaceful co-existence and we, Kyrgyzstan’s authorities, will do our best to ensure that all citizens can work productively and that all ethnic communities are involved in the political and social life of the country. This is the first conference on this issue organized on such a broad scale. During the event we will work together, and among other matters you will learn about and discuss how we address these challenges in our country.”
Ambassador Andrew Tesoriere, the Head of the OSCE Centre in Bishkek, stated: “Today’s conference will once again draw public attention to the issues that ethnic minorities face in the region. We all understand that it is impossible to build a fully-fledged modern society in Central Asian countries if the rights of ethnic minorities are neglected”.
Dimiter Chalev, the Chief of the OHCHR Europe and Central Asia Section, Field Operations and Technical Co-operation Division, said: “Central Asia is a region with a rich tradition of multi-ethnic co-existence. The participation of minorities in public life is essential to address the challenges that minorities face. Protection of ethnic minorities’ rights is the priority issue for the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. This conference is the demonstration of our commitment to strengthen our work in the Central Asian region.”
Conference participants will discuss challenges including the political and economic participation of ethnic minorities, language and culture diversity in education and the media, the judiciary and policing, and international standards and best practices in the field of ethnic minorities.