OSCE in defence of Poles in Lithuania

2014-04-06, 18:24

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High Commissioner of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe on National Minorities Knut Vollebeak many times declared and expressed his understanding of the legitimate aspirations of the Polish national minority in Lithuania and supported Poles in their struggle for minority rights. He visited Lithuania twice in 2011 and 2012. After analysing the situation of national minorities on the spot, the High Commissioner provided the government of Lithuania with recommendations in this regard.

Last year Astrid Thors replaced Knut Vollebeak in the position of the High Commissioner on National Minorities. Mrs Thors also supports the Polish minority in Lithuania in its aim to provide basic catalog of rights of national minorities under international and European legal standards and good practices.

In March 2014 A. Thors sent a letter addressed to the Lithuanian Poles´ Electoral Action Political Group in Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania in which she underlined that she has been 'closely following the situation of minority rights, including linguistic rights, in Lithuania during the past three years and has also provided the government with recommendations in this regard.'

In her letter, current OSCE High Commissioner also underlined that it is very important to align Lithuanian legislative framework, especially those parts concerning minorities´ linguistic rights, with international obligations under the Framework Convention on National Minorities.
'Relevant in this context are the two Opinions of the Advisory Committee on the Framework Convention on National Minorities urging the Government to align its domestic legislative framework, especially those parts concerning minorities' linguistic rights, with its international obligations under the Framework Convention,' the High Commissioner wrote.

The fact that international organizations are closely monitoring the process of a draft law on national minorities and the preparations to adopt it is very important for Polish minority in Lithuania.

'Let me assure you that I am closely monitoring the process to draft a law on national minorities and I continue to follow other developments relating to national minorities - especially the ethnic Polish minority - in Lithuania, in accordance with my mandate. As we know, the protection of minority rights is not only a matter of legislation; the implementation of these rights in practice is an important consideration,' emphasized A. Thors.

The Law on National Minorities should be considered during the spring session of Lithuanian Parliament.

The OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities office was established in 1992. The main duties of a Commissioner are to keep peace and prevent conflicts between European states. The office was established especially in relation to the ethnic conflicts in Central - Eastern Europe and Southern Europe.

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