"The Impact of the Post-Cold War European Minority Rights Regime on Inter-Ethnic Relations in Estonia and Latvia"

Tesser, Lynn M. (2005) "The Impact of the Post-Cold War European Minority Rights Regime on Inter-Ethnic Relations in Estonia and Latvia" . In European Union Studies Association (EUSA) > Biennial Conference > 2005 (9th), March 31-April 2, 2005, pages 23, Austin, Texas.

Abstract

[From the Introduction]. By the mid-1990s, a set of standards concerning minority protections emerged from elite-level dialogue between European states, particularly within the forums provided by international institutions. Developing a post-Cold War minority rights ‘regime’ was thought to be critical, particularly for Western elites, in stemming population flows westwards precipitated by emerging ethnic tensions. Post-Cold War standards have been delineated within key agreements of the two organizations most involved in the development of a new minority rights regime: the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and the Council of Europe (COE). These include the OSCE’s 1990 Copenhagen Document and 1991 Geneva Report as well as the COE’s 1995 Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities. Post-Cold War ‘European’ norms ultimately include the following principles: (1) the notion of identity being an individual’s choice; (2) the idea that ‘individuals belonging to national minorities’ should have unimpeded access to human rights accorded to all individuals; (3) the idea that they must free from state-sponsored discrimination and share equality before the law; (4) the right to maintain and develop minority culture privately and publicly; (5) the right to form contacts with foreigners of the same cultural background; (6) the right to charge their respective governments of violating the above in European-wide forums; and finally responsibility for (7) demonstrating loyalty to the states individuals belonging to national minorities call home.