In addition, the HCNM consulted the following experts: Professor Gudmundur Alfredsson, Director of the Raoul Wallenberg Institute of Human Rights and Humanitarian Law, Lund University; Prof. lect. Bogdan Aurescu, University of Bucharest and Substitute Member of the Venice Commission; Mrs. Ilze Brands-Kehris, Director, Latvian Centre on Human Rights, Riga; Professor Vojin Dimitrijevic, Director, Belgrade Centre for Human Rights; Professor Asbjørn Eide, Senior Fellow at the Norwegian Institute of Human Rights, Oslo; Ms. Simona Granata-Menghini, Head of Constitutional Co-operation Division, Secretariat of the Venice Commission, Strasbourg; Professor Jan Erik Helgesen, President of the Venice Commission, Strasbourg; Professor Kristin Henrard, Erasmus University Rotterdam; Dr. Enik Horváth, independent expert, Paris; Mr. Antti Korkeakivi, Centre for Human Rights and Global Justice at New York University School of Law; Dr. Emma Lantschner, European Academy Bolzano/Bozen and University of Graz; Mr. Mark Lattimer, Executive Director, Minority Rights Group International, London; Professor Joseph Marko, University of Graz; Dr. Anna Matveeva, London School of Economics and Political Science; Mr. Alan Phillips, President of the Advisory Committee on the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities of the Council of Europe, Strasbourg; Professor Eduardo Ruiz-Vieytez, Director, Human Rights Institute, University of Deusto, Bilbao; Professor Levente Salat, Babe -Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca; Professor Pieter van Dijk, President of the Administrative Jurisdiction Division, Council of State of the Netherlands, The Hague, and Member of the Venice Commission; Professor Mitja Žagar, Institute for Ethnic Studies, Ljubljana. The purpose of these Recommendations is to provide representatives of States, national minorities and international organizations with guidance on how to address the questions concerning national minorities that arise in the context of inter-State relations in a way that protects and promotes the rights of persons belonging to national minorities, prevents conflict, maintains interethnic harmony and strengthens good neighbourly relations. By encouraging States to make the right policy choices and take measures to alleviate tensions related to national minorities abroad, it is hoped that the ultimate conflict prevention goal of the HCNM mandate will be served. Knut Vollebaek OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities The Hague, 20 June 2008 4 Recommendations on National Minorities in Inter-State Relations