-3This work is particularly challenging in the context of the OSCE region, where the process of nation-building is still dynamic in a number of States. Efforts to consolidate national identities that focus on one community’s ethnic identity while ignoring others can give rise to feelings of resentment rather than unity. Such efforts may be guided by short-term political considerations, a misperception that diversity is a weakness rather than a strength, or desires to redress distant or more recent historical injustices. The reasons States fail to promote an inclusive civic identity can even be understandable, but the consequences can be catastrophic. That is why it is critical for authorities to use wisely the power that has been vested in them. Sovereign States have rights but they also have responsibilities and legal obligations, including the responsibility to protect human rights including minority rights, to practice democratic governance and not to discriminate. Promoting the integration of society is another important State responsibility, as stated in the Ljubljana Guidelines on Integration of Diverse Societies. This means the adoption and implementation of policies aimed at promoting integration in areas such as language, education, participation, media and access to justice. The Ljubljana Guidelines and my Institution’s other thematic recommendations provide guidance to States on the development of such policies. In the work of my Institution we have also seen how States can use their power beyond its jurisdiction, using so-called “kin” minorities in other States as an excuse for excessive intervention and even the provocation of violence. As noted in the Bolzano/Bozen Recommendations on National Minorities in Inter-state Relations, concerns for minorities in other States can be legitimate but should be addressed in the frameworks and mechanisms provided by international law. Questions of motives and credibility arise when States demonstrate greater interest in minorities abroad than at home. And the international community has the responsibility to use the power at its disposal to stop abuses and atrocities before they occur. The great Desmond Tutu once said that he told the apartheid government: “You may have the guns, you may have all this power, but you have already lost. Come: join the winning side.” The winning side is where all members of society have a voice, where all enjoy equal access to opportunities and where lines are not drawn on the basis of racial, ethnic or other identities. I hope that in the course of this Forum, we will learn together about how we can all be on the winning side.