Introduction In  its Helsinki Decision of July 1992, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) established the position of High Commissioner on National Minorities (HCNM) to be an instrument of conflict prevention at the earliest possible stage in regard to tensions involving national minority issues.1 For almost 25 years, the institution has accumulated significant experience with regard to identifying and tackling potential causes of conflict related to national minorities. In their work, the successive High Commissioners have encountered a number of recurring issues and have published seven thematic Recommendations and Guidelines providing insight and advice for States facing these issues. These documents aim to make recommendations to States that can serve as a basis for developing policies which respect internationally agreed standards, and reduce tensions that could lead to inter-ethnic conflicts. The first three sets of Recommendations – The Hague Recommendations Regarding the Education Rights of National Minorities, The Oslo Recommendations Regarding the Linguistic Rights of National Minorities and The Lund Recommendations on the Effective Participation of National Minorities in Public Life – focus primarily on elaborating minority rights standards in the areas of education, language and participation in public life. The subsequent two publications – Guidelines on the use of Minority Languages in the Broadcast Media and Recommendations on Policing in Multi-Ethnic Societies – address specific challenges that many States face in guaranteeing minorities’ access to broadcast media in their language and in providing effective policing in ethnically diverse societies. The Bolzano/Bozen Recommendations on National Minorities in Inter-State Relations offer advice on how States may support minorities residing in other countries while maintaining peaceful and good-neighbourly relations. Most recently, The Ljubljana Guidelines on Integration of Diverse Societies are concerned with enhancing the integration and cohesion of diverse, multi-ethnic societies. The Recommendations and Guidelines of the HCNM have become increasingly relevant considering raised 1 The term “national minority”, as used in this document, refers to a wide range of minority groups, including ethnic, religious, linguistic and cultural communities, regardless of whether these groups are recognized as such by the States where they reside and irrespective of the designation applied to or claimed by them. Also see Note on Terminology, p.41. The Graz Recommendations on Access to Justice and National Minorities 3