High Commissioner on National Minorities Kairat Abdrakhmanov continues dialogue with United States on national minority issues

OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities Kairat Abdrakhmanov visited Washington D.C. and New York from 17 to 21 October 2022.

During the first part of the trip, the High Commissioner met with officials at the US State Department to discuss the most pressing challenges to security and co-operation in the OSCE area. The conversation also focused on the ongoing war in Ukraine and the illegal annexation of Ukrainian territory by the Russian Federation as well as the devastating impact of the war on the lives of ordinary people, including national minorities. Abdrakhmanov reaffirmed his availability to assist in any efforts to resolve the conflict based on the OSCE commitments, with full respect to Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity in its internationally recognized borders.

The High Commissioner had an opportunity to exchange views with representatives from the Department of Education on the positive efforts undertaken to ensure equal opportunities and outcomes for all students. They also discussed how the Department is addressing the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on youth in the United States, including racial and ethnic minorities, through the education system. He was informed of federal funding programmes aimed at achieving academic recovery and excellence, social and emotional wellbeing of students, and addressing teacher shortages based on the principles of achieving equity and closing opportunity gaps.

During his meetings with the Department of Justice, the conversation focused on the Community Relations Service’s important role as a dialogue facilitator in situations which might pose challenges to common security, safety and social cohesion.

In his conversation focusing on issues of concern to American Indians and Alaska Natives with the Department of State, the White House Council on Native American Affairs, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Department of Interior, the High Commissioner was encouraged that the discussion focused on a number of topics that the Biden-Harris Administration have given renewed attention to including environmental justice and the impact of climate change on smaller communities.

This conversation further outlined the work related to the Boarding School Initiative and the establishment of the Missing and Murdered Indigenous People Unit within the Bureau of Indian Affairs. The emphasis in all of his conversations was on consultation mechanisms, aimed at ensuring that minority voices are heard and considered when developing policies and legislation.

The High Commissioner also had an opportunity to exchange notes with select research institutions and civil society on key developments and enduring challenges to the effective management of diverse societies. In his meeting with UnidosUS, the High Commissioner discussed efforts aimed at ensuring that all eligible Latinos, including Afro-Latinos, are registered, informed and engaged in the political process every year. The High Commissioner was also pleased to meet with Nestor Mendez, Assistant Secretary General of the Organization of American States and Carla Koppell, Interim Vice Dean for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and Managing Director of the Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace, and Security (GIWPS) to explore avenues of future co-operation based on areas of mutual interest.

The High Commissioner then continued his visit to New York where he co-hosted an event centred on the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities and considerations relevant to conflicts and conflict prevention. The event was a joint endeavour with the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Minorities Issues Dr. Fernand de Varennes and the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Poland to the United Nations in New York, representing the Chairmanship-in-Office of the OSCE for 2022 in the margins of the 77th session of the UNGA Third Committee and the presentation of the thematic report by the UN Special Rapporteur on Minorities Issues.

During his visit to New York, the High Commissioner also held meetings with key UN officials to discuss issues relevant to his mandate. He met with UNGA President Csaba Kőrösi to exchange views on how to build confidence and strengthen dialogue between and within multilateral organizations. In his meeting with Rosemary A. DiCarlo, Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, the High Commissioner discussed the current geopolitical landscape and its impact on national minorities, focusing on ways to prevent risks of spill-over and instrumentalization of national minority issues.

The High Commissioner also met with Sarah Hendriks, Director of Policy, Programme and Intergovernmental Division, Policy Division of UN Women, and highlighted the intersectionality of gender mainstreaming and gender equality to his mandate as well as to the mission of OSCE.