ABSTRACT
As a security organization the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) derives its interest in language issues from a conflict-prevention perspective. The protection of the rights of persons belonging to national minorities, including their linguistic rights, constitutes a key element within the framework of the OSCE's overall approach of "comprehensive security" and "cooperative security" which is grounded in the commitment of all States to cooperate within a framework of open, democratic societies with free market economies, based on the rule of law and respect for human rights. The general thrust of the High Commissioner on National Minorities’ activities in support of the protection of minority language rights and the broader accommodation of linguistic diversity within plurilingual societies has generally remained the same during the past decade.
