Rob Zaagman - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Papers by Rob Zaagman
Security and Human Rights, 2008
ABSTRACT Preface by Professor M.S. Swaminathan, President Pugwash Conferences on Science and Worl... more ABSTRACT Preface by Professor M.S. Swaminathan, President Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs
Security and Human Rights, Nov 1, 2011
International Journal on Minority and Group Rights, 1994
Security and Human Rights, 2011
Security and Human Rights, 2011
, he greeted me in typical fashion: 'how are you?', he asked, and almost in the same breath start... more , he greeted me in typical fashion: 'how are you?', he asked, and almost in the same breath started talking about his priorities as OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities (HCNM). He was already busy studying minority issues in Europe and had concluded that his most urgent priority was the issue of the Russians and other Russian-speaking population groups in the Baltic states. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the volatile nature of the relations between those states and Russia, the emotions and the power-political calculus connected to these ethnic issues produced the kind of political situation for which the conflict-preventive services of the HCNM were intended. This was vintage Max: focused on his work, identifying his priorities, impatient to get going. His HCNM mandate would be effective only from 1 January 1993, and the OSCE ministers still had to confirm his appointment, but he was already preparing, wanting to hit the ground running in addressing the prevention of inter-ethnic conflict. Perhaps 'running' is not what comes readily to mind when one thinks of Max van der Stoel, but during those initial months I often felt out of breath and had to change step several times in order just to keep up with his tempo and ambition. A certain impatience was part of Max's character. His body language at having to wait for my luggage at the airport during one of our first trips together was very clear indeed, so that afterwards I, too, would use only hand luggage. Once, when he could not get a telephone connection, he slammed the receiver down with such angry force that I thought he would smash it to pieces. People who were slow in understanding his meaning could also tax his patience. However, in discussions and negotiations with outside parties he was ever the professionally patient and polite interlocutor, even if his neck would turn red on occasion. His first priority was coming to grips with the political challenges of interethnic relations in Europe. Others might have wanted to establish their home base before setting out on the first of many difficult trips. Not him: organizing the office had to be done in between missions. So it was that in mid-January 1993 we left for a visit to the Baltic states without a bank account for the office and I had to use my private credit card to pay the bills. When the receipts started arriving at my bank by snail-mail (no electronic connections then), it caused some concern there because I was way over my credit limit. 1 Rob Zaagman was private secretary and adviser to High Commissioner Max van der Stoel from January 1993 until July 1995. He is currently Consul-General of the Netherlands in Munich, Germany.
International Journal on Minority and Group Rights, 1994
International Journal on Minority and Group Rights, 1994
International Journal on Minority and Group Rights, 1994
This article attempts to understand concurrent efforts by inter-governmental agencies in the area... more This article attempts to understand concurrent efforts by inter-governmental agencies in the areas of minority protection and ethnic conflict prevention. The analysis specifially aims (1) to assist in differentiating between the numerous inter-governmental organs, bodies, and mechanisms, including the CSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities, with a role in addressing minority issues, and (2) to begin the process of identifying interrelationships, overlaps, and gaps in existing capacities. In addition to the High Commissioner, the minority-related activities of the UN, the Council of Europe, and the Council of Baltic Sea States are all reviewed. The essential view is that 'the effectiveness of international response to minority questions lies not in the efficacy of single institutions but in synergetic cooperaton among them'.
International Journal on Minority and Group Rights, 1993
Helsinki Monitor, 2007
This is the fifth installment of the Yearbook by the renowned European Centre for Minority Issues... more This is the fifth installment of the Yearbook by the renowned European Centre for Minority Issues (ICMI), published in cooperation with the European Academy in Bozen/Bolzano. It contains articles from various disciplines analysing minority situations or the political and historical contexts of such issues and contains a wide range of legal, sociological, statistical, political and historical analyses. Some articles deal with concrete situations-e.g. there is a special focus on the Balkan region (five articles on attempts in the Yugoslav successor states to create a new institutional order). Others are more theoretical in nature: the concept of a 'nation' is dealt with in three articles. They consider Recommendation 1735 by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and its implications for the debate on the cultural/ethnic nation versus the civic nation. Also a recurring feature are the reports on developments in (the activities of) international institutions, in particular the European Court of Human Rights, the Council of Europe, the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities and the United Nations. Finally, several national developments throughout Europe are reported. Two of these articles have annexes containing complete legal texts: the Hungarian Act of 1993 on the Rights of National and Ethnic Minorities and the Polish Act of 2005 on National and Ethnic Minorities as well as Regional Language. Like its predecessors, the Yearbook devotes substantial attention to issues in the West (minority issues in Belgium, the new autonomy act of Catalonia, resistance to immigrants and asylums seekers in the EU). This is to be welcomed: all the justified emphasis on ethnic conflict prevention in the East tends to obscure the fact that there are considerable minority issues in the West as well. And that includes a potential for social strife and even violence in some situations. For example, anyone who has followed the escalating debate in the Netherlands on Islam and the Islamic minority cannot but be concerned. That is 1 Rob Zaagman is an official of the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He wrote this review in his private capacity. The views expressed herein are not necessarily shared by the Dutch MFA. 311 Book review also a reason to welcome the fact that the concept of a minority as employed in this book is fairly wide, e.g. immigrants and asylum seekers ('new minorities') in the EU are also dealt with. This is not to say that all or even most articles are concerned with conflict-prone situations. Indeed, one can also find an analysis of ethnic minority entrepreneurship, diversity and competiveness in the UK. (Nevertheless, there is an additional emphasis on Central and Eastern European situations with a special section on the Balkans, articles on Slovakia, Hungary and Poland, and a (EU-US-Russia) strategic security analysis of the problems in the Caucasus and Moldova.) This book should be available in every library which aims to have a serious section on minority and minority-related issues.
© European Centre for Minority Issues (ECMI) 1999. All rights reserved. No part of this publicati... more © European Centre for Minority Issues (ECMI) 1999. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photo-copying, recording or otherwise, without the prior ...
Security and Human Rights, 2008
ABSTRACT Preface by Professor M.S. Swaminathan, President Pugwash Conferences on Science and Worl... more ABSTRACT Preface by Professor M.S. Swaminathan, President Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs
Security and Human Rights, Nov 1, 2011
International Journal on Minority and Group Rights, 1994
Security and Human Rights, 2011
Security and Human Rights, 2011
, he greeted me in typical fashion: 'how are you?', he asked, and almost in the same breath start... more , he greeted me in typical fashion: 'how are you?', he asked, and almost in the same breath started talking about his priorities as OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities (HCNM). He was already busy studying minority issues in Europe and had concluded that his most urgent priority was the issue of the Russians and other Russian-speaking population groups in the Baltic states. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the volatile nature of the relations between those states and Russia, the emotions and the power-political calculus connected to these ethnic issues produced the kind of political situation for which the conflict-preventive services of the HCNM were intended. This was vintage Max: focused on his work, identifying his priorities, impatient to get going. His HCNM mandate would be effective only from 1 January 1993, and the OSCE ministers still had to confirm his appointment, but he was already preparing, wanting to hit the ground running in addressing the prevention of inter-ethnic conflict. Perhaps 'running' is not what comes readily to mind when one thinks of Max van der Stoel, but during those initial months I often felt out of breath and had to change step several times in order just to keep up with his tempo and ambition. A certain impatience was part of Max's character. His body language at having to wait for my luggage at the airport during one of our first trips together was very clear indeed, so that afterwards I, too, would use only hand luggage. Once, when he could not get a telephone connection, he slammed the receiver down with such angry force that I thought he would smash it to pieces. People who were slow in understanding his meaning could also tax his patience. However, in discussions and negotiations with outside parties he was ever the professionally patient and polite interlocutor, even if his neck would turn red on occasion. His first priority was coming to grips with the political challenges of interethnic relations in Europe. Others might have wanted to establish their home base before setting out on the first of many difficult trips. Not him: organizing the office had to be done in between missions. So it was that in mid-January 1993 we left for a visit to the Baltic states without a bank account for the office and I had to use my private credit card to pay the bills. When the receipts started arriving at my bank by snail-mail (no electronic connections then), it caused some concern there because I was way over my credit limit. 1 Rob Zaagman was private secretary and adviser to High Commissioner Max van der Stoel from January 1993 until July 1995. He is currently Consul-General of the Netherlands in Munich, Germany.
International Journal on Minority and Group Rights, 1994
International Journal on Minority and Group Rights, 1994
International Journal on Minority and Group Rights, 1994
This article attempts to understand concurrent efforts by inter-governmental agencies in the area... more This article attempts to understand concurrent efforts by inter-governmental agencies in the areas of minority protection and ethnic conflict prevention. The analysis specifially aims (1) to assist in differentiating between the numerous inter-governmental organs, bodies, and mechanisms, including the CSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities, with a role in addressing minority issues, and (2) to begin the process of identifying interrelationships, overlaps, and gaps in existing capacities. In addition to the High Commissioner, the minority-related activities of the UN, the Council of Europe, and the Council of Baltic Sea States are all reviewed. The essential view is that 'the effectiveness of international response to minority questions lies not in the efficacy of single institutions but in synergetic cooperaton among them'.
International Journal on Minority and Group Rights, 1993
Helsinki Monitor, 2007
This is the fifth installment of the Yearbook by the renowned European Centre for Minority Issues... more This is the fifth installment of the Yearbook by the renowned European Centre for Minority Issues (ICMI), published in cooperation with the European Academy in Bozen/Bolzano. It contains articles from various disciplines analysing minority situations or the political and historical contexts of such issues and contains a wide range of legal, sociological, statistical, political and historical analyses. Some articles deal with concrete situations-e.g. there is a special focus on the Balkan region (five articles on attempts in the Yugoslav successor states to create a new institutional order). Others are more theoretical in nature: the concept of a 'nation' is dealt with in three articles. They consider Recommendation 1735 by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and its implications for the debate on the cultural/ethnic nation versus the civic nation. Also a recurring feature are the reports on developments in (the activities of) international institutions, in particular the European Court of Human Rights, the Council of Europe, the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities and the United Nations. Finally, several national developments throughout Europe are reported. Two of these articles have annexes containing complete legal texts: the Hungarian Act of 1993 on the Rights of National and Ethnic Minorities and the Polish Act of 2005 on National and Ethnic Minorities as well as Regional Language. Like its predecessors, the Yearbook devotes substantial attention to issues in the West (minority issues in Belgium, the new autonomy act of Catalonia, resistance to immigrants and asylums seekers in the EU). This is to be welcomed: all the justified emphasis on ethnic conflict prevention in the East tends to obscure the fact that there are considerable minority issues in the West as well. And that includes a potential for social strife and even violence in some situations. For example, anyone who has followed the escalating debate in the Netherlands on Islam and the Islamic minority cannot but be concerned. That is 1 Rob Zaagman is an official of the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He wrote this review in his private capacity. The views expressed herein are not necessarily shared by the Dutch MFA. 311 Book review also a reason to welcome the fact that the concept of a minority as employed in this book is fairly wide, e.g. immigrants and asylum seekers ('new minorities') in the EU are also dealt with. This is not to say that all or even most articles are concerned with conflict-prone situations. Indeed, one can also find an analysis of ethnic minority entrepreneurship, diversity and competiveness in the UK. (Nevertheless, there is an additional emphasis on Central and Eastern European situations with a special section on the Balkans, articles on Slovakia, Hungary and Poland, and a (EU-US-Russia) strategic security analysis of the problems in the Caucasus and Moldova.) This book should be available in every library which aims to have a serious section on minority and minority-related issues.
© European Centre for Minority Issues (ECMI) 1999. All rights reserved. No part of this publicati... more © European Centre for Minority Issues (ECMI) 1999. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photo-copying, recording or otherwise, without the prior ...