Human Rights of Armed Forces Personnel Chapter 10: Ethnic, Racial and Linguistic Minorities in the Armed Forces Introduction: Issues at Stake This chapter deals with the position of persons belonging to ethnic and linguistic minorities within the armed forces. It also discusses the situation of non-nationals serving in the armed forces. Protecting and enhancing minorities’ rights to their cultures, religions and languages is part of upholding their human rights (see “Chapter 9: Religion in the Armed Forces”). Where a state’s armed forces include all of society, including ethnic and other minorities, they can become a source of improved societal cohesion. It follows that efforts should be made to remove institutional barriers to the recruitment and inclusion of everyone within the armed forces. This is not only a question of justice and fairness, and the right to equal treatment without discrimination, but also one of effectiveness – the armed forces will operate more effectively if they are broadly representative and inclusive, and not dominated by specific ethnic or linguistic groups.362 This chapter, therefore, discusses the integration of the armed forces, with a view to establishing good practices and procedures for the recruitment, selection and training of all service personnel, including persons belonging to minorities. Box 10.1: OSCE commitments on national minorities The OSCE has developed broad commitments related to national minorities. As early as the Helsinki Conference of 1975, the OSCE stated that participating States should recognize the contribution that national minorities and regional cultures play in those states.363 Later, at the Vienna Conference of 1989, participating States agreed to “protect and create conditions for the promotion of the ethnic, cultural, linguistic and religious identity of national minorities on their territory”.364 Added at the Copenhagen Conference of 1990 was the right of those belonging to such a minority or culture to use their own language and to establish their own educational, cultural and religious institutions.365 Subsequent conferences have re-affirmed these commitments. The participating States agreed in 1992 to establish the High Commissioner on National Minorities as an instrument of conflict prevention; the High Commissioner has observed 362 Lyall Jason, “The Strongest Military Is an Inclusive one. Why Equality Wins Wars”, Foreign Affairs, February 14, 2020, https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/2020-02-14/strongest-military-inclusive-one. 363 OSCE, Helsinki Final Act (Co-operation in Humanitarian and Other Fields), op. cit., note 9. 364 OSCE, Vienna 1989, op. cit., note 139, para. 19. 365 160 OSCE, Copenhagen 1990, op. cit., note 141, paras. 32-34.