Arie Bloed – författare

Since the end of the Cold War, mounting tensions related to national minorities have increased international efforts to contain and to solve these inter-ethnic disputes. While much has been written about the efforts of international organizations, such as the United Nations, the Council of Europe and the OSCE, in this respect, much less attention has been paid to the advances in minority issues made on a bilateral level. Many former socialist states have concluded bilateral treaties to improve their relations, and these treaties often include clauses relating to mutual national minorities. Against this background, and at the request of the High Commissioner on National Minorities, the Foundation on Interethnic Relations in The Hague convened two meetings of legal experts to discuss the relevance of bilateral treaties for the settlement of inter-ethnic disputes. These meetings form the basis of the current publication, which includes an analysis and a collection of case studies. The case studies center around Poland, Hungary and Russia and offer a comprehensive survey of the network of bilateral treaties and the role of minority rights within these instruments. The book also contains the English translation of the main parts of the relevant bilateral agreements that are ordinarily difficult to access for scientific research. This book will therefore serve as an important instrument for anyone involved in the study of inter-ethnic conflict and minority rights.

The quantity of documents produced by the OSCE reflects the increasing number and range of its activities. The Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe helps users access this important and continually metamorphosing body of law. Supplementing The Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe: Analysis and Basic Documents, 1972-1993, a 1,200 page collection of official OSCE documents, this volume contains selected official documents from the last few years. It focuses on those containing substantive decisions which bind all or some of the OSCE states. In addition, letters and recommendations of the High Commissioner on National Minorities and the reactions to them by governments take up a large section of the book, reflecting the increasing activities of the HCNM. Practitioners and academics who deal with the OECD will appreciate this work's coverage, the editor's expertise, and his painstakking selection.

In the recent period the political and security infrastructure in Europe has changed dramatically, in particular after the collapse of communism in Central and Eastern Europe. This has resulted in a process of transformation not only within the former socialist countries, but also in the various political and security institutions. The fundamental change in the political landscape in Europe has also affected the Western European Union (WEU): from a more or less dormant organization it developed in the 1990s into the `defence arm' of the European Union and the European pillar of the Atlantic Alliance. The changing functions of WEU, which became clear especially after its `reactivation' in 1984 and the conclusion of the Maastricht Treaty (1992), are reflected in this volume. Apart from all major documents the book contains a short introduction on the purposes, institutions and possibilities of WEU. The texts are made accessible by an extensive subject index.