OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities launches The Siena Recommendations on Contested Histories and National Minorities

SIENA, 19 June 2026 - History has the potential to be a source of contestation within or between states, leading to tensions and even conflict. At the same time, if approached responsibly, it can be a means for fostering dialogue, mutual understanding and co-operation, stated OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities (HCNM) Christophe Kamp, as he opened the conference to launch The Siena Recommendations on Contested Histories and National Minorities (Siena Recommendations) at the University of Siena, Italy, today.

In recent years, the successive High Commissioners have worked to support participating States in their efforts to manage contestations over history that have the potential to lead to tensions both within and between States. National minority issues are often part of these dynamics, making this an issue of direct relevance to the High Commissioner's mandate.

The High Commissioner has developed the Siena Recommendations, the 11th in the series of HCNM thematic recommendations and guidelines, to offer practical advice to the authorities of participating States when taking decisions on matters related to contested historical narratives, especially when they relate to national minority issues.

The High Commissioner has observed dynamics related to contested histories and national minorities in the legal and policy spheres, in public spaces and in education. The Siena Recommendations are structured into three sections accordingly, and offer a range of practical options on how to manage contestations in a manner that eases tensions in society and prevents them from escalating into conflict, both within and between states.

The conference to launch the recommendations included two panel discussions, during which experts and practitioners reflected on how the Siena Recommendations can be applied in specific contexts, recognizing that each situation is unique and in need of its own, tailored approach.

In the first panel on "Leadership in Conflict Prevention: Addressing Contested Histories as a Path to Reducing Tensions," speakers shared experiences from across the OSCE area of how contested histories have been addressed at the municipal, national, regional and bilateral levels to prevent conflict and foster long-term stability.

In the second panel, "The Siena Recommendations in Practice: Contributing to the Integration of Diverse Societies," the participants examined how specific recommendations have been applied in practice - and could be applied in other cases - to support more inclusive societies.

Siena is identified with this set of recommendations because of the work of the University of Siena in this thematic field. The Recommendations have benefitted through the expertise of EuroClio - European association of Educators and the Institute for Historical Justice and Reconciliation (IHCJR) on Contested Histories, among others.