The role of human and minority rights in the process of reconstruction and reconciliation for state- and nation-building

The overall objective is to find out how the legal and institutional arrangements balancing general human rights and group related minority rights in the conflict settlement agreements do work in order to foster the process of reconstruction and reconciliation for state- and nation-building. Secondly, it has to be taken into consideration to what extent these legal and institutional arrangements have to be complemented by an analysis of the role history and civic education play in the process of reconciliation. Finally, the aim is to assess how the means employed by the EU in the Stabilisation and Association Process with the prospect of future EU-membership help to overcome ethno-national tensions.

Through the analysis of the performance of state institutions (legislative, executive and judiciary), the role of political parties, media, and school teachers, the situation of minorities and the development of civil society  in Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia, Kosovo and Macedonia, it will be assessed how institutional mechanisms and various actors including the EU contribute to democratic consolidation, regional stability and inter-ethnic co-existence or even co-operation in the processes of state- and nation-building.

Anticipated results

The analysis of actors and institutional mechanisms in the reconstruction and reconciliation phase will provide the normative and empirical basis for the conceptualisation of a „European" approach of balancing individual human rights and group related minority rights and to find the respective institutional mix how to accommodate „Unity in Diversity."

Expected reports from the WP 4:

•            Reports on Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia, Kosovo and Macedonia
•            EU policies and the SAA process
•            Reconciliation efforts
•            Synthetic report