Address by Her Majesty the Queen on the occasion of the appointment of H.E. Mr. Max van der Stoel to the Knighthood of the Golden Lion of Nassau, Den Haag, 31 augustus 1999, check against delivery.

Mr Van der Stoel,

Fifty years is a long time in a human life, but only a brief moment in history. After the devastating wars that Europe has witnessed during this century, no one could have imagined that any country or people would ever wish to start another war. Yet in the five decades that followed the Second World War this happened time and again. Various new states in our continent became involved in serious armed conflicts, not so much between nations as between minority and majority groupings within the national borders. The cause has nearly always been ethnic tensions deeply rooted in European history, forces which still pose a threat to peace throughout Europe. Containing and decreasing this threat has been the central theme of your work since your appointment in nineteen ninety-two as High Commissioner on National Minorities of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe.

In the years of the Cold War, Western Europe had a system to provide an early warning of a possible attack on our Alliance. With the creation of a High Commissioner on Minorities, the term acquired a new meaning: to identify as early as possible any resurgence in nationalist feeling and tensions between ethnic groups. You were entrusted with the sensitive task of monitoring problems relating to minorities and indicating how they could best be defused. Nobody can have been surprised by that choice. The position is perfectly suited to someone whose entire international career has been devoted to protecting and strengthening the international rule of law and the rights of the individual.

The appointment of a High Commissioner on National Minorities was an experiment for the OSCE. The demands made of the High Commissioner were high, the resources at his disposal were minimal. Much, if not everything, depended on the character and stature of the office-holder himself and the way in which he managed his limited means. On all these points you have far exceeded expectations; you approached this delicate task with all the acumen, energy and tenacity that we already knew you to possess. While always remaining in the background and wherever possible allowing others to take the credit - you have successfully demonstrated the continuing value of quiet diplomacy. Thanks to you, the office of High Commissioner on National Minorities has become an essential instrument in the work of the OSCE.

<<< Seven years is a brief moment in history, but a long time in a human life. For almost seven years now, you have been engaged in this difficult task that is however vital to the future of Europe. The way in which you, as High Commissioner, have served the cause of peace has earned you great respect both within the international community and in your own country. Your work in this field has been the crowning achievement of a long and impressive career as a public servant.

Exceptional service merits an exceptional tribute. It is my good fortune to have a very special mark of honour at my disposal: the House Order of the Golden Lion of Nassau. This Order was founded in eighteen fifty-eight by King Willem III, who was also Grand Duke of Luxembourg, and is now a joint House Order of the heads of state of the two countries. Looking back on your term of office as High Commissioner, which is now drawing to a close, and on the important public offices you held previously, I have great pleasure in bestowing on you a Knighthood in this Order.

The presentation of this honour tonight will come as no surprise to you. I thought it better to send out an 'early warning'. This allowed us to consult with you on the guests to be invited here this evening, all people with whom you have special ties. In the midst of your family, friends and colleagues, I now take great pleasure in presenting you with the insignia that symbolise this much deserved Knighthood of the Golden Lion of Nassau.