Mr. Moderator, a decade ago the collapse of communism in Europe raised hopes that newly freed people would build states that were not only democratic but also ethnically tolerant. Ultimately, the basis for this vision was the belief that free peoples would recover from years of oppression and see a common interest in building a better future. In the post-war world, the spread of democracy and cooperation established a new model for making peace among old enemies in Western Europe. That success helped inspire the dream, ten years ago, that the newly liberated peoples of Central and Eastern Europe, and the former USSR, would follow this route as well.

Alas, in several cases fear proved more powerful than hope. In the NIS, the legacy of a Leninist-Stalinist system that sowed distrust and pitted ethnic and national groups against each other, and recollections of past grievances, helped spur conflicts in the South Caucasus, Tajikistan, and Moldova. Scores of thousands were killed and well over one million people became refugees.

In the former Yugoslavia, the number killed might be over 200,000 and well over three million were displaced from 1991 to the present. In addition, tens of thousands of women were raped and thousands of people were tortured. Mosques, religious objects and cultural sites were intentionally destroyed in an attempt to erase the existence of the expelled population.

The conflict in Kosovo has been one of the most thoroughly documented cases of ethnic cleansing due to the pervasive coverage of the media. We all watched as hundreds of thousands of refugees poured across the borders to Albania, Macedonia, and Montenegro. Many of these refugees told horrifying stories of being forcibly – and often violently – expelled from their homes and villages.

Even with the end of the conflict per se, the OSCE must work to ensure that reverse ethnic cleansing does not take place. Few Serbs remain in Kosovo, and the OSCE mission there recently reported that hundreds of Roma are gathering on the Macedonian border this week.

To this day, untold numbers of the purveyors of these crimes against humanity still wander freely. All OSCE participating States must give strong support to the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugosolavia, by supplying evidence and by helping the Tribunal arrest and arraign those who have been indicted for war crimes. In so doing, we can all help erase this ugly stain on Europe at the dawn of the next millennium.

In a few countries, the old scourge of anti-Semitism remains part of the political landscape. The status and prospects of Jews in Russia simultaneously offer grounds for hope and concern. On the one hand, Jews are no longer constrained by state policy to abjure their faith or to renounce their ethnic identity. They have reestablished schools, founded organizations, and freely participate in the political process. Yet, some extremists openly advance an anti-Semitic agenda. Last fall, two communist legislators in the State Duma publicly blamed "Yids" and "Yeltsin’s Jewish entourage" for Russia’s social and economic problems. The governor of the Krasnodar region has become notorious for intolerant statements about Jews and ethnic minorities. Furthermore, incidents of anti-Semitism and explosions at or near synagogues have plagued Russia. Many responsible leaders, unfortunately, have failed to condemn these incidents.

Just what should OSCE participating States do to stem intolerance and ethnic hatreds? Allowing them to fester is a prescription for new disasters. Democratic and economic reforms that promote tolerance and better people’s lives are vital. But we cannot stand by in silence today to wait for such reforms to take effect. Political leaders and governments must respect their countries’ commitments to protect targets of hatred. We also have a duty to inform our citizens of the evils of aggressive nationalism, anti-Semitism, and ethnic cleansing. This is best done through nurturing democratic institutions and promoting religious and ethnic tolerance.

Mr. Moderator, we must work constantly to learn and re-learn the lessons of the past. Otherwise, nationalism in its virulent form and other hatreds may spread and endanger democratic processes not only in countries that are developing democracy, but also in those that might think they are immune.