Operational (sometimes called “short-term” or “direct”) conflict prevention focuses on actions to prevent escalation of conflicts from a condition of “unstable peace” to a “crisis” stage and subsequently to “war.” In this role, the OSCE, especially its “missions of long duration,” must intervene in situations that threaten to escalate to violence in the short term. This requires engaging in a third-party role as a facilitator or mediator to try to manage or resolve a conflict before it escalates out of control. OSCE missions may provide “early warning” of potential conflict escalation, creating a larger effort to find “turning points” and a “way out” of a tense situation to de-escalate the conflict before it turns violent. This is generally the primary role of the Conflict Prevention Centre, often supplemented by the High Commissioner on National Minorities when a conflict centers on minority rights issues.