OSCE, Council of Europe and UN discuss terrorism, trafficking

VIENNA, 18 February 2003 - High-level officials from the Council of Europe, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe and the United Nations discussed co-operation in the fight against terrorism and trafficking in human beings at their annual "tripartite" consultations in Geneva on 14 February.

Participants, who included representatives of a wide range of other international organizations, underlined the need for a common framework for combating terrorism more effectively while respecting human rights and where applicable, international humanitarian law.

The meeting, chaired by the Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva (UNOG), Mr. Sergei Ordzhonikidze, was the 12th in a series initiated in July 1993. The General Secretariat of the Council of the European Union participated for the first time this year.

The full text of the concluding press release is attached to this text on the OSCE website.