OSCE meeting starts with call for stronger institutions to tackle discrimination

VIENNA, 29 May 2008 - An OSCE meeting on combating racism and xenophobia opened today in Vienna with a call for establishing and strengthening national institutions against discrimination.

The two-day meeting, which brings together over 200 representatives from government, national human rights institutions and non-governmental organizations, addresses the role of national institutions in fighting discrimination against migrants and persons belonging to national minorities. Participants will discuss the mandates of national institutions, challenges such as intolerant public attitudes, and good practices and effective policy responses.

"Racism and xenophobia present major obstacles to the full enjoyment of human rights by marginalized groups such as migrants and national minorities," said Ambassador Christian Strohal, Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), which organized the conference.

"National institutions against discrimination have a crucial role to play in addressing racism and xenophobia, and we strongly encourage governments to establish such bodies in line with existing international standards, if they have not done so already. For national anti-discrimination institutions to work successfully, they have to be fully independent from government and adequately resourced."

The message was echoed in a joint statement made by civil society organizations at the opening of the conference.

Morten Kjaerum, the designated Director of the European Union Fundamental Rights Agency and the keynote speaker at the meeting, said it was necessary to work together to find new methods to ensure and enhance the protection of national minorities and migrants from exclusion and stigmatization.

"National human rights institutions are new actors in this field with a potential to expand the already existing tool box and with the ability to function as a platform for constructive dialogue among social actors, authorities, the business sector and other actors engaged in the effective combating of racism and xenophobia," he said.