OSCE to host Europe's largest human rights conference in Warsaw
A victim's testimony is shown at a special session on trafficking in human beings at last years' OSCE Human Dimension Implementation Meeting in Warsaw. (OSCE) Photo details
WARSAW, 29 September, 2003 - More than 500 international experts, government representatives and human rights activists will gather in Poland from 6 to 17 October to take part in this year's session of Europe's largest human rights and democratization conference.
The conference's main organizer is the OSCE's Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR).
Among the opening speakers will be the OSCE Chairman-in-Office and Netherlands Foreign Minister, Jaap de Hoop Scheffer; Polish Foreign Minister Wlodzimierz Cimoszewicz; the acting UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Bertram Ramcharan; and Ambassador Christian Strohal, who took over as the Director of the ODIHR earlier this year.
The two-week meeting will review the progress made by the 55 participating States of the OSCE in implementing their international commitments in the field of human rights and democratization, including commitments to respect fundamental freedoms, conduct democratic elections, combat trafficking in human beings, and ban the use of torture.
The annual OSCE human rights conference is a unique forum for open discussion and dialogue on topical human rights issues among governments and civil society representatives. This year, day-long special sessions will be devoted to the prevention of discrimination, racism, xenophobia, and anti-Semitism (14 October); to national minorities (15 October); and to migrant workers (16 October).
Other topics to be discussed include: the protection of victims of trafficking; protecting and strengthening fundamental freedoms, such as the freedom of expression, religion, and movement; the right to a fair trial; and the prevention of aggressive nationalism and ethnic cleansing.
Several reports and handbooks - on election-related issues, the death penalty, and the handling of individual human rights complaints - will be presented at the meeting by the ODIHR.
Journalists are invited to attend the opening session, which will begin on Monday, 6 October, at 10:00 in Hotel Victoria, ul. Krolewska, Warsaw, as well as the regular working sessions and side events.
Interviews with key participants can be arranged upon request. Media representatives are requested to bring their press credentials for registration at the conference venue. For more information, please see the conference website.
The conference's main organizer is the OSCE's Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR).
Among the opening speakers will be the OSCE Chairman-in-Office and Netherlands Foreign Minister, Jaap de Hoop Scheffer; Polish Foreign Minister Wlodzimierz Cimoszewicz; the acting UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Bertram Ramcharan; and Ambassador Christian Strohal, who took over as the Director of the ODIHR earlier this year.
The two-week meeting will review the progress made by the 55 participating States of the OSCE in implementing their international commitments in the field of human rights and democratization, including commitments to respect fundamental freedoms, conduct democratic elections, combat trafficking in human beings, and ban the use of torture.
The annual OSCE human rights conference is a unique forum for open discussion and dialogue on topical human rights issues among governments and civil society representatives. This year, day-long special sessions will be devoted to the prevention of discrimination, racism, xenophobia, and anti-Semitism (14 October); to national minorities (15 October); and to migrant workers (16 October).
Other topics to be discussed include: the protection of victims of trafficking; protecting and strengthening fundamental freedoms, such as the freedom of expression, religion, and movement; the right to a fair trial; and the prevention of aggressive nationalism and ethnic cleansing.
Several reports and handbooks - on election-related issues, the death penalty, and the handling of individual human rights complaints - will be presented at the meeting by the ODIHR.
Journalists are invited to attend the opening session, which will begin on Monday, 6 October, at 10:00 in Hotel Victoria, ul. Krolewska, Warsaw, as well as the regular working sessions and side events.
Interviews with key participants can be arranged upon request. Media representatives are requested to bring their press credentials for registration at the conference venue. For more information, please see the conference website.