Conference in Warsaw to review human rights and democracy in the OSCE area

Press release 360/2008 26 September, 2008

The annual human rights conference of the OSCE, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, will start in Warsaw on Monday, 29 September. The two-week event is organised by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR). This is the largest human rights and democracy conference held in Europe. The delegation of Finland, the country holding the OSCE Chairmanship, will be led by State Secretary Teija Tiilikainen.

The conference will review the current situation and future of human rights commitments in the OSCE. The aim is to hold dialogue on the human rights situation in the OSCE’s participating States. This year’s special themes are freedom of religion or belief, activities against human trafficking and human rights education. Promotion of tolerance and anti-discrimination efforts as well as issues pertaining to rule of law will be discussed during the conference.

More than 1,000 participants representing the OSCE participaating States, international organisations and civil society organisations will take part in the conference. At the conference, representatives of the participating States and civil society organisations can discuss issues on an equal footing.

Additional information: Sini Paukkunen, Unit for Human Rights Policy, mobile tel. +358 40 849 5987, Ann-Mari Fröberg, Finnish OSCE Chairmanship Task Force, mobile tel. +358 400 183 421, Riina-Riikka Kuparinen, Finland’s Permanent Mission to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), mobile tel. +43 664851 5538

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