The international OSCE (Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe) conference held in Brussels on tolerance and the fight against racism, xenophobia and discrimination condemned all forms of racism, xenophobia and anti-Semitism, while urging OSCE participating States to respond effectively to acts motivated by intolerance.
The two-day conference in the Belgian capital, attended by more than 700 government officials, non-governmental organizations and expert speakers, was the third of three OSCE events on related topics held this year. The first one in Berlin focussed on anti-Semitism while the second, in Paris, was on hate propaganda on the Internet.
“We have come a long way from Vienna, last September, when racism, xenophobia and discrimination were first discussed in this format,” Solomon Passy, OSCE Chairman-in-Office and Bulgarian Foreign Minister, told the conference.
“We now have a clear route mapped out. (…) We need continued dialogue and education, and we need to add tolerance to our agenda. Action is called for and the OSCE is determined to provide a strong lead.”
In their final declaration, participants condemned all organizations and individuals promoting hatred or acts of racism, xenophobia, discrimination or intolerance. They firmly rejected the identification of terrorism and extremism with any religion, culture, ethnic group, nationality or race, and declared unambiguously that international developments or political issues never justify racism, xenophobia and discrimination.
The Brussels declaration also incorporated a decision taken by the OSCE Permanent Council on 29 July, by which the Organization's 55 participating States committed themselves to consider enacting or strengthening legislation that prohibits discrimination; to promote educational programmes to foster tolerance and combat racism, xenophobia and discrimination; to promote and facilitate an open and transparent interfaith and intercultural dialogue and partnership; and to take steps to combat acts of discrimination and violence against Muslims in the OSCE area.
The States also agreed to act against discrimination, intolerance and xenophobia against migrants and migrant workers, to combat hate crimes and to collect and maintain reliable information and statistics about hate crimes motivated by racism, xenophobia, discrimination and intolerance.
The Permanent Council decision also tasked the OSCE´s Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) to systematically collect and disseminate information throughout the OSCE area on best practices for preventing and responding to racism, xenophobia and discrimination.
The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) is the largest regional security organization in the world with 55 participating States from Europe, Central Asia and North America. It is active in early warning, conflict prevention, crisis management and post-conflict rehabilitation.
A follow-up meting will take place in October in Warsaw.
Chairman Roger Cukierman and Director General Haim Musicant represented CRIF. Both were members of the official French delegation. Musicant co-chaired with the French Ministry of Interior a workshop on the co-operation between CRIF and the Ministry of Interior in fighting against anti-Semitism.
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