VIENNA, 8 July 2009 - Representatives from the OSCE's 56 participating States, civil society and faith communities will gather in Vienna on Thursday to discuss how to tackle challenges to the freedom of religion or belief in the OSCE region. 

The two-day meeting, organized by the OSCE's Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), will focus on obstacles to the implementation of relevant OSCE commitments, the status of religious or belief communities and questions related to places of worship.

The OSCE participating States are bound by a far-reaching catalogue of commitments relating to freedom of religion and belief, included in the 1975 Helsinki Final Act, the 1989 Concluding Document of the Vienna Meeting and other OSCE documents.

Journalists are invited to attend the opening of the conference, which will be held from 15.00 to 16.00 on 9 July in the Hofburg Congress Centre in Vienna.

For admittance to the Hofburg Conference Centre, please bring your OSCE badge or a valid press card to the security desk (main entrance from the Heldenplatz). Parking is available for the press during the event in the OSCE-reserved parking area on Heldenplatz. Temporary parking permits must be collected from the security desk.