OSCE Secretary General urges participating States to implement commitments on promoting tolerance

ALMATY, 13 June 2006 - A two-day OSCE meeting on promoting tolerance, inter-cultural, inter-religious and inter-ethnic understanding ended today in Kazakhstan with calls by Secretary General Marc Perrin de Brichambaut and other participants for action by the 55 participating States to implement OSCE commitments.

"Through concrete projects and activities, OSCE Institutions and field missions are prepared to offer all necessary support to governments and civil society for the implementation of these commitments," said Secretary General de Brichambaut.

"The role of the OSCE in facilitating inter-cultural, inter-religious and inter-ethnic understanding through dialogue and partnerships needs to be strengthened."

Pointing to the importance of dialogue as a tool to diffuse tensions, bridge differences, discuss disagreements, identify compromises and negotiate solutions, the Secretary General added that:

"Dialogue alone cannot prevent conflicts. Governments must take concrete steps and develop measures designed to create and preserve a harmonious and inclusive society, which could enable the individual to identify him/herself with the community as a whole. There is a wide range of successful practices among OSCE participating States on different policies and measures for promoting integration that should be shared."

Meeting participants underlined the importance of human rights, fundamental freedoms and democratic institutions in creating a context for tolerance and mutual understanding. They identified an increased need for governments and civil society to further promote such understanding with a view to ensuring inclusiveness, respect for diversity and freedom of thought, conscience, religion and belief.

The results of the two-day discussions will help outline recommendations to further reinforce the work of the OSCE and its participating States in fighting intolerance. It will also identify possible ways for the Ministerial Council meeting, set for December, to strengthen and improve OSCE commitments in this regard.

A Special Day on tolerance and non-discrimination will be held at the OSCE Human Dimension Implementation Meeting in Warsaw from 2 to 13 October, and a Tolerance Implementation Meeting with a focus on education will be held in Dubrovnik, Croatia, on 23 and 24 October.