OSCE Magazine previews Helsinki ministerial meeting, 2009 Greek Chairmanship, spotlights human trafficking

VIENNA, 1 December 2008 - President Tarja Halonen of Finland leads the line-up of contributors to the latest OSCE Magazine, now available ahead of the Organization's annual meeting in Helsinki on 4 and 5 December.

The OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Finnish Foreign Alexander Stubb, says in an article that he envisages the meeting of the Ministerial Council as the start of a fresh dialogue and a rekindling of the spirit of Helsinki.

"Now is the ideal time to put the achievements of the past to good use and adapt them to today's new global and regional context," says Stubb. "The past year has revealed how the strengths of the OSCE have enabled it to stand up to the multifaceted challenges that came its way."

In an interview, incoming Chairperson-in-Office Dora Bakoyannis sets the tone of the 2009 Greek Chairmanship by emphasizing its role as an "honest broker". "We Greeks have a soft spot for the Organization," the Foreign Minister says. "We'll try to build a stronger OSCE at the heart of the European security architecture, at a time when the quest for security has become ever more complex and difficult."

The Magazine devotes its cover story to the fight against trafficking in human beings, a grave threat to international security which also covers labour exploitation. "National responses alone are not sufficient; countries of origin, transit and destination will also have to work together and draw in NGOs," says Finnish President Halonen in a foreward.

Eva Biaudet, the OSCE's Special Representative responsible for combating human trafficking, explains in an interview why national rapporteurs are crucial to international efforts. Articles on anti-trafficking initiatives in Azerbaijan, Moldova, Serbia and Tajikistan illustrate how the OSCE is co-operating with a broad range of local partners on the ground.

The Magazine also features the OSCE's Researchers-in-Residence Programme, which offers scholars access to the Organization's historical archives in Prague.

Published in English and Russian, with online editions in French and Spanish, the OSCE Magazine can be accessed at: OSCE Magazine December 2008

Readers can subscribe to the hard copy version directly online or by e-mail, addressed to oscemagazine@osce.org