Combatting intolerance an OSCE priority

BUCHAREST, 21 March 2001 - The combat against intolerance and discrimination will be one of the OSCE's top priorities in 2001.

"I am very concerned about the spread of intolerance, xenophobia and racism across the whole OSCE region", said Mircea Geoana, the Romanian Foreign Minister and OSCE Chairman-in-Office, on the occasion of the International Day on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. "This fast growing problem is a constant potential source of conflict and a threat to individual and collective security in Europe. I urge all OSCE countries to redouble their efforts to implement the commitments they have undertaken to fight against intolerance and discrimination."

At a special OSCE conference on 18-19 June in Vienna, governments, NGOs and international organizations will review the implementation of OSCE commitments in this field and develop recommendations on what the OSCE countries can do to further promote tolerance and non-discrimination. The OSCE thus also contributes to the world-wide preparations for the upcoming Third UN World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance in Durban, South Africa, from 31 August to 7 September 2001.

The OSCE has significantly stepped up its efforts to combat intolerance and discrimination over the past years. Chief among the OSCE's activities in this field are the human rights and democratization programmes with a focus on tolerance and non-discrimination carried out by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (OSCE/ODIHR) and the work of the OSCE/ODIHR Contact Point for Roma and Sinti Issues, as well as the activities of the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities.

In this light, the OSCE attributes greatest importance to the upcoming UN World Conference, which it hopes will be an important milestone in the international fight against the scourge of racism, xenophobia and intolerance.

For further information contact the Press and Public Information Section of the OSCE Secretariat, tel.: (+ 43-1) 514 36 180 or e-mail: info@osce.org