Leaders join OSCE in combating trafficking

ISTANBUL, 17 November 99 - The OSCE announces an event featuring presentations on the Role in Combating Trafficking in Human Beings on Thursday, 18 November in the Anadolu Auditorium in the Media Center at 1815 hrs.

This event will be chaired by the OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Norwegian Foreign Minister Knut Vollebaek and features presentations by Ms. Ruth Dreifuss, President of Switzerland; Mr. Anris Skele, Prime Minister of Latvia; Ms. Hillary Rodham Clinton, First Lady of the United States of America; Dr. Selma Acuner, Advisor to the Turkish State Minister for Women, Family and Social Services; Ms. Tarja Halonen, Foreign Minister of Finland, representing the European Presidency; Ms. Helle Degn, President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly; Ms. Stana Buchowska, representing the Warsaw based non-governmental organization; the La Strada Foundation Against Trafficking in Women, and Ambassador Gérard Stoudmann, Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights.

Each speaker will articulate policy objectives and outline an OSCE action plan on combating the problems associated with the trafficking of women and children.

All interested members of the media are invited to attend. The doors open at 1730 hrs.

MEDIA CONTACTS: Melissa Fleming, OSCE spokesperson, tel.: (+90) 532-790 75 68 or e-mail: fleming@is.org.tr ; or Tanya Domi, OSCE Media Events Co-ordinator, Istanbul, tel.: (+90) 0532 7907 577 or e-mail: prbih2@is.org.tr