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Re: Implementing Decentralized RPKI with Blockchain Technology

Posted by Jason Iannone on Nov 13

Imagine decentralizing x.509.

On Wed, Nov 13, 2024 at 11:42 AM Roman Tatarnikov <r.tatarnikov () intlos org>
wrote:




log

Re: Implementing Decentralized RPKI with Blockchain Technology

Posted by Brandon Z. on Nov 13

Hi William,

Okay, this would lead to a permanent loss of resources, whereas
cryptocurrency does not have this issue.

the rules for NANOG and I presume it's against the rules for MANRS as
well.

Noticed that; sorry for posting twice as well.

Best,
*Brandon Z.*
HUIZE LTD
www.huize.asia <https://huize.asia/>| www.ixp.su | Twitter

This e-mail and any attachments or any reproduction of this e-mail in
whatever manner are confidential...




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Re: Implementing Decentralized RPKI with Blockchain Technology

Posted by Jason R. Rokeach via NANOG on Nov 13

For what it's worth, this is quite implementation specific and leaves a lot of room for intentional and appropriate
design decisions. Custom smart contract (think "decentralized program") code could be used to enable the functionality
desired for an RIR, without other functionality.
Let's extrapolate: An RIR could use smart contracts with immutable code to allow an entity to register a specific block
and retain certain...




log

Re: Implementing Decentralized RPKI with Blockchain Technology

Posted by Tom Beecher on Nov 13

Incorrect.

If the RIR revokes the resource certificate used to sign the ROA, the ROA
is also then revoked. Validator software will then remove the VRPs that had
been created from that previously valid ROA. If there are no other VRPs
that cover the BGP message parameters, the validator will return NOTFOUND.

If the RIR refused to publish or deleted the ROA, validators will
eventually delete them, which also removes the VRP previously created. If...




log

Re: Implementing Decentralized RPKI with Blockchain Technology

Posted by William Herrin on Nov 13

Not really. If it's technically feasible to override or roll back
transactions, you've violated one of the central tenets of block
chain. You can design a system that allows transactions to be rolled
back or changed by a central authority but the result would not be a
block chain and would not have the desired characteristic of
resistance against government compulsion.

Regards,
Bill Herrin




log

Re: Implementing Decentralized RPKI with Blockchain Technology

Posted by Jason R. Rokeach via NANOG on Nov 13

transactions, you've violated one of the central tenets of block
chain.

To be clear, I did not state such. Ownership can be transferred by smart contract. This does not violate a core tenet
of blockchains and is a key feature of almost all blockchains which still exhibit signs of life.




log

Re: Implementing Decentralized RPKI with Blockchain Technology

Posted by William Herrin on Nov 13

If the RIR can institute a revocation via smart contract, for any
reason, then you haven't achieved any resilience against government
compulsion applied to the RIR, which was Brandon's reason for
considering blockchain in the first place.

Regards,
Bill Herrin




log

Re: Implementing Decentralized RPKI with Blockchain Technology

Posted by Matt Corallo on Nov 13

Thanks for raising this topic. In all the rush to deploy RPKI I fear these issues are not talked
about enough.

A variant of this could make some sense, the issue is that it doesn't do you a whole lot of good to
have a local RPKI anchor that you and your local community look to if the global internet community
isn't looking at it - sure, your IPs are routable to a few of your friends, but they can't reach
Google...oops....




log

Re: Implementing Decentralized RPKI with Blockchain Technology

Posted by Seth David Schoen on Nov 13

Matt Corallo writes:

There are some tools out there either directly using or inspired by
Certificate Transparency that facilitate transparency logging of other
kinds of events. It might be interesting to put RPKI events into one
of those.

The big difference between blockchains and systems like CT is that the
latter do have single points of failure (an operator can shut down the
log completely, or break it in other ways), or at least relatively...




log

Re: Implementing Decentralized RPKI with Blockchain Technology

Posted by David Conrad via NANOG on Nov 14

Tom,

Something I’ve been curious about for some time: since deployment of RPKI is (mostly) hosted by the RIRs and
ultimately, the RIRs control the validation chain, what would happen if the RIR creates (or, if you prefer, is directed
by court order to create) INVALIDs?

Regards,
-drc




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Fed's Logan: Models show that Fed funds could be 'very close' to neutral

  • Fed will 'most likely' need more cuts but should 'proceed cautiously'
  • If Fed cuts too far past neutral, inflation could re-acclerate
  • Difficult to know how many Fed rate cuts may be needed, and how soon they need to happen
  • Fed has made a great deal of progress in bringing inflation down
  • Fed not quite back to price stability yet
  • US economic activity is resilient
  • Labor market cooling gradually but not weakening materially
  • Sees upside risk to inflation, downside risk to employment, says financial conditions may pose biggest challenges for monetary policy
  • If bond yields continue to rise, the Fed may need less-restrictive policy

Logan last spoke in late October and wasn't quite this hawkish. I think the Fed cuts in December but takes a pause after that and waits to see how things play out.

This article was written by Adam Button at www.forexlive.com.




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OSCE supports roundtable discussion in Uzbekistan on a methodology for assessing money-laundering and terrorism-financing risks

TASHKENT, 15 October 2015 – An OSCE-supported roundtable discussion introducing representatives of local law enforcement bodies to the methodology of a national assessment of money-laundering and terrorism-financing risks in Uzbekistan was held today in Tashkent.

International experts invited by the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan presented the results of their work on devising a comprehensive and tailored methodology for conducting a national risk assessment in the country.

“The OSCE continues to support international efforts that have made national risk assessment the standard in the fight against money laundering and the financing of terrorism,” said the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan Gyorgy Szabo. “We see this as an essential step on the road to eliminating money laundering and terrorism financing in Uzbekistan.”

The discussion is part of a wider process of consultations with representatives of Uzbek law-enforcement agencies and the private sector to implement a national risk assessment on money laundering and the financing of terrorism.

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OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Ukraine supports dialogue on protection of property in time of conflict

The OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Ukraine and the Supreme Court of Ukraine organized on 10 June 2016 in Kyiv a joint roundtable discussion on protection of property in times of conflict, bringing together over 60 representatives of Ukrainian legislative and executive powers, leading judicial and law schools, as well as judges and international and local experts.

The participants discussed the guarantees of exercising the right to property and the mechanisms of its protection under special circumstances, such as armed conflict, occupation, annexation of territories and anti-terrorist operations. They identified mechanisms of protection, which would be efficient in terms of practical implementation and useful for judicial practice, and produced recommendations to keep up with international standards in this field.

The participants shared visions about international standards and the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) case law regarding the protection of the right to peaceful enjoyment of possessions, and reviewed the experience of other states which faced similar circumstances, such as Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Georgia and Moldova. They also discussed problems of the judicial settlement of disputes related to the protection of property rights of individuals and legal entities in the conflict zone.

The event is part of the OSCE Project Co-ordinator’s project on safeguarding human rights through courts, which is implemented with financial support from the Government of Canada. The project also addresses the problem of property rights protection through development and piloting specialized courses for judges on the application of the ECtHR case law in the context of Article 1 of Protocol 1 to the European Convention on Human Rights.

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Psychologists and professionals working with domestic violence victims trained at OSCE-supported events in Moldova on both banks

The OSCE Mission to Moldova held the final in a series of three training sessions for 12 psychologists and professionals working with domestic violence victims. The session took place on 27 June 2016 in Rybnitsa, a town on the left bank of the Dniester/Nistru River.

The event aimed to equip participants with essential skills in family counselling and post-traumatic stress rehabilitation. Participants studied means to identify family violence, various coaching techniques to use when working with families, as well as methods for handling trauma and post-traumatic stress among domestic violence victims.

In the past week, similar training events have been held in Chisinau and Tiraspol with the total participation of 50 professionals from Bender, Causeni, Chisinau, Comrat, Drochia, Rybnitsa and Tiraspol.

Participants in the training sessions included psychologists, teachers, medical professionals, lawyers and social workers, all of whom encounter cases of domestic violence in their work through Moldova’s referral system.

The training events were held as part of the Mission’s project to strengthen the capacity of those who provide crisis services to women and families on both banks of the Dniester/Nistru River. The project was developed following a country-wide assessment conducted in 2014 and 2015. The assessment identified a number of challenges in this field in Moldova, most notably the difficulties in accessing domestic violence services – including shelters and crisis centres – for those living in rural areas, and a lack of state resources. 

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OSCE Project Co-ordinator calls for joint efforts in supporting voices of moderation, promoting dialogue and restoring trust

“Inter-cultural dialogue should not only lead to a deeper understanding of the other, but also include conflict prevention and de-escalation, combating prejudices and stereotypes in the public and political discourse,” Ambassador Alexis Chahtahtinsky, OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Baku, said in his remarks at the Third World Forum on Intercultural Dialogues that took place in Baku on 18-19 May 2015.

Ambassador Chahtahtinsky spoke at the plenary session titled Sharing Culture for Sharing Security which was devoted to the responsibility of international institutions and governments in building trust and understanding between cultures and civilizations and shaping common global agenda.

The rise of anti-Semitism, Christianophobia, often associated with violent extremism and radicalization leading to terrorism, as well as the rise of xenophobia, islamophobia and of the far right have a destructive potential for many societies in the OSCE area, Ambassador Chahtahtinsky said.

The Project Co-ordinator believes that international organizations need to join efforts in supporting voices of moderation, promoting dialogue and restoring trust. “One of the ways of doing is through participation in fora like this one, and I want to commend the Government of Azerbaijan for taking this initiative,” he said.

In conclusion, Ambassador Chahtahtinsky stated that the OSCE, with its comprehensive approach to security and co-operation, is uniquely equipped to address these challenges, and can provide a platform for participating states to learn from each other’s experience.

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OSCE Chairperson-in-Office stresses the importance of dialogue during his visit to Azerbaijan

BAKU, 1 June 2015 – OSCE Chairperson-in-Office and Serbia’s Foreign Minister Ivica Dačić started his official trip to the South Caucasus today with a visit to Baku.

He was received by President llham Aliyev and discussed with him the potential for progress towards a comprehensive peace agreement for the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, as well as co-operation between the OSCE and Azerbaijan.

During his visit, Dačić also had meetings with Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov, Speaker of Parliament Ogtay Asadov, as well as representatives of political parties and of the Azerbaijani community of Nagorno-Karabakh.

Dačić expressed concern about the unprecedented number of service personnel and civilians reported killed and wounded in the first four months of the year, and stressed the need for all involved to honour the ceasefire agreement. “There is no alternative to a peaceful settlement,” he said. “Serbia’s own experience confirms that it is only through dialogue that a sustainable, peaceful solution can be found, one which would put the region on the path of co-operation, the only way forward in our increasingly interconnected international community,” he said.

Dačić emphasized his full support for the efforts of the Co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group and his Personal Representative, Ambassador Andrzej Kaspryzk, directed towards promoting dialogue between the parties.

He stressed that, besides offering tools for advancing democratic reforms in its participating States, the OSCE is a good platform for joining forces in addressing transnational threats. “The Organization stands ready to continue to work with Azerbaijan to help boost the country’s capacities to combat such threats,” Dačić said, “as well as to pursue its domestic reform agenda.”

Dačić also visited the premises of the OSCE Project Co-ordinator’s in Baku, where he discussed with mission members ongoing programmatic activity.

The Chairperson-in-Office was accompanied by Ambassador Kaspryzk and his Special Representative for the South Caucasus, Ambassador Angelo Gnaedinger.

Later today, Dačić will depart for Tbilisi where he will hold high-level talks tomorrow. He will conclude the visit to the region on 3 June in Yerevan.

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OSCE Presence supports dialogue on Albania’s totalitarian past

ELBASAN, Albania, 17 May 2016 – The OSCE Presence in Albania, with support from the German government, yesterday in Elbasan hosted a performance of a play reflecting on Albania’s totalitarian past.

The play, “They enter without knocking”, centres on a couple waiting for the police to come to their door to take them to prison - or worse - for reasons unknown. A packed audience of around 300 people watched the performance, which evoked the atmosphere of fear and constant surveillance that reigned under the former totalitarian regime.

“Although it is never easy to talk about a painful past, society needs to engage in a conversation about the crimes of the past, and art is one way of stimulating such dialogue, because it speaks to us on so many levels,” said Ambassador Florian Raunig, Head of the OSCE Presence. “This should be entirely an Albanian process; we are only providing the framework for this dialogue to take place.”

The OSCE Presence and the German Embassy launched the project to foster a national dialogue on Albania’s totalitarian past a year ago. Under the “We start talking” motto, the Presence has so far facilitated discussions among high school students, a series of TV debates hosted by the public broadcaster and a nationwide survey about the public's knowledge, perceptions and expectations for dialogue regarding the totalitarian past in Albania.

“They enter without knocking” was previously staged in Shkodra, as part of the project, and will be performed another three times in different cities around Albania over the course of this year.  

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Preservation, inspiration and dialogue: Twenty years of The Hague Recommendations Regarding the Education Rights of National Minorities

In promoting education as a tool for conflict prevention, The Hague Recommendations Regarding the Education Rights of National Minorities have offered a toolkit for preservation, inspiration and dialogue, said OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities (HCNM) Astrid Thors as she opened an expert meeting on 21 April 2016 at The Hague to mark two decades of these ground-breaking Recommendations.

Thors said that the Recommendations had been instrumental in preserving minority education during times of transition and education reforms, and an inspiration in calling for a proactive approach by OSCE participating States towards a progressive yet realistic realization of minority rights in education. She said the Recommendations have also encouraged the involvement of parents and minorities in formulating policies as well as providing a framework for dialogue that is useful for both the participating States and national minorities.

Discussions during the meeting focused on reforms to the education sector and accommodating diversity, language in multilingual educational contexts, and respect for diversity and pluralism in education content.

Participants agreed on the need to further share best practices, promote broader engagement and to adapt to changing environments.

Particularly emphasized was the need for teachers to receive adequate training to be equipped to manage multilingual and multicultural classrooms and for the foundations of education systems to be solid enough to handle adversity, such as budget cuts and extensive reforms.

Acknowledging the role of education in fostering a sense of opportunity and belonging, experts said that the politicization of history is not conducive to conflict prevention. Instead, different views should be allowed as an increased level of historical knowledge and understanding will lead to historical empathy, which can in turn lead to a unifying feeling when the pain of the past is shared.

The experts agreed a set of recommendations for future work in the field of minority education rights, which will be published as follow up to this event.

The expert meeting was held a day after a HCNM-organized conference gathered 180 participants from 32 participating States to assess two decades of The Hague Recommendations. Among the participants of the conference were government officials, experts, teachers, education professionals, non-governmental actors and other local and international stakeholders active in the field of education, conflict prevention and peace-making.

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OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities calls for renewed dialogue between all political and social actors in Croatia

OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities Astrid Thors visited Croatia from 9 to 10 May 2016. During her visit, Thors focused on promoting the effective implementation of the Constitutional Act on the Rights of National Minorities, in particular the provisions regarding languages and scripts; on education matters; and, on issues pertaining to national minorities and good neighbourly relations.

Concerned that marginalizing or stigmatizing national minorities poses a threat to the cohesion of society and to bilateral relations, Thors urged the systematic condemnation of discriminatory rhetoric or conduct.

“Divisive rhetoric has proven a dangerous path. The more diversity, the richer a society is, as different cultures are the shared wealth of all,” Thors said. “It is crucial to foster a sense of belonging for all members of society in order to effectively promote the integration process,” she added. Thors called for ensuring the protection of the rights of national minorities whilst avoiding polarization of the society along ethnic lines, consistent with The Ljubljana Guidelines on the Integration of Diverse Societies, published by HCNM in 2012.

The High Commissioner also emphasized the need for a renewed dialogue between all political and social actors to overcome difficulties, including those related to the protection of minority rights, in a consultative manner. In this context, Thors welcomed the thorough process of the curricular reform and reiterated her support to teaching of a common curriculum, regardless of the instruction language, as an effective way to integrate diverse societies and provide for common points of understanding.

Thors was encouraged by the prospect of further co-operation with Croatian institutions. She also welcomed the attention given to the existing joint bilateral inter-governmental commissions. “Co-ordination of efforts with neighbouring countries in this field and the active role played by all ministries under the auspices of the State Office of Croats Abroad could consolidate the shared European aspirations in the neighbourhood,” Thors noted.

The High Commissioner met a variety of key interlocutors in Zagreb. These included Zdravka Bušić, Deputy Foreign Minister; Dubravka Jurlina Alibegović, Minister of Public Administration; Predrag Šustar, Minister of Science, Education and Sports; Furio Radin, Milorad Pupovac, Ivan Radić, and Marko Sladojev, Chairperson and members of the Parliamentary Committee on Human and National Minority Rights, respectively; Aleksandar Tolnauer, President of the Council for National Minorities; Lora Vidović, Ombudsman; Branko Sočana, Director of the Government Office for Human Rights and Rights of the National Minorities; and Zvonko Milas, Head of the State Office for Croats Abroad.

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OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Steinmeier meets participants of High Commissioner on National Minorities’ Multiparty Dialogue Project in Georgia

THE HAGUE / TBILISI, 1 July 2016 – OSCE Chairperson-in-Office and German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier today awarded a certificate of participation to eight interns from Georgia’s national minority communities in Tbilisi. The certificate recognizes the immersive and proactive involvement of the young professionals in their mid-twenties in the day-to-day life of Georgia’s political parties during an intensive one-month internship programme in May-June 2016.

This programme is part of a two-year project, jointly implemented by the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities (HCNM) and the Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy, which aims to encourage the participation of minority communities in mainstream politics and to promote multiparty dialogue.

“All diverse societies face the immense challenge of involving ethnic communities fully in the political arena. Engaging young people from national minority communities in the day-to-day work of political parties gives them a deeper insight into political life. The inclusion of minority communities in political life and their fair and equal representation in the public sector is a key ingredient for the successful integration of diverse societies,” said Steinmeier.

Now in its final phase, the Multiparty Dialogue – Strengthening the Participation of National Minorities in Political Life project has been in operation since its launch in September 2014 to encourage and support the involvement of national minorities in politics as a conflict prevention measure to make Georgia a more cohesive, integrated and resilient State. At the same time it has also helped to strengthen the Georgian political system in its efforts to reach out to, and engage with, national minorities.  

This pioneering project − the first of its kind in Georgia – provided young people from regions of Georgia with significant ethnic Armenian and ethnic Azeri populations with a unique opportunity to have first-hand experience of the work involved in running a political party. Furthermore, in addition to giving parliamentary and non-parliamentary parties the chance to work closely with young people from national minority communities, it also provided them with the necessary tools and insights to develop their own Action Plans on Minority Participation. These plans are now being finalized in time for preparations for the parliamentary elections in October 2016. Television also played an innovative role in this project, culminating in the production of five topical talk shows related to essential issues that affect national minorities such as integration and political participation. In addition, four policy papers will be published in August 2016.

Following on from her visit earlier this year to Tbilisi, High Commissioner on National Minorities Astrid Thors said: “The project activities in Georgia are an inspiring example of the effective promotion of the HCNM Lund Recommendations on the Effective Participation of National Minorities in Public Life. In this regard, I hope our project has helped to encourage these interns to actively participate in political life and also encourage others of their generation to do so.” 

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Cyprus-based NGO Association for Historical Dialogue and Research (AHDR) named winner of 2016 Max van der Stoel Award

THE HAGUE, 22 July 2016 – The Association for Historical Dialogue and Research (AHDR), a Cyprus-based non-governmental organization, has been named the winner of the 2016 Max van der Stoel Award.

The international jury, led by OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities Astrid Thors, said:

“There are many instances in the experience of HCNM where educational systems are divided according to the way in which different groups in society view history and decisive, historical events within their own country. This can often lead to a self-perpetuating separation of majority and minority communities as well as different ethnicities. We also see how historical narratives continue to be used to divide societies and occasionally to pit one group against another.”

“The Association for Historical Dialogue and Research (AHDR) from Cyprus is a non-governmental organization that is bi-communal both in terms of its focus area and its staff. Throughout the last 13 years, AHDR demonstrated sustained commitment to building a multilingual and multi-faith society which celebrates diversity and promotes mutual respect and understanding.”

 “AHDR was established in 2003 by a group of history educators and researchers dedicated to the advancement of historical understanding and critical thinking amongst the public and, more specifically, amongst pupils, educators and civil society.”

“This initiative took place at a time of historic change: on 23 April 2003, travel restrictions between the two sides of the Green Line in Cyprus were relaxed and several thousand Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots had their first chance since 1974 to cross the divide. Such a context provided а renewed impetus for AHDR to further develop new ways to understand the past with an emphasis on multi-perspectivity.”

“For AHDR, controversial issues should not be avoided but rather approached in a critical and empathetic way. In order to do so, AHDR provides access to learning opportunities for individuals from different ethnic, religious, cultural and social backgrounds including  teacher training sessions, cultural excursions, seminars and conferences. It developed a range of supplementary teaching materials in order to help, among other things, to address the legacies of a violent past.”

Since its foundation in 2003, the aim of AHDR is to contribute to the advancement of historical understanding in Cyprus amongst the public and educators, regardless of ethnic, religious, cultural or social background, by providing access to learning opportunities based on respect for diversity and the dialogue of ideas.  

The Max van der Stoel Award will be presented to the winner on 24 October 2016 during a ceremony in The Hague.

­­­

 

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Preservation, inspiration and dialogue: Twenty years of The Hague Recommendations Regarding the Education Rights of National Minorities

In promoting education as a tool for conflict prevention, The Hague Recommendations Regarding the Education Rights of National Minorities have offered a toolkit for preservation, inspiration and dialogue, said OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities (HCNM) Astrid Thors as she opened an expert meeting on 21 April 2016 at The Hague to mark two decades of these ground-breaking Recommendations.

Thors said that the Recommendations had been instrumental in preserving minority education during times of transition and education reforms, and an inspiration in calling for a proactive approach by OSCE participating States towards a progressive yet realistic realization of minority rights in education. She said the Recommendations have also encouraged the involvement of parents and minorities in formulating policies as well as providing a framework for dialogue that is useful for both the participating States and national minorities.

Discussions during the meeting focused on reforms to the education sector and accommodating diversity, language in multilingual educational contexts, and respect for diversity and pluralism in education content.

Participants agreed on the need to further share best practices, promote broader engagement and to adapt to changing environments.

Particularly emphasized was the need for teachers to receive adequate training to be equipped to manage multilingual and multicultural classrooms and for the foundations of education systems to be solid enough to handle adversity, such as budget cuts and extensive reforms.

Acknowledging the role of education in fostering a sense of opportunity and belonging, experts said that the politicization of history is not conducive to conflict prevention. Instead, different views should be allowed as an increased level of historical knowledge and understanding will lead to historical empathy, which can in turn lead to a unifying feeling when the pain of the past is shared.

The experts agreed a set of recommendations for future work in the field of minority education rights, which will be published as follow up to this event.

The expert meeting was held a day after a HCNM-organized conference gathered 180 participants from 32 participating States to assess two decades of The Hague Recommendations. Among the participants of the conference were government officials, experts, teachers, education professionals, non-governmental actors and other local and international stakeholders active in the field of education, conflict prevention and peace-making.

Related Stories




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OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities calls for renewed dialogue between all political and social actors in Croatia

OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities Astrid Thors visited Croatia from 9 to 10 May 2016. During her visit, Thors focused on promoting the effective implementation of the Constitutional Act on the Rights of National Minorities, in particular the provisions regarding languages and scripts; on education matters; and, on issues pertaining to national minorities and good neighbourly relations.

Concerned that marginalizing or stigmatizing national minorities poses a threat to the cohesion of society and to bilateral relations, Thors urged the systematic condemnation of discriminatory rhetoric or conduct.

“Divisive rhetoric has proven a dangerous path. The more diversity, the richer a society is, as different cultures are the shared wealth of all,” Thors said. “It is crucial to foster a sense of belonging for all members of society in order to effectively promote the integration process,” she added. Thors called for ensuring the protection of the rights of national minorities whilst avoiding polarization of the society along ethnic lines, consistent with The Ljubljana Guidelines on the Integration of Diverse Societies, published by HCNM in 2012.

The High Commissioner also emphasized the need for a renewed dialogue between all political and social actors to overcome difficulties, including those related to the protection of minority rights, in a consultative manner. In this context, Thors welcomed the thorough process of the curricular reform and reiterated her support to teaching of a common curriculum, regardless of the instruction language, as an effective way to integrate diverse societies and provide for common points of understanding.

Thors was encouraged by the prospect of further co-operation with Croatian institutions. She also welcomed the attention given to the existing joint bilateral inter-governmental commissions. “Co-ordination of efforts with neighbouring countries in this field and the active role played by all ministries under the auspices of the State Office of Croats Abroad could consolidate the shared European aspirations in the neighbourhood,” Thors noted.

The High Commissioner met a variety of key interlocutors in Zagreb. These included Zdravka Bušić, Deputy Foreign Minister; Dubravka Jurlina Alibegović, Minister of Public Administration; Predrag Šustar, Minister of Science, Education and Sports; Furio Radin, Milorad Pupovac, Ivan Radić, and Marko Sladojev, Chairperson and members of the Parliamentary Committee on Human and National Minority Rights, respectively; Aleksandar Tolnauer, President of the Council for National Minorities; Lora Vidović, Ombudsman; Branko Sočana, Director of the Government Office for Human Rights and Rights of the National Minorities; and Zvonko Milas, Head of the State Office for Croats Abroad.

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Institutional dialogue between central and Gagauz authorities in focus of OSCE Mission to Moldova-supported roundtable discussion

As part of a one-year project to support the engagement of national minority youth and civil society in public discussions and public service, a roundtable discussion was held at the OSCE Mission to Moldova on 24 June 2016.

The event brought together 23 representatives of the Moldovan Parliament, the authorities of Gagauz-Yeri, civil society and the international community to discuss institutional dialogue between central and Gagauz authorities.

Independent researchers from the Comrat-based NGO Piligrim-Demo presented a recent report detailing the joint commissions formed over the years to initiate dialogue on the implementation of Gagauzia’s status as an Autonomous Territorial Unit. They outlined their recommendations for improving the functioning of the current working group established between the Parliament of Moldova and the People’s Assembly of Gagauzia. 

“Such discussions on the process of dialogue between civil society, the expert community and members of the Parliament and People's Assembly are important as they provide critical input to the process and build common understanding of issues,” said Jale Sultanli, Country Manager Moldova of the Crisis Management Initiative (CMI). Participants from Comrat and Chisinau welcomed the opportunity to study past and present practices to strengthen co-operation between the central and regional authorities in Moldova.

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OSCE-supported Central Asian Youth Network focuses on renewing dialogue, rebuilding trust and restoring security

ALMATY, 5 July 2016 – The annual OSCE Central Asian Youth Network (CAYN) forum and seminar began today in Almaty.

The three-day event was organized by the OSCE Programme Office in Astana for some 35 university students and CAYN alumni from Central Asia, Afghanistan and Mongolia. Representatives of the OSCE and expert speakers from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Norway and the Russian Federation are also taking part.

The topic of this year’s forum “Renewing dialogue, rebuilding trust, restoring security” was selected to reflect the priorities of Germany’s 2016 OSCE Chairmanship. The participants will discuss the key challenges for comprehensive security in Central Asia and beyond, and explore ways to address them in their communities and together with co-operation from neighbouring countries. They will also address the issue of civil society’s role in promoting fundamental freedoms and human rights, and re-examine co-operation in Central Asia on its way to integration with a special emphasis on connectivity and multilateral co-operation.

“Through CAYN we hope that when you begin to take responsibility for your communities and your countries you can say with confidence that you have learned about key security challenges in the region,” said Head of the OSCE Programme Office in Astana György Szabó. “Moreover, you have heard perspectives from some of the best minds in the region and experts from around the world on how to address them.”

Renate Schimkoreit, Consul General of the Federal Republic of Germany to Almaty presented the priorities of the German OSCE Chairmanship. Pal Dunay, Director of the OSCE Academy in Bishkek and Milena Stošić, Special Representative of the OSCE Chairmanship-in-Office on Youth and Security, will focus on engaging youth in promoting OSCE values and principles and in addressing security challenges and threats in the wider region. Special attention will be paid to youth involvement in the OSCE's 'United in Countering Violent Extremism' campaign.

The forum will be followed by training workshops focused on using technology for governance, civil society development, networking and data utilization. The event will culminate with an outdoor exercise to promote team building.

Nurlan Dulatbekov, a Member of Kazakhstan’s Parliament spoke about the role of promoting social security as part of national and regional security as well as initiatives to counter violent extremism through engaging youth at the grassroots level.

The event is part of the Office’s efforts to enhance young people’s understanding of contemporary security threats and challenges and to explain the OSCE’s role in addressing them.

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OSCE/ODIHR event in Kyiv supports dialogue platform in Verkhovna Rada on parliamentary ethics

Supporting the process of ethical standards reform and developing a code of conduct for members of the Verkhovna Rada, the Ukrainian parliament, was the focus of an event, co-organized by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), the Verkhovna Rada, the Agency for Legislative Initiatives, the USAID RADA Program and the Netherlands Institute for Multi-party Democracy.

Bringing together 20 Members of Parliament, the event aimed at identifying and addressing specific ethical dilemmas facing them. The event also provided a platform for discussing various ethical dilemmas relating to conflict of interest, gift declaration, gender equality and conduct in private vs. public life with representatives of around 50 civil society and international organizations.

"Enhancing trust in the Verkhovna Rada is a necessary precondition for ensuring and maintaining the legitimacy and trust of our institution," said Andriy Parubiy, Speaker of the Parliament of Ukraine. "This is our main responsibility and an opportunity."

Participants also discussed avoiding harm to the reputation of the Parliament by considering ethical dilemmas and the low level of public trust in the institution, as well as exploring ways the introduction of ethical standards for its members can increase confidence. 

Pat Cox, former President of the European Parliament and Head of the European Parliament's Needs Assessment Mission to the Verkhovna Rada, said: "Ethics is not only about black and white, legal and illegal, but also about regulating unethical behaviour and thus showing the public that you strive towards ensuring the highest professionalism standards in your work."

"ODIHR has, in recent years, supported more than 12 national Parliaments with developing and adopting a code of conduct," said Kateryna Ryabiko, Project Co-coordinator at ODIHR. "I am convinced that we, together with partner organisations and experts, will be able to support the Verkhovna Rada with ethics reform and development of professional standards for MPs that will meet the public’s expectations of transparency and accountability."

The event was organized as part of the ODIHR’s "Strengthening dialogue among civil society and with key governmental stakeholders in Ukraine" project, which was launched in April 2015 with the goal of enhancing effective mechanisms for dialogue to address key human rights issues in Ukraine, in line with OSCE commitments and international standards.

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