Jim Grisanzio from Java Developer Relations talks with Francisco Isidro from the Federal University of ABC in Sao Paulo, Brazil about teach Java to computer science students. You can find Professor Isidro on Twitter @prof_isidro. You can find Jim @jimgris on Twitter.

SARAJEVO, 9 June 2016 – The OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), in co-operation with the Fojnicani-Maglaj Association, facilitated today a visit to the National Museum of BiH in Sarajevo for 50 students and teachers of Zepce’s Fra Grga Martic and Maglaj primary schools and their branch schools in Bradici and Tujnica.

The aim of the excursion, a rare opportunity for the children to visit the capital, was to promote cultural values and help build a more tolerant and cohesive society in the Maglaj and Zepce municipalities.

During their visit, the students and school principals had the opportunity to meet with Jonathan Moore, Head of the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina. “We should invest more effort in creating opportunities for children to spend time with each other and learn from each other,” said Moore.

“The children visited the Museum, which is always very inspirational for our pupils. They get creative and express their impressions in the classroom through essays and art projects,” said Ivo Bilonic, Principal of Fra Grga Martic primary school from Zepce.

Osman Mujdza, Principal of Maglaj primary school, said: “Our school has had a very successful co-operation with the OSCE Mission to BiH so far. This activity enables the children not only to familiarize themselves with the cultural and historic heritage of BiH but also to forge closer ties among each other.”  

Strengthening multi-ethnic co-operation and tolerance in local communities is an important part of this visit. “We want to contribute to developing a culture of peace and creating better conditions for those living in rural areas,” said Davor Supukovic, member of the Steering Board of the Fojnicani-Maglaj Association.

The visit was organized as part of the OSCE Mission’s efforts to create closer links between schools and local communities through education about the diversity of the peoples, religions and traditions of BiH as a source of respect and pride.

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VIENNA, 16 June 2016 - OSCE Heads of Delegations will visit the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) from 19 to 22 June 2016, where they will learn more about the Mission’s work and see first-hand how post-conflict rehabilitation and reform is progressing in the country.

The ambassadors of the OSCE participating States will visit Sarajevo and Travnik. They plan to meet BiH Presidency members; the BiH Minister of Foreign Affairs; representatives of the Inter-Religious Council, international organizations, media and civil society; and visit a storage site for weapons taken out of use.

The visit will focus on areas where the OSCE is working to help build a peaceful, stable future for the country, including education; tolerance and non-discrimination; countering violent extremism; and post-conflict reconciliation, specifically focusing on questions relating to war crimes and sexual violence in conflict.
 
Ambassador Sian MacLeod, Head of the UK Delegation to the OSCE, who is leading the ambassadorial visit, said Heads of Delegations are looking forward to visiting BiH - an OSCE participating State where the organization invests significant time and resources - and are keen to demonstrate their support for the OSCE Mission’s work.

“I am grateful to the German Chairmanship for asking me to organize this visit, demonstrating the continuing commitment of OSCE states to security and stability in the Western Balkans,” said Ambassador MacLeod. “I hope that our visit will underline the importance of reconciliation and reform for a secure, prosperous future for the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina.”
 
Ambassador Jonathan Moore, Head of the OSCE Mission to BiH, expressed his confidence that the trip will foster understanding among Heads of Delegations of the country and the Mission’s role, including its work at the local level.
 
For questions related to the visit, please contact: Zeljka.Sulc@osce.org and Andrew.Peebles@fco.gov.uk       

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JAJCE, 19 July 2016 – The recent decision of the Central Bosnian Canton Assembly to divide the secondary school in Jajce, despite court decisions and students’ protests, was the main focus of discussions held today by representatives of the international community in BiH, including the Office of the High Representative, the French Embassy and the USAID Mission Director, who joined the Head of the OSCE Mission to BiH, Ambassador Jonathan Moore, in meetings with Jajce municipal authorities and civil society. 

Ambassador Moore condemned the decision by the Cantonal Assembly to divide the students against their will. “The children of Bosnia and Herzegovina deserve the best conditions for inclusive, quality education.  The creation of yet another case of ‘two schools under one roof’ is a move in exactly the wrong direction, and is not the way to solve other questions such as questions of curriculum or educational certificates.  Practice has shown that administrative unification of divided schools improves conditions for learning and saves scarce resources.  The Canton cannot afford the schools it has now.  We should respect both principles of inclusion and the will of the students.  Local authorities in Jajce should withdraw their request, and cantonal authorities should not implement this mistaken decision,” said Ambassador Moore.

“The recent demonstrations we have seen show that children in Jajce do not want to be divided.  In this, they have our admiration and support. OHR joins the call for authorities of the Central Bosnia Canton to rethink the decision to form a new school in Jajce, and instead refocus their efforts to find solutions to problems in the education sector without endangering the multi-ethnic character of Jajce and the Central Bosnia Canton, “ said Michael Doyle, attending the visit on behalf of the High Representative Valentin Inzko.

“The unity and strength of France are mirrored in the existence of unified schools for all children. As friends of this country, we the French people want to see the same values and principles to be implemented in BiH. I would like to congratulate the Jajce students for their fight and collective spirit”, said Donato Guiliani, cultural counsellor of the French Embassy and director of the French Institute in BiH.

This is the third OSCE-organized visit of international community members to schools and communities in BiH.

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TBILISI, 5 July 2016 – The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly adopted the 2016 Tbilisi Declaration today, addressing key issues in the fields of political affairs and security, economics, the environment, human rights, and humanitarian concerns. (Full text available here in English, French and Russian.)

The Declaration, resulting from months of work by committee rapporteurs and several days of debates at the Assembly’s Annual Session in Tbilisi, contains wide-ranging policy recommendations and pronouncements, serving as policy guidance to OSCE governments and the international community. Some 300 parliamentarians from 54 countries spanning North America, Europe and Central Asia contributed to the Session’s work. The Declaration and resolutions will now be sent to parliaments and to the foreign ministers of OSCE countries as policy input ahead of the OSCE’s 2016 Ministerial Council meeting this year in Hamburg.

Among the issues covered in the recommendations adopted by the parliamentarians are transnational terrorism, the crisis in and around Ukraine, protracted conflicts in Georgia, countering corruption, energy, climate change, migration, and the rights of refugees. The Declaration is the final product of the Assembly’s 2016 Annual Session, which was held in the Georgian capital from 1 to 5 July under the theme “25 Years of Parliamentary Co-operation: Building Trust Through Dialogue.”

Stressing the theme of trust-building, the Declaration “reaffirm[s] the undiminished validity and historic role of the guiding principles and common values of the Helsinki Final Act signed in 1975, including the commitments on politico-military, economic, environmental, human rights, and humanitarian issues.” It regrets however the trend of gridlock in the OSCE and urges OSCE countries to enhance the level of co-operation in addressing common challenges.

On terrorism, the Declaration calls upon governments to strengthen co-operation and develop measures aimed at blocking the funding of terrorist organizations. It further urges the OSCE to help governments counter terrorism through pragmatic assistance and promotion of best practices.

On the crisis in and around Ukraine, the Declaration urges all parties to fully implement the Package of Measures for the Implementation of the Minsk Agreements, and “underlines respect for the principles of the inviolability of frontiers and territorial integrity, peaceful settlement of disputes, equal rights, and self-determination of peoples as stated in the Helsinki Final Act.”

Regarding climate change, the Declaration calls upon parliamentarians to promote political dialogue in order to achieve the goals set by the Paris Climate Agreement adopted last year, and to ensure that the Agreement’s targets are met “with the greatest sense of urgency by implementing robust policies and regulations on greenhouse gas emissions and facilitating the transition to a low-carbon economy.”

On migration, the Declaration stresses the importance of prioritizing the rights of those fleeing violence, and urges governments to stop imposing legal and physical barriers to the movement of people fleeing violence and to actively work toward an inclusive approach to migrants and refugees.

The Assembly also approved 15 resolutions to supplement the Declaration, addressing issues such as fundamental freedoms in the Crimean peninsula, prevention of child sexual exploitation, confidence-building measures in the Baltic Sea region, and ensuring that members of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly affected by international travel bans are able to attend OSCE events.

For the full text of the Declaration and resolutions, as well as speeches, photos, videos and more, please visithttp://www.oscepa.org/meetings/annual-sessions/2016-tbilisi-annual-session. Additional photos are available on the Georgian Parliament’s Flickr pages at https://www.flickr.com/photos/geoparliament and https://www.flickr.com/photos/oscepatbilisi

The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly is comprised of 323 parliamentarians from 57 countries spanning Europe, Central Asia and North America. The Assembly provides a forum for parliamentary diplomacy, monitors elections, and strengthens international co-operation to uphold commitments on political, security, economic, environmental and human rights issues.

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BISHKEK, 30 July 2016 – To mark today’s World Day against Trafficking in Persons, the OSCE Centre in Bishkek supported a public awareness-raising campaign and held a public discussion with academic representatives in Bishkek and Osh.

On 29 July, in co-operation with the State Service on Migration, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and local partners, the OSCE Centre raised public awareness about the risks of human trafficking in Bishkek and Osh.

Information material such as pocket calendars with the hotline number and contact information of the Kyrgyz Embassies in the five top migrant destination countries were distributed among the public. Illustrated silhouettes of people, symbolizing victims of trafficking, were displayed on posters in public places with stories in the Russian and Kyrgyz languages narrating their experience of human trafficking.

“Public awareness campaigns play an important role in the prevention of trafficking in human beings,” said William Leaf, OSCE Senior Field Representative in Osh. “The OSCE works to assist the government in improving its education and outreach efforts at the local and central levels in line with its commitments to prevent and combat all forms of human trafficking.”

In addition to the awareness-rising campaign, today the representatives of five local universities in Osh participated in a roundtable discussion organized by the OSCE Centre in co-operation with the Centre for Support of International Protection. The discussion focused on the ways of promoting inter-disciplinary research efforts among students and professors on the scope, tendencies and root causes of human trafficking in southern Kyrgyzstan.  

“As trafficking in human beings is a complex phenomenon, it requires a multi-disciplinary approach, covering, among others, socio-economic, legal, migration, human rights, gender and law enforcement aspects,” said Akylbek Tashbulatov, Director of the Centre for the Support of International Protection. “The academic community have the necessary research potential and tools to positively contribute to the development of such an assessment.”

The events were organized as part of the OSCE Centre’s project on addressing human trafficking in Kyrgyzstan through grassroots initiatives and multi-agency cooperation.

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KYIV, 5 AUGUST 2016 –OSCE Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings, Madina Jarbussynova, on Friday concluded an official visit to Ukraine aimed at raising awareness of human trafficking and the risks encountered by the most vulnerable groups as a consequence of the current crisis.

During her five-day visit, she met with representatives of the Donetsk Oblast state administration and female Internally Displaced People (IDPs) in Kramatorsk. Ambassador Jarbussynova also travelled to Kharkiv to talk to relevant civil society representatives about the situation on the ground, how to prevent the expansion of the conflict-driven human trafficking phenomenon, and to evaluate existing mechanisms of identifying, referring and assisting victims of trafficking in human beings.

“More than one-and-a-half million citizens have been displaced – a vast number that demands a comprehensive response,” Jarbussynova said. “This vulnerable group can easily find itself in situations where human trafficking may occur.”

In Kyiv, the OSCE Special Representative met with Ukrainian authorities to discuss progress in anti-trafficking measures and review future plans.

“The Government of Ukraine has recently demonstrated a high level of commitment to addressing human trafficking, particularly in enhancing its victim identification efforts and in filing cases to relevant courts”, said Jarbussynova.

At the same time, she noted that there are still considerable gaps in the National Referral Mechanism for victims, and that long-term, sustainable measures should be sought.

The Special Representative travels regularly to Ukraine, engaging with high-level authorities and holding training sessions together with the Special Monitoring Mission and the OSCE Project Co-ordinator to strengthen the capacity of the Ukrainian institutions and OSCE monitors to spot human trafficking trends and to report on alleged cases.

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Staff of the National Centre of the Kyrgyz Republic for the Prevention of Torture, with support of the OSCE Centre in Bishkek will conduct monitoring visits to the detention facilities in Isyk-Kul, Naryn and Talas provinces between 10 and 17 August. These visits aim at monitoring detention conditions and human rights situation in the closed facilities.

The monitoring findings will be included in the 2016 Annual Report of the National Centre for the Prevention of Torture.

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WARSAW, 19 April 2016 – The OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, German Foreign Minister Frank Walter Steinmeier, today visited the headquarters of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), in the context of the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the Office.

Chairperson-in-Office Steinmeier, who was joined for the visit by Witold Waszczykowski, Foreign Minister of Poland, met with ODIHR Director Michael Georg Link, before addressing guests and ODIHR Staff. In his address, he highlighted the background to the decision for the establishment of ODIHR in Warsaw, while stressing the continued importance of the Office’s work.

“The first democratic elections in 1989 in Poland marked the start of great change in Europe. It was not by coincidence that Warsaw was chosen as the seat of ODIHR – with this the OSCE paid tribute to the important role of the first Polish non-communist government since 1947 in the democratic re-shaping of Europe,” the German Foreign Minister said. “Today, 25 years later, I am in Warsaw to commend ODIHR, with its team of 150 people from 34 OSCE states, for its outstanding work: You are the chief promoters and defenders of the OSCE’s principles and commitments in the Human Dimension.”

“This task is never easy – it builds on your dedication to human rights and fundamental freedoms, it requires a reliable budget and it deserves the full support of all OSCE participating States,” he added. “ODIHR can count on Germany’s commitment, as OSCE Chairmanship, but also beyond.”

Director Link took the opportunity to express his thanks to both guests for their countries’ support for the Office.

“Over the past 25 years, ODIHR has grown into the OSCE’s principal human rights body, and this work is more important today than ever,” he said. “We are grateful for our host country’s continued support and appreciate the Chairperson-in-Office’s commitment to ODIHR and its mandate to promote human rights and democracy throughout the OSCE region.”

“ODIHR plays a major role not only in the process of monitoring human rights, but also in providing assistance with the implementation of commitments undertaken in the OSCE area,” said Polish Foreign Minister Waszczykowski. “ODIHR is an institution that truly makes a difference and, therefore, we fully support the work of every member of its highly devoted team.”

ODIHR was established in 1991 – originally as the OSCE Office for Free Elections – by a decision of OSCE heads of state and government at the Paris Summit in November of the previous year. The name was changed to its current form and its mandate significantly expanded in 1992, to providing assistance to governments and civil society in OSCE participating States in improving democratic governance, guaranteeing human rights and fundamental freedoms, and promoting tolerance and non-discrimination. 

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CHISINAU, 24 June 2016 – The Special Representative of the German OSCE Chairperson-in-Office for the Transdniestrian Settlement Process, Cord Meier-Klodt, concluded today his fourth visit to the region in 2016 to meet with political representatives in Chisinau and Tiraspol.

During the visit, Ambassador Meier-Klodt followed up on progress by the sides in implementing the protocol signed as a result of talks in the 5+2 format in Berlin on 2 and 3 June 2016.

“During the 5+2 talks in Berlin, the sides committed to achieve specific outcomes on key issues before the Bavaria conference in July,” said Ambassador Meier-Klodt. “Since then, the sides have finalized agreements in the field of ecology, an achievement that demonstrates their ability to follow through on commitments reached at the negotiating table.”

The Special Representative highlighted the spirit of co-operation that characterized the recent 5+2 talks, as reflected in the unanimous support for the Berlin protocol expressed by the international partners.  

“In my meetings in Chisinau and Tiraspol, I underscored the need for fresh vision and thinking on these issues that focuses on the gains for both sides,” the Special Representative said. “In that context, I urge the sides to redouble their efforts to implement the remaining issues contained in the Berlin protocol.”

Talks in the 5+2 format include the participation of representatives of the sides, Mediators and Observers – Moldova, Transdniestria, the OSCE, the Russian Federation, Ukraine, the United States and the European Union.

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CHISINAU, 25 July 2016 – OSCE Chairperson-in-Office and German Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs Frank-Walter Steinmeier, is traveling to Moldova and will have talks in Chisinau and Tiraspol on 26 July 2016.

As the Spokesperson of the German Federal Foreign Office said in Berlin today, the visit to Moldova aims at strengthening the momentum that has recently been reinvigorated in the negotiation process on the settlement of the Transdniestrian conflict. On 2-3 June 2016 in Berlin the negotiators of the 5+2 Process met for the first time after a period of two years, and committed to undertaking concrete steps, including in the fields of ecology, education, transportation and telecommunications.

“We hope that there is a chance to bring this long-standing conflict step by step closer to a settlement,” said the Spokesperson.

In Chisinau, Steinmeier will meet with Speaker of Parliament Andrian Candu, Prime Minister Pavel Filip, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration Andrei Galbur, and Deputy Prime Minister for Reintegration and Moldovan Political Representative Gheorghe Balan.

In Tiraspol, the Chairperson-in-Office will meet a representative of the Transdniestrian leadership, Pavel Prokudin, Speaker of the Supreme Soviet, Vadim Krasnoslesky and the Transdniestrian Political Representative, Vitaly Ignatiev.

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SKOPJE, 14 April 2016 - Head of the OSCE Mission to Skopje Nina Suomalainen has taken note of President Gjorge Ivanov’s 41 decisions published yesterday in the Official Gazette to pardon 56 individuals.

While the stated intention of the President was to contribute to the resolution of the ongoing crisis, the citizens nevertheless are entitled to see political and legal accountability being carried out. The judiciary and the Special Prosecutor’s Office must be allowed to continue to do their very important work in line with the principles of independence and impartiality. 

The investigation of the cases surrounding and arising from the content of the unauthorized interception of communications, and subsequent court cases should help rebuild the trust of citizens in the rule of law and in a well-functioning and impartial justice system.

At this crucial time, we encourage all stakeholders to act constructively and to ensure that principles of democratic governance and the rule of law prevail. Citizens are urged to refrain from violence while exercising their constitutional right to public protest. The best interest of the country and its citizens should be at the centre and focus of all efforts.

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Challenges posed by the migration and refugee flows and their impact on European security was the focus of an event jointly organized by the OSCE and the Hellenic Foundation for European and Foreign Policy (ELIAMEP) in Athens on 10 May 2016. The security implications of mass movements of people for regional and sub-regional stability, the role of international organizations, and co-operation and co-ordination among relevant actors, were among the issues highlighted.

Alternate Foreign Minister of Greece Nikos Xydakis opened the event, which brought together over 90 participants from the Greek Foreign Ministry and Athens’s diplomatic, academic and media communities.

In his keynote address, OSCE Secretary General Lamberto Zannier warned that migration had emerged as a new fault line cutting across Europe. “As the representative of an Organization that traces its roots to the successful attempt of over forty years ago to overcome the divides of the Cold War, I cannot but underline the need to build bridges – not walls – to protect our common prosperity and security,” he said. He underlined that beyond the humanitarian emergency and short-term responses, we needed also long-term approaches to address the root causes of migration. “On the strength of its comprehensive approach to security, the OSCE intends to play its part in avoiding the emergence of new dividing lines in Europe and in working towards effective solutions to migration-related challenges,” Zannier stressed.

Zannier’s remarks were followed by a panel discussion among Claude Wild, Permanent Representative of Switzerland to the OSCE and Chair of newly-created Informal Working Group on Migration and Refugee Flows; Nina Suomalainen, Head of the OSCE Mission to Skopje; Saban Kardas, Director of Center for Middle Eastern Strategic Studies in Ankara; and Monika Ekstrom, Head of Political Reporting and Policy Analysis of the Representation of the European Commission in Greece.

Panelists agreed that the phenomenon of migration will most likely be an issue for decades and emphasized a need for long-term solutions and enhanced co-operation among relevant national and international actors. “Today we are experiencing a migration governance crisis as we were not prepared for this challenge. What we need is a comprehensive ‘smart’ response that reconciles both human and state security,” Wild said.

Suomalainen added that the OSCE was already doing a lot in the field of migration but what was needed in many areas was refocusing or updating of available mechanisms and tools.

Turning to larger geopolitical implications of the current crisis, Kardas noted that the reactive manner in which the EU had handled the instability in the Middle East and the resulting refugee crisis had weakened not only the internal solidarity within the EU but also its external credibility. “As a result, the erosion of trust between the EU and Turkey hindered a more effective and constructive partnership between the two actors in addressing the refugee challenge,” Kardas said. He stressed the importance of strengthening the resilience of local communities and infrastructure which are struggling to manage such a large influx of people.

This event in Athens was organized on the initiative of H.E. Dora Bakoyannis, former OSCE Chairperson-in-Office and currently member of the Greek Parliament and of the Panel of Eminent Persons on European Security. The event contributed to an evolving dialogue on migration trends in and around the OSCE area launched at the OSCE Security Days in Rome on 4 March 2016.

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TBILISI, 5 July 2016 – The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly adopted the 2016 Tbilisi Declaration today, addressing key issues in the fields of political affairs and security, economics, the environment, human rights, and humanitarian concerns. (Full text available here in English, French and Russian.)

The Declaration, resulting from months of work by committee rapporteurs and several days of debates at the Assembly’s Annual Session in Tbilisi, contains wide-ranging policy recommendations and pronouncements, serving as policy guidance to OSCE governments and the international community. Some 300 parliamentarians from 54 countries spanning North America, Europe and Central Asia contributed to the Session’s work. The Declaration and resolutions will now be sent to parliaments and to the foreign ministers of OSCE countries as policy input ahead of the OSCE’s 2016 Ministerial Council meeting this year in Hamburg.

Among the issues covered in the recommendations adopted by the parliamentarians are transnational terrorism, the crisis in and around Ukraine, protracted conflicts in Georgia, countering corruption, energy, climate change, migration, and the rights of refugees. The Declaration is the final product of the Assembly’s 2016 Annual Session, which was held in the Georgian capital from 1 to 5 July under the theme “25 Years of Parliamentary Co-operation: Building Trust Through Dialogue.”

Stressing the theme of trust-building, the Declaration “reaffirm[s] the undiminished validity and historic role of the guiding principles and common values of the Helsinki Final Act signed in 1975, including the commitments on politico-military, economic, environmental, human rights, and humanitarian issues.” It regrets however the trend of gridlock in the OSCE and urges OSCE countries to enhance the level of co-operation in addressing common challenges.

On terrorism, the Declaration calls upon governments to strengthen co-operation and develop measures aimed at blocking the funding of terrorist organizations. It further urges the OSCE to help governments counter terrorism through pragmatic assistance and promotion of best practices.

On the crisis in and around Ukraine, the Declaration urges all parties to fully implement the Package of Measures for the Implementation of the Minsk Agreements, and “underlines respect for the principles of the inviolability of frontiers and territorial integrity, peaceful settlement of disputes, equal rights, and self-determination of peoples as stated in the Helsinki Final Act.”

Regarding climate change, the Declaration calls upon parliamentarians to promote political dialogue in order to achieve the goals set by the Paris Climate Agreement adopted last year, and to ensure that the Agreement’s targets are met “with the greatest sense of urgency by implementing robust policies and regulations on greenhouse gas emissions and facilitating the transition to a low-carbon economy.”

On migration, the Declaration stresses the importance of prioritizing the rights of those fleeing violence, and urges governments to stop imposing legal and physical barriers to the movement of people fleeing violence and to actively work toward an inclusive approach to migrants and refugees.

The Assembly also approved 15 resolutions to supplement the Declaration, addressing issues such as fundamental freedoms in the Crimean peninsula, prevention of child sexual exploitation, confidence-building measures in the Baltic Sea region, and ensuring that members of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly affected by international travel bans are able to attend OSCE events.

For the full text of the Declaration and resolutions, as well as speeches, photos, videos and more, please visithttp://www.oscepa.org/meetings/annual-sessions/2016-tbilisi-annual-session. Additional photos are available on the Georgian Parliament’s Flickr pages at https://www.flickr.com/photos/geoparliament and https://www.flickr.com/photos/oscepatbilisi

The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly is comprised of 323 parliamentarians from 57 countries spanning Europe, Central Asia and North America. The Assembly provides a forum for parliamentary diplomacy, monitors elections, and strengthens international co-operation to uphold commitments on political, security, economic, environmental and human rights issues.

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PAVLODAR, Kazakhstan, 12 July 2016 – An OSCE-supported roundtable discussion on public participation mechanisms in environmental decision-making took place today in Pavlodar for some 25 representatives of the national and local government offices, the private sector, civil society and academia.

The event concludes the project on the environmental decision-making process and raising awareness of the Aarhus Convention’s provisions supported by the OSCE Programme Office in Astana and implemented in partnership with the Pavlodar Aarhus Centre.

The participants discussed challenges in accessing environmental information and finding ways to promote more effective implementation of the Aarhus Convention. They also reviewed project results and research findings and developed follow-up recommendations to be considered by the relevant authorities.

“Considering the importance of the role of state agencies in the development of public participation in decision-making and seeking to improve this process, I consider the work of the roundtable discussion to be highly important,” stated Aigerim Kabyltayeva, Deputy Head of the Division on Subsoil Use Management, Environment and Water Resources of the Pavlodar region.

Colin McCullough, Political Officer of the OSCE Programme Office in Astana, noted that public participation contributes to a transparent and open process and improves the quality of decisions. “We hope that today's event will strengthen co-operation between all parties in addressing environmental issues in the region and will help to better understand the need to develop joint approaches to solve them,” he said.

The event is part of the OSCE Programme Office’s efforts at promoting good governance and environmental protection. It complements the host government’s plans to improve compliance with the provisions of the Aarhus Convention and to implement the related Maastricht Recommendations on Public Participation in Decision-making in Environmental Matters.

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VIENNA, 25 July 2016 – OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović today welcomed the revision of United States Department of Defense’s Law of War Manual, which better recognizes the status and role of journalists under the law of war.

“Updating the manual and deleting problematic provisions which could endanger members of the media covering armed conflicts was a much-needed and welcome step,” Mijatović said. “Journalists are civilians and should be treated and protected as just that.”

The first version of the Law of War Manual, released in June 2015, provides guidelines for members of the US military. The manual said that journalists in general are to be considered civilians, but that they also may be “members of the armed forces, persons authorized to accompany the armed forces, or unprivileged belligerents”. The term “unprivileged belligerents” could have allowed military commanders to detain journalists indefinitely outside the rules of war without charge or trial.

The original version of the manual also included provisions which likened war reporting to spying, and censorship. In the updated version of the manual, these provisions have been abolished.

“Working as a journalist in a conflict zone is a very dangerous job. This revised manual is one of many efforts needed to improve journalists’ safety,” Mijatović said.

The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media observes media developments in all 57 OSCE participating States. She provides early warning on violations of freedom of expression and media freedom and promotes full compliance with OSCE media freedom commitments. Learn more at www.osce.org/fom, Twitter: @OSCE_RFoM and on www.facebook.com/osce.rfom. 

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Women account for roughly 60% of Seaver College students. The inverse is true in the Business Administration Division, which could negatively impact women (and men) in college and beyond.

The post Gender Gap Persists in Seaver Business Division appeared first on Pepperdine Graphic.

VIENNA, 16 June 2016 - OSCE Heads of Delegations will visit the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) from 19 to 22 June 2016, where they will learn more about the Mission’s work and see first-hand how post-conflict rehabilitation and reform is progressing in the country.

The ambassadors of the OSCE participating States will visit Sarajevo and Travnik. They plan to meet BiH Presidency members; the BiH Minister of Foreign Affairs; representatives of the Inter-Religious Council, international organizations, media and civil society; and visit a storage site for weapons taken out of use.

The visit will focus on areas where the OSCE is working to help build a peaceful, stable future for the country, including education; tolerance and non-discrimination; countering violent extremism; and post-conflict reconciliation, specifically focusing on questions relating to war crimes and sexual violence in conflict.
 
Ambassador Sian MacLeod, Head of the UK Delegation to the OSCE, who is leading the ambassadorial visit, said Heads of Delegations are looking forward to visiting BiH - an OSCE participating State where the organization invests significant time and resources - and are keen to demonstrate their support for the OSCE Mission’s work.

“I am grateful to the German Chairmanship for asking me to organize this visit, demonstrating the continuing commitment of OSCE states to security and stability in the Western Balkans,” said Ambassador MacLeod. “I hope that our visit will underline the importance of reconciliation and reform for a secure, prosperous future for the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina.”
 
Ambassador Jonathan Moore, Head of the OSCE Mission to BiH, expressed his confidence that the trip will foster understanding among Heads of Delegations of the country and the Mission’s role, including its work at the local level.
 
For questions related to the visit, please contact: Zeljka.Sulc@osce.org and Andrew.Peebles@fco.gov.uk       

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• SEECP Chair Daniel Mitov and RCC Secretary General Svilanovic stress deeper cooperation is key in address to OSCE Permanent Council

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To prevent the gravest human, ecological and economic toll, it is crucial to cut emissions before it’s too late. Without investing in adaptation measures that fortify nations against the impacts of climate-driven events such as hurricanes and droughts, widespread damage becomes inevitable. The greater the damage, the more it will cost countries to rebuild. Prevention is preferable to cure, but our planet is already ailing. Immediate action is crucial to halt further decline.

Not only is such funding necessary, it is possible. This has been done before: when struck with another crisis, Covid-19, advanced economies marshalled $8tn over the course of just 48 months to support their citizens and businesses. The challenge of the day was met. We must treat climate change with the same urgency.

https://www.intellinews.com/cop29-azerbaijan-fossil-fuel-scandal-sums-up-the-crisis-of-modern-climate-diplomacy-352396/ By bne IntelliNews November 11, 2024 A damning investigation has revealed that Azerbaijan’s COP29 leadership attempted to use the UN climate summit to broker fossil fuel deals, drawing fierce criticism from former UN climate chief Christiana Figueres, who condemned the actions as “a treason” to the climate process. Secret recordings and documents obtained through an undercover […]