Coca-Cola first launched bottles made from 100% recycled plastic in 2021 across California, New York, and Texas and was a first-of-its-kind innovation for the brand in the United States.

In a period where budgets are extremely tight and layoffs are being made, many companies find it difficult to justify assigning resources to innovation.

Manufactured through a process of Structural Foam Injection, the pallet boasts exceptional durability and reliability, making it an optimal choice for use within the industrial and automotive sectors.

The new tray from Waddington Europe does not require a polyethylene layer or adhesive coating.

The new facility features technology that expands the company’s ability to provide dependable inspection and QA Hold resolution services with shorter shipping times and reduced freight charges to the Southeast region.

Torus Group, known for its strong portfolio in measurement for metal and rigid packaging in the food and beverage industries, has recently expanded into plastic packaging and medical devices.

The interdisciplinary expert jury of the German Design Council awarded IQJET in the category "Excellence in Business to Business: Machines & Engineering" with the Gold German Innovation Award.

What is known of marriage in early Virginia Indian society is limited to the observations of Jamestown colonists, visiting English observers, and later American historians, and is mostly applicable to the Algonquian-speaking Powhatans of Tsenacomoco, a paramount chiefdom of twenty-eight to thirty-two groups living in Tidewater Virginia. Marriage was crucial for survival in Indian society, because men and women needed to work as partners in order to accomplish their many daily and seasonal tasks. The man initiated courtship and looked for a woman who would perform her assigned tasks well. The woman could decline a marriage offer, but if she did choose to accept it, her parents also needed to approve the offer. The groom's parents, meanwhile, paid a bridewealth, or marriage payment, to the bride's parents to compensate them for her lost labor. Men were allowed to have additional wives, so long as the husband could afford to provide for them; for chiefs especially, these wives served as symbols of wealth. It is estimated that the paramount chief Powhatan (Wahunsonacock) had as many as one hundred wives during his lifetime. While a man's first marriage was expected to last for life, additional marriages were likely negotiated for shorter terms. Unless a woman was married to a chief, she was allowed to conduct extramarital affairs, provided she had her husband's permission (which was usually given). Punishment for dishonesty on this score could be severe, however. Virginia Indians held onto their marriage traditions long after contact with the English, and marriage between Indians and the English was rare.
Thu, 29 Oct 2020 17:44:08 EST

Richmond Fed Pres. parking is speaking and says:

• Fed is in position to respond appropriately regardless of how economy involves.
• US economy looks pretty good
• Labor market is resilient.
• From here, labor market mighty be fine or may continue to weaken.
• Inflation might be coming under control or might risk getting stuck above Fed 2% target.
• Feds focus may turn to upside inflation risks or to downside employment risks, depending on how economy develops.

The market is pricing a 65% chance of a 25 basis point cut in December. That is down over the last week or so (it was in the high 70%s last week).

US yields are higher but off their highest levels:

• 2-year 4.314%, +6.1 basis points
• 5-year 4.269%, +7.6 basis points
• 10-year 4.370%, +6.3 basis points
• 30 year 4.516%, +3.7 basis points

Washington, D.C. -- The National Association of Broadcasters Leadership Foundation (NABLF) will present esteemed chef and humanitarian José Andrés with the Service to America Leadership Award, the Foundation’s highest individual honor. The award, which honors an individual’s commitment to advocacy and public service, will be presented during the Celebration of Service to America Awards on June 7 at The Anthem in Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C. – The House Appropriations Committee advanced the FY 2023 Financial Services and General Government appropriations bill which included language that would prevent the FCC from taking administrative action against broadcasters that accept cannabis advertisements consistent with the law of the state or jurisdiction in which the station is licensed.

Manufacturing

Room 29, Parliament Buildings

Room 21, Parliament Buildings

Stanford Medicine researchers on the hunt for an elusive cardiac fibrosis drug were surprised when a malaria drug with ancient origins emerged as their top candidate.

The post Old drug, new discovery: Scientists find novel use for ancient malaria remedy  appeared first on Scope.

Panelists Tim Hall, Peter Belknap, and Robert Wunderlich discuss DevOps-friendly technologies and the impact of DevOps on communication and governance.

In this Oracle Groundbreakers Podcast Extra guest host Alexa Weber Morales interviews Oracle Database master product manager Maria Colgan about new product features that allow developers, data scientists, and non-traditional database users to help themselves.

See the complete show notes.

In this conversation Oracle's Jim Grisanzio talks with Java Champion Brian Vermeer at JavaOne Las Vegas 2022 about the thriving Java community in The Netherlands, how to keep the Java community growing globally, and his thoughts on becoming a developer.

Brian Vermeer, Java Champion
https://twitter.com/BrianVerm

Jim Grisanzio, Java Developer Relations
https://twitter.com/jimgris

Images from JavaOne Las Vegas 2022
https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjAdP6P

Podcast Video
https://youtu.be/Jlk6Dq9dB2c

Dev Java
https://dev.java/

Inside Java
https://inside.java/

WARSAW / BUCHAREST, 2 August 2016 – Michael Georg Link, Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and Ambassador Mihnea Constantinescu, Chair of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA), called today for greater efforts to protect endangered memorial sites related to the Roma and Sinti genocide during World War II.

Speaking on the occasion of the commemoration of the liquidation of the “Gypsy family camp” at Auschwitz-Birkenau in 1944, when the close to 3,000 remaining Roma and Sinti in the camp were murdered, they stressed that states have to do more to demonstrate their sincere and strong commitment to education about and remembrance of the genocide.

“Positively, we have seen increasing attention in recent years on the part of OSCE participating States to commemorate the Roma and Sinti genocide, and to educate people about this horrible event. This practice and these experiences should be widely shared and replicated,” Director Link said. “Promoting understanding of the Holocaust and its effect on different communities can help to create empathy and promote equality and non-discrimination for all.”

“Accurate and ethical education about the Holocaust includes the respectful and dignified preservation of memorial sites,” said Ambassador Constantinescu. “States have to take resolute action to protect endangered memorial sites and continue to do more to commemorate the Roma and Sinti victims. The history of these endangered sites should be included as part of broader efforts to educate about the consequences of indifference to racism.”

They called on governments to ensure that endangered memorial sites for Roma and Sinti victims are preserved and protected, to include this history as an integral part of civic and human rights education in their countries. They stressed that current developments, including a disturbing rise in xenophobic public rhetoric and racism, mean it is even more essential to build strong alliances among different communities.

In 2003, with the Action Plan on Improving the Situation of Roma and Sinti within the OSCE Area, the OSCE participating States committed themselves to strengthen education about the Roma and Sinti genocide. Through its Contact Point for Roma and Sinti Issues, ODIHR promotes knowledge about and recognition of the plight of Roma and Sinti during the Holocaust to counter present-day discrimination and racism, and to promote tolerance. According to ODIHR’s recent publication Teaching about and Commemorating the Roma and Sinti Genocide: Practices within the OSCE Area, seven OSCE participating States officially commemorate the Roma and Sinti genocide on 2 August, while a larger number of states commemorate the Roma and Sinti victims on the International Holocaust Memorial Day, 27 January.

The International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance is an inter-governmental organization and the foremost international network of political leaders and professionals advancing and shaping Holocaust education, remembrance and research. Its 31 member countries are committed to the tenets of the Stockholm Declaration. The IHRA Committee on the Genocide of the Roma aims to increase the commitment of IHRA Member Countries to educate, research and commemorate the genocide of the Roma.

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TBILISI, 2 July 2016 – Nearly 300 parliamentarians from 54 OSCE countries have begun debates on political and security affairs, economic and environmental issues and human rights and humanitarian concerns at the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s 25th Annual Session in Tbilisi.

The OSCE PA’s three general committees began working on resolutions Saturday dealing with topics including transnational terrorism, the crisis in and around Ukraine, protracted conflicts in Georgia, corruption, energy, climate change, migration and the rights of refugees.

Introducing the resolution to the Committee on Political Affairs and Security, Rapporteur Margareta Cederfelt (MP, Sweden) noted the importance of rebuilding trust and promoting stability in the OSCE region. “Since so many of our common challenges require real multilateral engagement, we as parliamentarians should work together in overcoming these challenges and work towards our mutual security,” she said.

Chaired by U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, the committee debated a number of issues related to the security situation in the OSCE area, with a particular focus on the threat of terrorism and resolving the Ukraine conflict through full implementation of the Minsk Agreements.

In the OSCE PA’s Committee on Economic Affairs, Science, Technology and Environment, chaired by Nilza Sena (MP, Portugal), Rapporteur Marietta Tidei (MP, Italy) highlighted the necessity of addressing climate change and other challenges in the economic and environmental dimension. She noted that 2016 marks not only the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s 25th anniversary, but also 25 years since the international community began addressing one of the most challenging environmental concerns of our time.

“In 1991, the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee held its first meeting to tackle what was already seen at that time as a serious challenge to humanity, the threat of climate change,” Tidei noted. She welcomed the adoption last year of the Paris Climate Agreement and urged its swift implementation by OSCE countries. Other issues touched on by the rapporteur and in the debate included food security, economic inequality and corruption.

The OSCE PA’s Committee on Democracy, Human Rights and Humanitarian Questions opened debate on Rapporteur Gordana Comic (MP, Portugal)’s report and draft resolution, introduced by Committee Chair Isabel Santos (MP, Portugal). The resolution urges a revitalization of the OSCE’s commitment to the human dimension of security at a time when a “crisis of leadership and ideas” is coinciding with a humanitarian emergency related to Europe’s refugee and migrant crisis.

Chaired by Ivana Dobesova (MP, Czech Republic), the committee debated issues including fundamental freedoms in Crimea and humanitarian concerns related to the migration crisis, including the special vulnerabilities of women and girls.

Santos noted that the report and draft resolution do not present a “magic solution” to the challenges of human rights in the OSCE area, but provides a basis for further co-operation. ‘“Together, we can achieve more, and one day we will achieve the solutions,” she said.

Committee meetings continue on 3 July with a number of amendments to consider. After the amendment process and their adoption by the committees, resolutions will be voted on by the full Assembly during the final day of the Annual Session on 5 July, for inclusion in the OSCE PA’s Tbilisi Declaration.

The committee meetings today follow a number of opening speeches Friday, including by Georgian Speaker of Parliament David Usupashvili, President Giorgi Margvelashvili, and Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili, as well as OSCE PA President Ilkka Kanerva (MP, Finland) and the OSCE’s Chairperson-in-Office, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier.

Also on Friday, President Kanerva and Foreign Minister Steinmeier met for a bilateral meeting that focused on conflict resolution efforts in Ukraine. They discussed the crisis in and around Ukraine in detail, including the current Russian position on its level of engagement and prospects for implementing the Minsk Agreements.

For schedules, resolutions, live streaming during the event, daily news updates, press releases and other information, please visit www.oscepa.org. Selected photos are being posted on the PA’s Flickr page atwww.flickr.com/oscepa and on the Georgian Parliament’s Flickr page athttps://www.flickr.com/photos/geoparliament. Both the PA and the Georgian Parliament are tweeting using the hashtag #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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• Christine Muttonen of Austria elected OSCE PA President, Vice-Presidents and Committee Officers also elected
• OSCE parliamentarians in Tbilisi adopt wide-ranging Declaration on human rights, security and the environment
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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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TBILISI, 5 July 2016 – At the close of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s 25th Annual Session in Tbilisi today, members of the Assembly elected Austrian parliamentarian Christine Muttonen as President. Muttonen has previously served as OSCE PA Vice-President and Special Representative for Central and Eastern Asia, and is Deputy Head of the Austrian Delegation to the PA.

Upon being elected, Muttonen said that she would pursue direct talks with governments and other OSCE institutions on advancing avenues for closer co-operation.

“Parliamentarians can play a very important role in securing peace and stability,” she said. “It will be my duty to make sure they have the possibility to do so.”

OSCE PA Vice-Presidents were also elected today: Vilija Aleknaite Abramikiene (Lithuania), Azay Guliyev (Azerbaijan), and Isabel Santos (Portugal) were elected to three-year terms, and Victor Dobre (Romania) was elected to a one-year term.

On Monday, the OSCE PA’s General Committee on Political Affairs and Security elected its leadership. Members of the committee re-elected Roger Wicker (United States) and Margareta Cederfelt (Sweden) Chair and Rapporteur, respectively, and Guglielmo Picchi (Italy) was elected Vice-Chair.

In the General Committee on Economic Affairs, Science, Technology and Environment on Sunday, members elected Nilza Sena (Portugal) Chair and Artur Gerasymov (Ukraine) Vice-Chair. Italian parliamentarian Marietta Tidei was re-elected Rapporteur.

Members of the General Committee on Democracy, Human Rights and Humanitarian Questions on Monday elected Ignacio Sanchez Amor (Spain) Chair and Kyriakos Kyriakou-Hadjiyanni (Cyprus) Rapporteur. Vice-Chair Ivana Dobesova (Czech Republic) was re-elected by acclamation.

In his final address as Assembly President, Finnish parliamentarian and former Chairperson-in-Office of the OSCE Ilkka Kanerva noted that he has led the PA during challenging times.

“In these times, it is important to recall the validity of all ten Helsinki Final Act principles. As President, I have worked to reaffirm these principles, even as they have been put to the test lately. I believe that reviving the spirit of Helsinki requires ensuring that the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly remains an Assembly that is inclusive, open and transparent,” he said.

He also highlighted his special paper distributed at the Tbilisi Annual Session entitled “Our common vision for the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly.”

Kanerva was elected President of the Assembly at the Baku Annual Session in July 2014, and will now serve as President Emeritus of the Assembly.

For the full text of the OSCE PA’s Declaration and resolutions adopted today in Tbilisi, as well as speeches, photos, videos and more, please visit http://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.

Related Stories

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SOFIA, 30 JUNE 2016 – OSCE Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings, Madina Jarbussynova, concluded a three-day trip to Bulgaria on Wednesday with a visit to the Busmantzi Centre for irregular migrants, and commended the country’s ongoing action to fulfil the Organization’s anti-trafficking commitments.

The government-run camp serves as a detention centre for people on the move who are being returned to their home countries.

“We appreciate the support of Bulgaria to the work of the OSCE in addressing trafficking in human beings as a serious transnational threat, as an integral part of organized crime and a gross violation of human rights,” Jarbussynova said.

During the visit, the Special Representative also met with a number of key officials and spoke at a Discussion Forum on migration and human trafficking.

Bulgaria is a source, transit and destination country for human trafficking. It is also affected by the ongoing migration crisis, with large numbers of refugees from Syria and elsewhere currently in the country.

“I know Bulgaria is under particular strain due to the influx of migrants and refugees through its border with Turkey, and recently Serbia, and I am glad to support the authorities in building their capacities to identify potential and actual victims of trafficking among migrants and asylum seekers, and provide adequate protection, in particular to children on the move, including unaccompanied minors,” the Special Representative said.

She discussed these issues with the Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the National Commission to Combat Trafficking in Human Beings, Meglena Kuneva, Deputy Interior Minister Tsviatko Georgiev, Deputy Chief Prosecutor Maria Shishkova, Chair of the State Agency for Child Protection, Ofelia Kaneva, General Secretary of the General Labour Inspectorate Executive Agency Georgi Milchin, and several others, including representatives from international organizations and NGOs. Further co-operation with the Office of the Special Representative, including in training initiatives, was welcomed by the Bulgarian authorities. 

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DUSHANBE, 29 July 2016 – The OSCE Office in Tajikistan today donated audio-visual equipment to the Police Academy of Tajikistan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs with the aim of supporting the Academy’s lecturers to use interactive teaching techniques on the investigation of crimes related to the trafficking of human beings.

The equipment includes a computer, a projector, a screen, speakers, a printer, and an Uninterruptible Power Supply device (UPS). An external hard disk drive was also donated to allow for the storing of an electronic library of thematic video films and other informational resources in this field.

“This equipment will improve the teaching of the Course on Combating Trafficking in Human Beings, and will therefore enable the police to more effectively address this serious social problem,” said Fabio Piana, Deputy Head of the OSCE Office in Tajikistan.

Karim Soliev, the first Deputy Director of the Police Academy, thanked the OSCE for its continued support in building the capacity of future law enforcement staff and Police Academy cadets in combating human trafficking and domestic violence in Tajikistan. “This equipment is of great help to lecturers who will now be able to apply more interactive teaching techniques,” he said.

In previous years, the OSCE has provided expert support to the Police Academy, including the development of the Lecturer’s Guidelines on teaching this specialized and compulsory 20-hour course. The OSCE has also trained the team of lecturers on modern interactive teaching techniques and has recently updated the Course on Combating Trafficking in Human Beings with regard to new legislation in this field.

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WARSAW / BUCHAREST, 2 August 2016 – Michael Georg Link, Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and Ambassador Mihnea Constantinescu, Chair of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA), called today for greater efforts to protect endangered memorial sites related to the Roma and Sinti genocide during World War II.

Speaking on the occasion of the commemoration of the liquidation of the “Gypsy family camp” at Auschwitz-Birkenau in 1944, when the close to 3,000 remaining Roma and Sinti in the camp were murdered, they stressed that states have to do more to demonstrate their sincere and strong commitment to education about and remembrance of the genocide.

“Positively, we have seen increasing attention in recent years on the part of OSCE participating States to commemorate the Roma and Sinti genocide, and to educate people about this horrible event. This practice and these experiences should be widely shared and replicated,” Director Link said. “Promoting understanding of the Holocaust and its effect on different communities can help to create empathy and promote equality and non-discrimination for all.”

“Accurate and ethical education about the Holocaust includes the respectful and dignified preservation of memorial sites,” said Ambassador Constantinescu. “States have to take resolute action to protect endangered memorial sites and continue to do more to commemorate the Roma and Sinti victims. The history of these endangered sites should be included as part of broader efforts to educate about the consequences of indifference to racism.”

They called on governments to ensure that endangered memorial sites for Roma and Sinti victims are preserved and protected, to include this history as an integral part of civic and human rights education in their countries. They stressed that current developments, including a disturbing rise in xenophobic public rhetoric and racism, mean it is even more essential to build strong alliances among different communities.

In 2003, with the Action Plan on Improving the Situation of Roma and Sinti within the OSCE Area, the OSCE participating States committed themselves to strengthen education about the Roma and Sinti genocide. Through its Contact Point for Roma and Sinti Issues, ODIHR promotes knowledge about and recognition of the plight of Roma and Sinti during the Holocaust to counter present-day discrimination and racism, and to promote tolerance. According to ODIHR’s recent publication Teaching about and Commemorating the Roma and Sinti Genocide: Practices within the OSCE Area, seven OSCE participating States officially commemorate the Roma and Sinti genocide on 2 August, while a larger number of states commemorate the Roma and Sinti victims on the International Holocaust Memorial Day, 27 January.

The International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance is an inter-governmental organization and the foremost international network of political leaders and professionals advancing and shaping Holocaust education, remembrance and research. Its 31 member countries are committed to the tenets of the Stockholm Declaration. The IHRA Committee on the Genocide of the Roma aims to increase the commitment of IHRA Member Countries to educate, research and commemorate the genocide of the Roma.

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BERLIN, 3 June 2016 – The resumption of talks in the 5+2 format signals a fresh impetus in the settlement process and provides new momentum to achieve real progress, said Ambassador Cord Meier-Klodt, Special Representative of the German OSCE Chairperson-in-Office for the Transdniestrian Settlement Process.

As a result of the talks, the sides signed a protocol that details steps to be taken towards resolving a number of concrete issues prior to the informal Conference on Confidence-Building Measures in Bavaria in July.

“Following two days of focused discussions, I am happy to say that we moved forward on a number of substantive issues to the benefit of both sides, including in the areas of telecommunication, transportation and education,” said Meier-Klodt. “With the collective effort of the sides and the international partners, we stand a real chance of resolving these key issues next month.”

The Special Representative welcomed the ongoing efforts of the sides and the international partners over recent months, including intensified dialogue between the chief negotiators and in the working group format, and a visit of the Mediators and Observers to Chisinau and Tiraspol in April 2016.

“This 5+2 is testament to the fact that constructive and frequent dialogue at all levels is essential for realizing substantive talks in the 5+2,” said Ambassador Michael Scanlan, Head of the OSCE Mission to Moldova. “I urge the sides to continue in this spirit over the coming weeks and to fully utilize the valuable input of our international partners in order to achieve the objectives outlined in the 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, 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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BAD REICHENHALL, Germany, 14 July 2016 – A two-day conference on confidence-building measures in the Transdniestrian settlement process was held in the town of Bad Reichenhall in Germany on 12 and 13 July 2016. As in past years, the conference, which traditionally takes place in the German state of Bavaria, brought together political representatives of the sides and international 5+2 partners in an informal setting to address the challenges at hand and advance confidence-building measures that would strengthen the process.

“The past few months have witnessed intensified dialogue between the sides, thanks in no small part to the unparalleled efforts and consensus among the mediators and observers,” noted Ambassador Cord Meier-Klodt, Special Representative of the German OSCE Chairperson-in-Office for the Transdniestrian Settlement Process.

During 5+2 talks on 2 and 3 June in Berlin, the sides committed to undertake concrete steps within a set timeframe, including in the fields of ecology, education, transportation and telecommunications.

“Of the commitments included in the Berlin protocol, the sides have completed an agreement on ecology and exchanged lists on the issue of criminal cases,” said Ambassador Michael Scanlan, Head of the OSCE Mission to Moldova. “The Bavaria conference’s informal setting provided a unique opportunity for the sides to continue working towards the remaining agreements in order to deliver important benefits for people on both banks and to strengthen the settlement process.”

“As a confidence-building measure in support of the formal process, I’m happy to say that the conference succeeded in promoting the emphasis on an outcomes-based process that the German Chairperson-in-Office and our international partners believe is a precondition for progress,” concluded Ambassador Meier-Klodt.

The conference is a multiyear initiative funded by the German government and was organized by the OSCE Mission to Moldova.

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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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TBILISI, 5 July 2016 – At the close of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s 25th Annual Session in Tbilisi today, members of the Assembly elected Austrian parliamentarian Christine Muttonen as President. Muttonen has previously served as OSCE PA Vice-President and Special Representative for Central and Eastern Asia, and is Deputy Head of the Austrian Delegation to the PA.

Upon being elected, Muttonen said that she would pursue direct talks with governments and other OSCE institutions on advancing avenues for closer co-operation.

“Parliamentarians can play a very important role in securing peace and stability,” she said. “It will be my duty to make sure they have the possibility to do so.”

OSCE PA Vice-Presidents were also elected today: Vilija Aleknaite Abramikiene (Lithuania), Azay Guliyev (Azerbaijan), and Isabel Santos (Portugal) were elected to three-year terms, and Victor Dobre (Romania) was elected to a one-year term.

On Monday, the OSCE PA’s General Committee on Political Affairs and Security elected its leadership. Members of the committee re-elected Roger Wicker (United States) and Margareta Cederfelt (Sweden) Chair and Rapporteur, respectively, and Guglielmo Picchi (Italy) was elected Vice-Chair.

In the General Committee on Economic Affairs, Science, Technology and Environment on Sunday, members elected Nilza Sena (Portugal) Chair and Artur Gerasymov (Ukraine) Vice-Chair. Italian parliamentarian Marietta Tidei was re-elected Rapporteur.

Members of the General Committee on Democracy, Human Rights and Humanitarian Questions on Monday elected Ignacio Sanchez Amor (Spain) Chair and Kyriakos Kyriakou-Hadjiyanni (Cyprus) Rapporteur. Vice-Chair Ivana Dobesova (Czech Republic) was re-elected by acclamation.

In his final address as Assembly President, Finnish parliamentarian and former Chairperson-in-Office of the OSCE Ilkka Kanerva noted that he has led the PA during challenging times.

“In these times, it is important to recall the validity of all ten Helsinki Final Act principles. As President, I have worked to reaffirm these principles, even as they have been put to the test lately. I believe that reviving the spirit of Helsinki requires ensuring that the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly remains an Assembly that is inclusive, open and transparent,” he said.

He also highlighted his special paper distributed at the Tbilisi Annual Session entitled “Our common vision for the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly.”

Kanerva was elected President of the Assembly at the Baku Annual Session in July 2014, and will now serve as President Emeritus of the Assembly.

For the full text of the OSCE PA’s Declaration and resolutions adopted today in Tbilisi, as well as speeches, photos, videos and more, please visit http://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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From 16 to 20 May 2016 in Budva, Montenegro, the OSCE Mission organized a training course for 45 legal professionals from northern Kosovo on international human rights standards during trial proceedings.

Participants, who are candidates to join the reintegrated justice system in northern Kosovo, were briefed and engaged in in-depth discussions on the human rights requirements, international standards and best practices in ensuring a fair trial.

The training consisted of presentations and lectures on international human rights standards, search tools for the European Court of Human Rights database, rights of access to justice and equality in the administration of justice, right to a public hearing, right to be presumed innocent and privilege against self-incrimination, protection of victims and witnesses, the equality of arms principle and the right to a hearing before a competent, independent and impartial tribunal established by law.

“The justice system in the northern Kosovo has been dysfunctional for years now. Such a situation negatively impacted both the rule of law, proper delivery of justice and the observance of fundamental human rights, including the right of access to justice and the right to trial within a reasonable time,” said Jean-Claude Schlumberger, Head of the OSCE Mission in Kosovo. “The aim of this training was two-fold: enhance participants’ awareness of the importance of promoting and protecting human rights and fundamental freedoms in the courtroom but also encourage them to use pertinent international mechanisms in their daily work.”

Nikola Kabašić, a leading representative of the judicial community in northern Kosovo, said: “Continuous and systematic education of professionals whose main responsibility is to promote, implement and protect human rights is an obligation of all local and international institutions and organizations. That is why this training is important because the level of democracy of one society is measured by the extent of respect of human rights and fundamental freedoms.”

Kosovo Deputy Minister of Justice, Nusret Hoxha, who was a guest at the training course noted the Ministry’s support as well as the need for local judges and prosecutors to be given additional opportunities to become familiar with best international practices in the justice sector.  

The course was held following a needs assessment conducted by the OSCE Mission, which highlighted the need to engage in educational programs as a priority in building the capacities of judicial professionals in the north.

The OSCE Mission in Kosovo is mandated with human rights and communities rights protection and promotion, democratization and public safety sector development. The Mission supports the justice system in Kosovo and runs programmatic activities aiming to improve its performance in line with human rights and fair trial standards. 

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