Invitation: Public Panel Discussion on the ‘Vienna Declaration on Preventing Security Measures from Eclipsing Human Rights...'

On the eve of the ‘OSCE Parallel Civil Society Conference 2017’, we invite you to participate in a public panel discussion on the ‘Vienna Declaration on preventing security measures from eclipsing human rights: Human rights are the core of the answer rather than an obstacle to addressing terrorism’ with civil society representatives from the OSCE region. This event is supported by the German Federal Foreign Office and will be followed by a reception. The language of the event is English.

The panelists will discuss how various counter-terrorism, counter-extremism and other security measures, both legislative and policy, negatively affect human rights and the rule of law, and what the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and other actors need to do to address the current challenges.

Time: from 19:00-20:30 on Monday, 04 December 2017 

Venue: Presseclub Concordia, Bankgasse 8, 1010 Vienna, Austria.

Participants:

Melissa Hooper, Human Rights First, USA

Izabela Kisić, Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in Serbia

Emel Kurma, Citizens’ Assembly, Turkey 

Jago Russell, Fair Trials, UK

Moderation: Harry Hummel, Netherlands Helsinki Committee

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Please be informed that this year’s ‘OSCE Parallel Civil Society Conference 2017’ will take place in Vienna from 5-6 December 2017 and is organised by Civic Solidarity Platform in cooperation with the Austrian Helsinki Association and with the support of the Austrian OSCE Chairmanship.

This event will be held on the eve of the annual ‘OSCE Ministerial Council’ meeting, building on the traditions of Parallel Conferences held in Astana (2010), Vilnius (2011), Dublin (2012), Kiev (2013), Basel (2014), Belgrade (2015) and Hamburg (2016).

These conferences have provided a forum for independent civil society to seek answers to current challenges in the OSCE Human Dimension and develop strategies and recommendations to try to empower OSCE political bodies, institutions and participating States.

The outcomes of CSP’s annual work, envisioned and discussed during the ‘OSCE Parallel Civil Society Conference 2017’, will be presented in the form of Civil Society Recommendations as well as the so-called ‘Vienna Declaration’ – and handed over to high-level representatives of the OSCE and the OSCE Troika.

The opening (Tuesday, 5 December 2017, 10:00 – 10:45) and closing (Wednesday, 6 December, approx. 16:00 – 17:30) sessions of the ‘OSCE Parallel Civil Society Conference 2017’ are open to OSCE delegates and the media.

Venue: Hotel Le Méridien, Robert-Stolz-Platz 1, 1010 Vienna
Registration for opening and closing sessions can be done on the spot at the conference venue.

For further information, please check updates on our website and follow us on social media. Thank you!