Skip navigation

0Meta Navigation

× Close search

Navigation

Home Newsroom News and press releases OSCE and Council of Europe discussed the protection of the rights of persons belonging to national minorities and tolerance and non-discrimination issues
Newsroom

OSCE and Council of Europe discussed the protection of the rights of persons belonging to national minorities and tolerance and non-discrimination issues

5 April 2013

STRASBOURG, 5 April 2013 – Ambassador Ihor Prokopchuk of Ukraine, Chairperson of the OSCE Permanent Council, and Ambassador Josep Dalleres of Andorra, Chairperson of the Ministers’ Deputies of the Council of Europe co-chaired today the 17th meeting of the Co-ordination Group between the Council of Europe and the OSCE.  Representatives of the OSCE Troika, Bureau of the Ministers’ Deputies of the Council of Europe, Secretariats of both Organizations and their focal points also took part at the meeting.

The Group reviewed progress in two of the four areas of enhanced co-operation between the OSCE and the Council of Europe: the protection of the rights of persons belonging to national minorities and the promotion of tolerance and non-discrimination. Based on the joint reports presented by the Council of Europe and the OSCE focal points in these two areas, the Group welcomed the progress achieved.

With regard to the protection of the rights of persons belonging to national minorities the Group noted the importance of furthering close co-operation between the Organizations in developing joint projects and initiatives, in particular in implementing the 2012 Ljubljana Guidelines on Integration in Diverse Societies.

While presenting Ukraine’s priorities for the OSCE Chairmanship in the field of tolerance and non-discrimination Ambassador Prokopchuk announced the Chairmanship’s initiative to host in Crimean-based international children’s resort “Artek” in July the OSCE Youth Summit. The event is planned to gather the children from all the OSCE participating States. This initiative aiming at raising youth awareness on the principles of tolerance and non-discrimination was welcomed by the Group.

In conclusion, the Group decided to meet in Vienna in the second half of 2013 to examine co-operation in the areas of the fight against terrorism and the fight against trafficking in human beings.