The Swiss Chairmanship of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) is organising an international conference on human rights defenders in conjunction with the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and with the support of the Serbian Chairmanship 2015. Some 100 national human rights experts of the OSCE participating States, human rights defenders and representatives of civil society and human rights organisations from Switzerland and abroad are attending the conference.
The protection and promotion of human rights and the strengthening of the rule of law are objectives of Swiss foreign policy. These objectives can only be achieved if internationally recognised human rights norms and standards are actually implemented. Human rights defenders play a key role in this respect but are often intimidated and prevented from carrying out their work. Given this situation, the protection of human rights defenders is crucially important.
OSCE conference on the protection of human rights defenders
Tuesday, 10.06.2014 Wednesday, 11.06.2014
Conference; OSCE
Location: Bern
Tuesday, 24.06.2014 Tuesday, 24.06.2014
Conference; OSCE
At the OSCE Annual Security Review Conference, the Chairperson-in-Office of the OSCE and President of the Swiss Confederation, Mr Didier Burkhalter, advocate joint efforts to strengthen cooperative security.
Location: Vienna
Bilateral meetings on the fringe of the Conference
Vienna, 24 June 2014 ─ On the fringe of the OSCE Annual Security Review Conference in Vienna President of the Swiss Confederation Didier Burkhalter holds several bilateral talks, among others with the President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Pavlo Klimkin.
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