[WCAR] Brussels to host OSCE Conference on fight against racism and discrimination

VIENNA/BRUSSELS, 16 August 2004 - Tolerance and the fight against racism,
xenophobia and discrimination will be the focus of an international OSCE
conference that will take place in Brussels on 13 and 14 September.

Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt, HRH Prince Filip of Belgium and the
OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Bulgarian Foreign Minister Solomon Passy, will
open the event. Keynote speakers will include Prince Hassan of Jordan,
Greek Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomeu and Marieluise Beck, the German
Government's Commissioner for Foreigners' Issues.

The conference, which will be hosted by Belgian Foreign Minister Karel De
Gucht, is a result of a decision by the 55-nation OSCE Ministerial Council
held in Maastricht last December.

International experts, representatives of governments, OSCE participating
States and institutions as well as of civil society and non-governmental
organizations are expected to attend the conference.

In four workshop sessions, they will look at the legislative and
institutional mechanisms concerning the issue; at the role of governments
and civil society; at the question of discrimination of migrant workers and
at ways to promote tolerance and respect for diversity through education
and the media.

The conference will be held at the Brussels Expo ("Heysel"), Auditorium
2000 and Hall 10, Place de la Belgique, 1020 Brussels. It will be entirely
open to the media. Access to the conference premises for media
representatives will be by special press card, obtainable only by prior
accreditation. Please note that media representatives already accredited to
the Belgian foreign and interior ministries (FPS) must also apply for
special accreditation.

The accreditation process will take place between Monday, 16 August, and
Friday, 10 September 2004. We recommend that media representatives apply as
early as possible. Accreditation forms and other information on technical
questions are available on a special website.

The special press cards can be collected from the Press desk at the
Conference centre from 8.00 till 18.00 on Monday 13 September and from 8.00
till 15.00 on Tuesday 14 September. A pre-registration desk will be opened
on Sunday 12 September from 14.00 till 18.00 at the main entrance of the
Public Federal Service Foreign Affairs (Ministry) located 15 rue des Petits
Carmes/Karmelietenstraat, 1000 Brussels - 150m from the upper end of the
"Petit-Sablon" park, subway station "Porte de Namur"). A valid press card
and an identification document carrying a passport photograph will be
requested at collection.

During the conference, the press working area will offer workspaces with
phone connections, the use of which is free of charge. As PCs will not be
provided, journalists should bring their own laptops and mobile phones to
the press working area.

Events that are not accessible directly for reasons of space will be
broadcast into the press centre via closed circuit TV. Plenary sessions of
the conference will be simultaneously translated between the six official
OSCE languages (English, French, German, Italian, Russian, and Spanish).

Stand-up backdrops for photo opportunities and TV interviews will be set up
in areas close to the conference hall.

All participants should take into account the fact that high-level security
measures will be operating throughout the conference.

N.B. Registration procedures for NGO's can also be found at the special
website: http://www.osce.org/events/conferences/tolerance2004/


For further information, please contact:
Alexander Nitzsche
Press and Public Information Officer
Press and Public Information Section
Kaerntner Ring 5-7
1010, Vienna
Austria
Tel.: +43 664 545 10 48 (mobile)
+43 1 514 36 234
Fax: +43 1 514 36 105
E-mail: anitzsche@osce.org
press@osce.org

Press Department
Belgian Foreign Ministry (FPS)
Rue des Petits-Carmes 15
B-1000, Brussels
Belgium
Tel.: +32 474 837 490 (from 12 Sept.) (mobile)
+32 2 501 80 68
+32 2 501 80 43
Fax: +32 2 513 25 46
E-mail: press@diplobel.fed.be


Latest news from the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe
(OSCE) - http://www.osce.org



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