This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Helsinki Final Act. Therefore, this year’s conference, devoted to human rights and fundamental freedoms in the OSCE area, is of particular significance. Participants will discuss current developments and their consequences in the OSCE region. The conference will address human rights commitments during plenary sessions and side events, covering democratic institutions, the rule of law, tolerance and non-discrimination, fundamental freedoms and humanitarian issues.
Our Secretary General, Berit Lindeman, will give one of the keynote speeches during the opening session on Monday, 6 October at 2 p.m.
Follow the speech and the opening session
The main programme for the conference
Read more about the conference
Side events on political prisoners and journalists in exile
The NHC is the main organiser of the ‘Voices behind bars’ side event and is collaborating with the Justice for Journalists Foundation (JFJ). The oppression of dissidents, restrictions on press freedom, persecution of journalists and lawyers who speak freely, and an increasing number of political prisoners are a sad reality for several of the 57 OSCE member countries. We have invited experts, lawyers, colleagues, and family members of political prisoners. The panel includes participants from Turkmenistan, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Turkey and Kazakhstan.
Read more and follow the side event on Facebook
The second side event is entitled ‘Exile Is Not Safety: Countering Transnational Repression of Journalists’. Here, too, we are collaborating with JFJ to focus on when oppression and persecution cross national borders. Journalists who flee persecution are often assumed to be safer abroad. Yet, they are increasingly exposed to transnational repression, digital surveillance, smear campaigns, extradition requests, intimidation of family members, and even physical attacks outside their home countries. This is done to silence critical voices, but also to undermine international protection systems and press freedom globally. Journalists in exile, lawyers and human rights activists will participate in this event, which is only open to physical presence.