Response to the Address by the Personal Representatives of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office on Combatting Discrimination and Promoting Tolerance

Response to the Address by the Personal Representatives of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office on Combatting Discrimination & Promoting Tolerance As delivered by Ambassador James S. Gilmore III to the Permanent Council, Vienna December 10, 2020 Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The United States welcomes to the Permanent Council the Chair-in-Office’s Personal Representatives on Tolerance and Non-Discrimination: Rabbi …

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Statement of the informal OSCE Group of Friends on the Safety of Journalists

Statement of the informal OSCE Group of Friends on the Safety of Journalists delivered by H.E. Christine Fages, Permanent Representative of France to the OSCE to the Permanent Council, Vienna November 6, 2020 Madam Chair, I make this statement on behalf of the informal OSCE Group of Friends on the Safety of Journalists, namely Austria, …

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Statement on the 20th Anniversary of UNSCR 1325 on “Women, Peace and Security”

Statement on the 20th Anniversary of UNSCR 1325 on “Women, Peace and Security” As delivered by Ambassador James S. Gilmore III to the Permanent Council, Vienna October 22, 2020   Thank you, Mr. Chairman.  The United States welcomes the Albanian Chairmanship’s focus on Women, Peace and Security at the OSCE, and we thank Ambassador Verveer …

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Statement at the Human Dimension Webinar on Access to Information and Freedom of the Media

Statement at the Human Dimension Webinar on Access to Information and Freedom of the Media   The United States appreciates the opportunity to address the issues of access to information and freedom of the media at today’s webinar.  Freedom of information is essential for the implementation of Principle VII of the Helsinki Final Act, which recognizes …

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Reply to the Opening Session of the RFOM Conference “Media Freedom in Volatile Environments”

We agree that we can all do more to strengthen journalist protections.  We agree that there is a need for more fact-based reporting.  And we agree that these issues need to be addressed democratically and in a manner consistent with OSCE principles and commitments.

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Responses to the Russian Federation Statement on Privacy Concerns

National security matters are an issue of public debate in the United States, a debate which involves civil society, human rights activists, the media, journalists, bloggers, comedians, and any number of other individuals and organizations, all of which are free to express themselves, organize, associate, and peacefully assemble to make their views heard.

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Response to Cyprus Foreign Minister and Chair of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe | Statement to the PC

Security through a rules-based international order founded on the protection of human rights and inclusive, democratic societies can best be achieved when international organizations such as the OSCE and the Council of Europe work in concert to protect and promote our common values.

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Response to ODIHR Director on Follow-up to the 2015 HDIM: Statement to the PC

We thank Director Link for his presentation on this year’s Human Dimension Implementation Meeting. We also would like to once again thank Poland for hosting the HDIM. Once a year, we spend a significant amount of time and resources to conduct a comprehensive review of how all OSCE participating States are doing in implementing the …

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Closing Plenary Statement: HDIM 2015

As we conclude another OSCE Human Dimension Implementation Meeting (HDIM), our thanks go once again to Poland for hosting the conference and the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR). Michael Link and his team have worked tirelessly to prepare and facilitate these last two weeks, and we are grateful to them for …

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Freedom of thought, conscience, religion or belief: HDIM 2015, Session 15

The signers of the Helsinki Final Act, like the signers of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, recognized that professing and practicing one’s religion, alone or with others, is a human right and fundamental freedom of every individual.The United States welcomes ODIHR’s appointment of a Senior Advisor and an Associate Officer on Freedom of Religion …

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Freedom of movement, treatment of citizens of other States, and the integration of legal migrants: HDIM 2015, Session 10

The United States remains concerned that the right to leave and return to one’s country eludes many citizens in the OSCE region. Several OSCE participating States inhibit external and internal movement through exit visa regimes and other mechanisms that frequently target activists, human rights defenders and political opposition figures. These participating States interfere with the …

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Freedom of peaceful assembly and association: HDIM 2015, Session 4

The freedom of peaceful assembly and association is a cornerstone of democracy. All OSCE participating States have committed to protect peaceful assembly and to respect the right of individuals to associate with others, even if in so doing they voice opinions critical of the government or are generally unpopular. During the last year, Russia accelerated …

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Human rights challenges in the age of new information and communication technologies (part II): HDIM 2015, Session 3

The Internet has revolutionized the way we receive and share information. As more and more people around the globe gain access to the Internet, we have seen a dramatic change in the ease with which ideas and information can be disseminated. States have affirmed the freedom of expression, including the freedom to seek, receive, and impart …

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Human rights challenges in the age of new information and communication technologies: HDIM 2015, Session 2

The United States has always valued privacy, and it remains central to policy debate today, in the age of the Internet and smart phones. In the last decade, the Internet has facilitated a renewal of direct political engagement by citizens around the globe and unprecedented information sharing. Much of this innovation is enabled by novel …

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Opening Plenary Statement: HDIM 2015

Forty years ago, the Helsinki Final Act committed participating States to work together to seek “peace, security and justice” with the objective of “promoting better relations among themselves and ensuring conditions in which their people can live in true and lasting peace free from any threat to or attempt against their security.” The Helsinki Final …

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Reply to Azerbaijan Regarding Implementation of OSCE Commitments: Statement to the PC

I wanted to respond to a couple of points. I won’t repeat the point I made earlier about responding to concerns with accusations which I think doesn’t make for a strong response. But I would say that it also applies here. I just wanted to clarify two things, though. First, I wholeheartedly agree with our …

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On human rights concerns in Tajikistan: Statement to the PC

I would like to follow up on a statement made by the European Union at the PC on July 2. The United States expresses its deep concern over the Government of Tajikistan’s ongoing attempts to silence voices of political opposition members, both within Tajikistan and abroad. As we have previously noted, international observers characterized Tajikistan’s …

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Across the OSCE region, we are witnessing crackdowns on civil society: Statement at the SHDM

We applaud the Chairmanship for selecting the important and timely topic of Freedom of Assembly and Association for a Supplemental Human Dimension Meeting. The foundation of a democratic state is respect for the rule of law and human rights and fundamental freedoms, including the freedoms of association and peaceful assembly, whether they are exercised on …

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Joint Statement on the Rights to Freedom of Expression, Association, and Peaceful Assembly: 2014 OSCE Ministerial Council

This statement is delivered on behalf of more than forty participating States that have co-sponsored the draft Ministerial Decisions on the right to freedom of expression and the rights to freedom of association and peaceful assembly. This year we have seen regression in the implementation of fundamental freedoms and other human rights. We are convinced …

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