News

ROME, 7 September 2011 – Representatives of the OSCE’s 56 participating States are meeting in Rome on 12 September to discuss ways to prevent and respond to hate crimes against Christians. 

The meeting, organized by the OSCE’s Lithuanian Chairmanship and the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), aims at raising awareness on hate-motivated crimes and incidents targeting Christians and their property across the OSCE region. Participants will also share good practices and develop a set of recommendations on how to prevent and respond to such crimes and incidents, with a special focus on attacks on places of worship.

Speakers at the opening include Evaldas Ignatavičius, Lithuanian Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Lamberto Zannier, Secretary General of the OSCE, Ambassador Janez Lenarčič, Director of ODIHR, Archbishop Dominique Mamberti, Secretary for Relations with States of the Holy See, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, Chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations, and Massimo Introvigne, Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office on Combating Racism, Xenophobia and Discrimination, also focusing on Intolerance and Discrimination against Christians and Members of Other Religions.

Journalists are invited to attend the meeting. The opening session will take place on 12 September at 10:00 in the Centro Alcide De Gasperi, Via Pier della Francesca 3 (in the building of the Scuola Superiore di Polizia ), Rome. 

The speakers will be available for interviews following the opening session. 

Journalists are requested to register before 9 September 12:00 by sending their names and media affiliation to anna.sierant@odihr.pl. Access will be provided to registered journalists presenting a valid press card.  

The full agenda and additional information is available at http://www.osce.org/event/christians_2011