OSCE Focus: Anti-Semitism

Ron Sachs/CNP

NCSJ continues to work closely with member agencies to ensure a high-level forum on anti-Semitism in 2003 under the auspices of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). Through meetings with Congress, U.S. Government officials and diplomats from the successor states as well as Portugal and the Netherlands (OSCE Chairs-in-Office for 2002 and 2003 respectively), a consensus is evolving on the timing and format for this conference.

Although the immediate concern is combating the upsurge of anti-Semitic violence in Western Europe, this conference would address anti-Semitism throughout the OSCE region, including Canada and the United States. In addition to strong U.S. support for this first-ever stand-alone OSCE event on anti-Semitism, calls for such a meeting have also come from countries such as Latvia that were once under Communist control. The goal is to raise awareness of the problem and establish an OSCE-wide commitment to a plan of action.

(Read March 2003 Report on U.S. Policy and OSCE)

 

OSCE Anti-Semitism Conference June 19-20, 2003, Vienna  Draft Agenda (April 10, 2003) Congressional Resolutions on Anti-Semitism (Feb. 13) Latvia Backs Focus on Anti-Semitism   (Jan. 31)

---

Parliamentary Forum on Anti-Semitism February 21, 2003, Vienna CSCE Digest (March 6, 2003)	February 2003: Bundestag Member Gert Weisskirchen, Vice-President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly and Co-Chair of the initiative; Representative Chris Smith (R-NJ), Chairman of U.S. Delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly; National Assembly Member Michel Voisin, Chairman of the French Delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly (CSCE photo)
December 10, 2002, Washington Forward editorial (Dec. 13) JTA coverage (Dec. 11) CSCE Press Release (Dec. 10) U.S.-German Letter of Intent (Dec. 10)	Dr. Weisskirchen and Rep. Smith signing joint Letter of Intent, December 2002 (CSCE photo)

---

10th OSCE Ministerial       December 6-7, 2002 U.S. Statement (html/pdf)          Decision on Tolerance (pdf) BBI's Mariaschin op-ed (Wall Street Journal, Dec. 5)

---

Hearing: U.S. Policy Toward OSCE October 10, 2002 Statement of Sen. Voinovich

---

White House Letter to CSCE September 20, 2002

---

11th OSCE Parliamentary Assembly   July 6-10, 2002 Berlin Declaration (pdf)  NCSJ Press Release

Shai Franklin, NCSJ Director of Governmental Relations, with Rep. Chris Smith in Berlin, holding Anti-Semitism resolution sponsored by Rep. Smith and passed by the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly

---

CSCE Hearing on Anti-Semitism May 22, 2002

NCSJ Executive Director Mark Levin testifying at Helsinki Commission hearing