ASTANA, 26 June 2010 - Nursultan Nazarbayev, the President of Kazakhstan, OSCE Chairmanship in 2010; Jorge Sampaio, UN High Representative for the Alliance of Civilizations; Mevlut Chavushoglu, President of the Council of Europe's Parliamentary Assembly ; and Remigijus Shimashijus, Lithuania's Justice Minister, are among high-level speakers expected to address an OSCE High-Level conference on tolerance and non-discrimination in the Kazakhstan's capital Astana on 29 and 30 June.
Heads of key OSCE institutions - the Director of the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) Janez Lenarcic, High Commissioner on National Minorities Knut Vollebaek, three Personal representatives of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office on tolerance and non-discrimination, as well as Ministers from Turkey, Montenegro, Israel, and other officials and public figures will participate in the event.
The aim of the conference is to advance implementation of the OSCE commitments and values related to promoting tolerance, non-discrimination and inter-cultural dialogue which are a key priority of Kazakhstan's OSCE Chairmanship in 2010.
The two-day meeting preceded by a preparatory meeting by non-governmental organizations in Astana on 28 June, will address ways to combat intolerance and discrimination against Muslims, Christians and representatives of other religions. The conference participants will discuss the role of legislation, law enforcement, education systems and the media, including Internet, in addressing public manifestations of intolerance and promoting understanding through open dialogue.
The conference will be held at the Palace of Peace and Reconciliation (the Pyramid). The opening and closing sessions, as well as press conferences and other selected events will be broadcast via closed-circuit TV (CCTV) into the Media Centre on the 7th floor of the Pyramid.
The official opening is expected to take place on 29 June from 10:00 to 11:30 with a keynote speech by Nursultan Nazarbayev, followed by addresses of Jorge Sampaio, Mevlut Chavushoglu, Knut Vollebaek and Janez Lenarcic and other high-level speakers. The session will be open to media, broadcast via CCTV, webcast, and transmitted live via satellite.
An award ceremony for winners of the OSCE Photo Contest 2010 "Tolerance, transparency, tradition, trust" will take place on 29 June, from 11:30 to 12:00 at the foyer of the 1st floor of the Pyramid. All media are invited to cover the ceremony.
A joint press conference by Rabbi Andrew Baker, Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office on Combating Anti-Semitism; Adil Akhmetov, Personal Representative on Combating Intolerance and Discrimination against Muslims; and Mario Mauro, Personal Representative on Combating Racism, Xenophobia and Discrimination, also focusing on Intolerance and Discrimination against Christians and Members of Other Religions, will take place on 29 June from 17:30 to 18:00 in the briefing room on 6th floor and will be open to all media, broadcast on CCTV, webcast, and transmitted live via satellite.
On the second day of the conference, 30 June, the closing session from 17:15 to 18:00 will be open to media, broadcast on CCTV, webcast, and transmitted live via satellite.
The OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Kazakhstan's Secretary of State, Foreign Minister Kanat Saudabayev will give a press conference at 18:00 on 30 June, at the Briefing room on the 6th floor. The press conference will be broadcast on CCTV, webcast, and transmitted live via satellite.
Live transmission of the opening session, press conference of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office's Personal representatives, closing session and the final press conference will be available on World Feed in Europe (W3A), the Americas (Intelsat805) and Asia (Asiasat5). Technical parameters of the transmissions (free of rights and free of charge) are available to registered users at www.eurovision.net.
Webcasting of open parts of the conference will be organized at http://www.osce.org/conferences/tolerance_2010.html?page=44753.
Detailed information for journalists, including information on customs procedures and fees, is available on the website of the Kazakhstan's Foreign Ministry. Media badges can be picked at the media accreditation desk at the entrance to the Pyramid. On-the-spot accreditation of journalists will be possible.
