Media advisory

VIENNA, 4 May 2005 - A two-day international conference to examine ways of combating anti-Semitism and other forms of intolerance, being held by the OSCE on 8 and 9 June in the Spanish city of Cordoba, is expected to attract ministerial-level attendance from the USA, European Union, Eastern European and Mediterranean states.

The single conference arises from a decision by the OSCE Ministerial Council in December 2004, to bring under one roof the three meetings on intolerance that were held last year by the Organization. These meetings focused on anti-Semitism, racism, xenophobia and discrimination, as well as the use of the Internet to promote intolerance.

The Ministers welcomed an offer by the Spanish Foreign Minister to host the event in Cordoba, a city with a unique tradition of playing host to the three cultures of Christianity, Islam and Judaism.

The meeting in Cordoba will, for the first time, bring together such issues as anti-Semitism and the media and Holocaust education, with fighting discrimination and intolerance against Muslims, Christians and members of other religions in the OSCE area. Other sessions will focus on the roles of government, civil society, schools and the media in combating prejudice and in promoting tolerance with a holistic approach.

Media Centre

The conference sessions will be held at the Congress Palace in the old town. However, owing to the limited size of the plenary hall, most of the proceedings will be broadcast live via closed-circuit TV into an adjacent Media Centre. Headphones (and splitter boxes for TV/radio journalists) will provide translations between the six OSCE languages (English, French, German, Italian, Russian and Spanish). Some side events arranged by the OSCE and non-governmental organizations will be open to the media or broadcast on CCTV.

The Media Centre will offer work spaces with phone connections, use of which will be free of charge. A small number of PCs and printers will be provided, but journalists are advised to bring their own laptops and mobile phones. A Helpdesk will assist with technical issues.

Accreditation

Access to the Media Centre will be restricted to holders of a special press card which can be ordered in advance by completing an accreditation application form (see link, this page, top right) and attaching a recent photograph. It can be returned by post or email to the address shown on the form. The card can be picked-up in the entrance to the Media Centre.

On-the-spot accreditation facilities will also be available but entry cannot be guaranteed if the Media Centre is full. Accreditation forms and technical information are posted on the OSCE website www.osce.org/item/9735.html, as well as on the Spanish Foreign Ministry website www.mae.es/cordoba.

Strict security measures will be in operation throughout the conference period and pooling, organized from the Media Centre, will be necessary in most cases for photo-journalists.