- OSCE clean-up of toxic rocket fuel component at site in western Ukraine to conclude next week

KYIV, 17 June 2010 - The last shipment of a highly toxic rocket fuel component will depart from a military base in western Ukraine on 24 June, marking the conclusion of removal of the dangerous liquid from two depots as part of an OSCE - Ukraine project to safely dispose of all of Ukraine’s stocks of the fuel component.

Representatives from countries that have financed the project, from the OSCE and the Ukrainian Defence Ministry will visit the site to observe the departure of the train that will transport the final shipment of the noxious substance to Russia, where it will be safely disposed of in specialized chemical facilities.

The site, located just one kilometre from the village of Tsenzhiv and a few kilometres from the regional capital of the Ivano-Frankivsk region, held 2,200 tonnes of the rocket fuel component, known as melange.

The conclusion of work at Tsenzhiv marks removal of all melange from two depots in western Ukraine as part of an OSCE project that aims to rid Ukraine of the 16,000 tonnes of melange that remained in the country following the dissolution of the Soviet Union. The first stage also included removing all melange from a site near the south-western town of Kalynivka. Work on a second stage will start in coming months.

The substance can be deadly upon contact, burning the skin, eyes, mucous membranes and lungs. Leaked melange, which quickly turns into gas when it comes into contact with the air, can form a toxic cloud capable of poisoning human beings dozens of kilometres from the site of the leakage.

The project, implemented by the OSCE Secretariat, is set to become the OSCE’s largest donor-financed project so far. Donors to this phase of the project include: the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Norway, Spain, Poland, the Swedish International Co-operation Agency and Ukraine.

Journalists are invited to presentations, speeches and the screening of a film about the project, to be held from 10:30 to 13:00 at Nadiya Hotel, 40, Nezalezhnosti St, Ivano-Frankivsk, and to observe demonstrations of loading and safety measures and the departure of the train from 15:00 to 17:30 at Military unit A2989 in Tsenzhiv. Advance registration is required by phone to the Defense Ministry’s press service at +38 044 483 33 37 (on June 22-23 in Ukrainian and Russian only) or by email to Anton.Shevchenko@osce.org or by phone +38 050 357 3365 by the end of 22 June.

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- OSCE human rights office, Turkmenistan agree to intensify co-operation

ASHGABAT, 17 June 2010 - The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and Turkmenistan’s authorities agreed to intensify co-operation on implementing the country’s human rights commitments during a two-day visit by ODIHR’s Director, Ambassador Janez Lenarcic, that ended today.

"We came here to offer our assistance in further advancing democratic reforms in Turkmenistan, and we have received positive signals regarding the willingness of the authorities to engage more actively in joint activities aimed at implementing the country’s human rights commitments," said Lenarcic.

In meetings with Foreign Minister Rashid Meredov; the Chairperson of the Mejlis, Akja Nurberdiyeva; the Director of the National Institute for Democracy and Human Rights, Yazdursun Gurbannazarova, and other officials, Lenarcic offered assistance on reforming Turkmenistan’s electoral framework and legislation on non-governmental organizations and political parties.He also proposed closer co-operation on human rights education and encouraged the authorities to participate more actively in expert meetings organized by ODIHR.

"We have noted with interest recent plans to increase political pluralism in Turkmenistan and move towards a multiple party system," Lenarcic said.

He also expressed the hope that conditions be improved in order to allow for the development of the non-governmental sector. "An active civil society is an essential element of any modern democratic state," he stressed.

During his meetings, Lenarcic emphasized the responsibility of governments in implementing international obligations: "We are not here to impose any foreign standards, but we can provide valuable assistance to the authorities in putting into practice the commitments Turkmenistan has agreed to as a participating State of the OSCE."

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- OSCE Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings hosts Alliance conference on domestic servitude

VIENNA, 17 June 2010 - The tenth Alliance against Trafficking in Persons conference focused on trafficking for domestic servitude opened today in Vienna.

The two-day conference is the first high-level event on one of the most invisible forms of trafficking for labour exploitation in the OSCE area. The event brings together over 250 participants, including senior government officials, and national co-ordinators and rapporteurs from 50 countries, as well as more than 75 representatives from international and non-governmental organizations, law enforcement agencies and trade unions.

They will discuss domestic servitude as one of the most invisible forms of exploitation.

Keynote addresses were delivered by Maria Grazia Giammarinaro, the OSCE Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings and Ambassador-at-Large Luis CdeBaca representing the U.S. Department of State’s Office To Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons.

"Domestic servitude is modern-day slavery, and could be taking place in a household next to our own," said Giammarinaro in her opening address. "When a person is obliged to be permanently at the disposal of the employer in a household, and when this person works all day and gets no salary, receives little food, is allowed to sleep for just a few hours, is psychologically abused and has no days off, this is not domestic work, this is slavery."

"Better protection of the rights of all domestic workers, raising the awareness of the general public, training for professionals, and assistance to victims, especially child victims, are essential in the struggle against domestic servitude."

Domestic servitude involves workers, especially migrant women and girls, who are trafficked to work in exploitative, inhuman and degrading conditions in private households, hidden away behind closed doors.

Conference speakers will present cases of people subjugated by subtle means of psychological coercion and isolation used to achieve total control over the person. Challenges to be discussed including those encountered in investigating and prosecuting cases of trafficking for domestic servitude, and the lack of an agreed-upon definition and legal framework. The issue of diplomatic privilege that at times unintentionally facilitates trafficking by allowing migrant domestic workers to come legally to the country while not protecting them adequately will also be addressed.

A documentary film, Vous êtes servis, by Belgian film-maker Jorge León, will be screened for the first time in Vienna. A French documentary photo exhibit portraying domestic servitude will also be held in the Hofburg Congress Centre.

The conference is organized by the OSCE Office of the Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings under the auspices of the Alliance against Trafficking in Persons, a 40-member advocacy platform of major international and non-governmental organizations.

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- OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities urges OSCE States to assist Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, calls for independent commission to investigate

VIENNA, 17 June 2010 - Urgent international support is needed to help stabilize the situation in Kyrgyzstan and assist neighbouring Uzbekistan to take care of the tens of thousands of refugees who have fled across the border, the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities Knut Vollebaek told the 56 OSCE participating States at a session of the Permanent Council in Vienna today.

Vollebaek also called for an impartial investigation into the violence in southern Kyrgyzstan, and for the interim government to support efforts to document events.

"There can be no doubt that Kyrgyzstan still requires international assistance in order to stabilize the situation," said Vollebaek in his statement. "In addition to re-establishing law and order, which is a prerequisite for any long-term stability, there is a continuous need for humanitarian assistance. This also goes for the many people who have taken refuge in neighbouring Uzbekistan."

"I commend Uzbekistan’s responsible behaviour, and I appeal to the Government of Uzbekistan to keep its borders open, and, to the international community to generously come to the assistance of Uzbekistan in this most difficult situation as it tries to accommodate tens of thousands of refugees."

The High Commissioner said an international commission should investigate: "In order to move forward and re-establish trust between the inhabitants of Kyrgyzstan, there has to be a thorough investigation into what has been happening in the south of the country. This will require an independent, international Commission."

"Meanwhile, it is important to have free and open reporting and documentation of the violence. I would therefore strongly urge the Kyrgyz authorities to refrain from laying any hindrance in the way for journalists and members of civil society who are engaged in documenting the ongoing perpetrations."

On Monday, a special session of the Permanent Council, one of the OSCE’s main decision-making bodies, was convened following the decision of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Kanat Saudabayev, based on the 12 June early warning issued by Vollebaek. The High Commissioner’s mandate calls for such warnings if, in his judgment, tensions involving national minority issues have the potential to develop into conflict. The High Commissioner has invoked this article only once before.

The OSCE participating States adopted a statement taking note of the early warning issued by Vollebaek, calling for the rapid restoration of peace, public safety and the rule of law in Kyrgyzstan and offering to build on assistance to resolve the crisis.

In his statement Monday Vollebaek, who visited Kyrgyzstan in April and June to assess the situation in the country, called on the Kyrgyz provisional government to establish an institution responsible for communication with minority groups. He also recommended that a power-sharing agreement to include ethnic Uzbeks and representatives of other national minorities in all state institutions, including law enforcement agencies, judicial bodies and public administration at all levels be considered.

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