1999 Human Rights Conference in Budapest

HUMAN RIGHTS CONFERENCE IN BUDAPEST

March 5-7, 1999

Mr. Pavlos Voskopoulos, a member of the Executive Secretariat of the Rainbow Party, recently attended a conference in Budapest. Among other things, the attendees had an opportunity to discuss the situation of the ethnic and cultural groups living in Greece today. It was concluded that their plight was especially poor in Greece given their existence was denied by a member state of the European Union -- who should in fact be leading in the recognition and protection of minority rights in the Balkans.

Background:

SOUTHEASTERN EUROPE
AN AGENDA FOR THE 21st CENTURY
March 5-7, 1999 in Budapest

Under the Auspices of:

ASPEN INSTITUTE BERLIN
C. S. MOTT FOUNDATION
COUNCIL OF EUROPE
EUROPEAN CULTURAL FOUNDATION
KING BAUDOUIN FOUNDATION
SOROS FOUNDATION HUNGARY

The above named institutions have joined together to support dialogue throughout Southeastern Europe.

Two years ago, the sponsoring organizations, agreed on a concept based on the convening of subregional conferences in different parts of Southeastern Europe in order to assess the different priorities and overlapping interests of the countries that make up this region. This event is the final meeting in this series and will be based on the results of the three preceding subregional conferences. These conferences, organized in Sofia, Ohrid and Tuzla in 1997 and 1998 with the active support and participation of the sponsoring institutions, have provided platforms for, in-depth discussion using the report of the International Commission on the Balkans, Unfinished Peace, as a framework. The ultimate aim of the final conference is to create a network of people who could agree on an agenda of concrete steps to achieve greater regional co-operation.

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