Minister of Foreign Affairs Radosław Sikorski pointed out that the erosion of the international legal order and the deepening democratic deficit in many countries of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) require effective mechanisms for holding those responsible for human rights violations and breaches of democratic standards to account. In the context of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine the minister noted that there can be no durable peace between nations and societies if crimes are denied, victims are silenced, and if perpetrators escape accountability.

A just and lasting peace in Europe requires Russia to abandon its neo-imperial policies. To end its aggression against Ukraine. And to stop aggressive and destabilising actions in the region,

stressed the foreign minister.

During the opening session, representatives of the Swiss OSCE Chairpersonship were joined by high-ranking executives of the OSCE Secretariat and autonomous institutions: OSCE Secretary General Feridun H. Sinirlioğlu; Director of the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) Maria Telalian; OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities Christophe Kamp; and OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Jan Braathu.

The Conference will continue from 5 to 15 October. Its participants will take part in sessions on human rights, international humanitarian law, fundamental freedoms, the rule of law, and democratic institutions.

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The OSCE’s Warsaw Human Dimension Conference is a ten-day event organised by the incumbent OSCE Chairpersonship holder—currently Switzerland—and the Warsaw-based OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR). It has been one of the key events devoted to human rights. Around 1,900 people representing governments and civil society organisations have registered to participate in this year’s event.