LITHUANIA CHAIRS 5TH MEETING OF OSCE ASIAN CONTACT GROUP THIS YEAR
On Friday, 21 September 2012, the Permanent Representative of Lithuania to the OSCE Amb. Giedrius Čekuolis chaired this year's 5th meeting of the OSCE Contact Group with Asian Partners for Co-operation.
During the meeting, a thematic discussion took place on the subject of OSCE and its Asian Partners for Co-operation in combating the trafficking in human beings. Presentations on this topic were delivered by Mr. Vafa Ghazavi of the Delegation of OSCE Partner for Co-operation Australia, on behalf of Australian Ambassador H.E. David Stuart; by the OSCE Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating the Trafficking in Human Beings, Dr. Maria Grazia Giammarinaro; and by the Head of the UNHCR Liaison Office in Vienna, Ms. Francesca Friz-Prguda.
Starting the thematic discussion, the Permanent Representative of Lithuania made a reference to the OSCE Ministerial Declaration on Combating All Forms of Human Trafficking, agreed last December in Vilnius. He further noted: "Given the global and transnational nature of the criminal phenomenon of human trafficking, it comes as no surprise that neither the OSCE participating States nor their Partners for Co-operation are spared by this scourge. Therefore, solidarity in the struggle against the trafficking in human beings is something that unites the OSCE participating States not only among themselves but also with their Partners for Co-operation. This explains the choice of topic for our discussion."
The Ambassadors of Turkey and Belgium, as well as representatives of the Irish OSCE Chairmanship, Cyprus EU Presidency, the US and Canada took the floor in the debate that followed the three presentations.
The next meeting of the Asian Contact Group is tentatively scheduled for 9 November.
