Parallel Civil Society Forum in Minsk

Parallel OSCE Civil Society Forum has been successfully held in Minsk on 4 July. It took place on the eve of the 26th annual session of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly. The Forum was organised by Belarusian human rights NGOs together with the Civic Solidarity Platform. More than 100 people participated in the event, including representatives of Belarusian human rights NGOs, members of the Platform from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Russia, Sweden, Switzerland, and Ukraine, other foreign NGOs such as FIDH, Frontline and Amnesty International. The Forum was attended by guests including two Vice Presidents of OSCE PA Kent Harstedt and Isabel Santos, OSCE PA Secretary General Roberto Montella, Chair of OSCE PA Committee on Human Rights Nacho Amore, UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Belarus Miklos Harazsti, ODIHR Human Rights Adviser Brian Giffry, representatives of embassies in Minsk, and others.