OSCE Summit Must Meet Human Rights Preconditions

In anticipation of an Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) summit, the Open Society Institute joined 40 international organizations in a letter to participating states outlining the importance of meeting human rights standards. 2010 marks the the 35th anniversary of the Helsinki Final Act and 20th anniversary of the Copenhagen document.

The OSCE chairmanship is currently held by Kazakhstan, which is the first former Soviet state to hold this prestigious international position. Kazakhstan, however, is well known for its authoritarian government, restrictions of freedoms of expression, and oppression of human rights and its defenders.