OSCE and ODIHR Conference on "Confronting Anti-Semitism in Public Discourse"

"Confronting Anti-Semitism in Public Discourse," a high-level meeting organized by the OSCE Chairmanship and ODIHR, took place in Prague on March 23 and 24 and was hosted by the Foreign Minister of the Czech Republic.

"Confronting Anti-Semitism in Public Discourse" was intended to provide a forum for representatives of OSCE participating States, the media, and political and civil society actors to debate complicated and sensitive matters related to antisemitism.  Despite international efforts and commitments, antisemitism remains an issue that has not been fully addressed by governments and civil society.

The meeting focused on raising awareness of the existence of antisemitism in public discourse, increasing understanding and studying its impact on security, and identifying practical measures to counter it.  To achieve these objectives, three main areas were addressed:  discussing expressions of antisemitism in the media and political speech, analyzing current occurrences and trends of antisemitic discourse, and sharing best practices and compiling a set of recommendations on how to prevent and respond to antisemitism.  These recommendations were formulated to assist OSCE participating States in shaping a constructive and respectful discourse in society.

"Confronting Anti-Semitism in Public Discourse" was composed of three working sessions that focused on "traditional" forms of antisemitism, modern manifestations of antisemitism, and effective ways to combat antisemitism in public discourse.  Dr. Kathrin Meyer, Executive Secretary of the ITF, participated as a panelist in the session on traditional antisemitic themes and stereotypes.  The conference was attended by several dozen politicians, intergovernmental representatives, historians, and human rights activists, and resulted in several recommendations and a call for more decisive steps to fight antisemitism.