On the eve of the 26th OSCE Ministerial Council, civil society representatives from throughout the OSCE area participated in the annual OSCE Parallel Civil Society Conference held in Bratislava today.

More than 60 representatives of civil society organizations gathered at the conference organized by the Civic Solidarity Platform, a coalition of civil society organizations from across the OSCE region. With this year’s focus on the right to freedom of peaceful assembly they developed and presented recommendations to the OSCE executive structures, institutions and participating States.Calling on the OSCE to ensure the effective exercise of the right to freedom of peaceful assembly, the civil society representatives adopted the “Bratislava Declaration” earlier today.

Ahead of today’s Parallel Conference, OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Slovak Foreign Minister Miroslav Lajčák acknowledged the importance of the conference taking place. “Civil society is crucial to ensuring that decisions and policies reflect the realities of people on the ground.   That is how we understand effective multilateralism in practice – states and international organization connected to non-governmental actors, think tanks, women´s group, youth network and other civil society partners. And it is why this platform, which creates a space for such a dialogue, is so valuable,” the OSCE Chair stressed.

OSCE Secretary General Thomas Greminger said that freedom of assembly is a burning issue throughout the world and that the recommendations will be studied in detail. “Freedom of assembly is a cornerstone of democracy and a universal human right. Peaceful demonstrations are a way for people to make their concerns and ideas heard. They can stimulate public debate, influence policy decisions and contribute to social progress,” Greminger stated.

Adding to this sentiment, Director of the OSCE’s Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) Ingibjörg Sólrún Gísladóttir noted: “Peaceful protest is one of the most powerful rights we have in a democracy, allowing people to make their voices heard. The role of civil society in helping to ensure respect for this right is becoming ever more important.”

The closing session of the conference was also attended by OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Harlem Désir.

The Parallel Civil Society Conference has been held each year on the margins of the OSCE Ministerial Council meetings since the 2010 OSCE Summit in Astana.