Jim Grisanzio from Oracle Developer Relations talks with Mirela Ardelean about building the Oracle developer community and also the upcoming Oracle Groundbreakers EMEA Virtual Tour 2021 — October 15-29. There will be 70 speakers presenting Oracle technologies over 11 days to 10 UGs! Video on YouTube. Get involved with the event here.

Mirela Ardelean, Oracle ACE, Founder and VP of the Romanian Oracle User Group, Board member of EOUC

• https://twitter.com/Mirela_RoOUG
• http://ogbemea.com

Jim Grisanzio, Oracle Developer Relations

• https://twitter.com/jimgris
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimgris/
• https://developer.oracle.com/team/
• https://oraclegroundbreakers.libsyn.com/

Jim Grisanzio from Oracle Developer Relations talks with Gabriele Provinciali, an engineer and solutions architect at Oracle in Rome, about smart and safe city models built with Lego Bricks, Arduinos, Raspberry Pis, and a variety of IoT edge sensors all connected to the Oracle Cloud. Twitter Thread. Video on YouTube.

Oracle News Connect Article

• Little towns, big ideas: How scale models can imagine smarter and safer cities

Gabriele Provinciali, Solution Architect, Oracle Cloud Infrastructure

• https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabriele/
  
• https://twitter.com/GabbaPro

ProximaSafe: Joining the Dots in OCI to build a Stream Analysis Lab

• Part 1: Setting up the event-driven OCI components
• Part 2: From Edge to Serverless
• Part 3: Sensors, Pipelines and back to Edge
• YouTube Video: Oracle Proxima City

Jim Grisanzio, Oracle Developer Relations

• https://twitter.com/jimgris
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimgris/
• https://developer.oracle.com/team/
• https://oraclegroundbreakers.libsyn.com/

Jim Grisanzio from Oracle Developer Relations talks with Oracle ACE Director Rita Nunez from Argentina to preview the upcoming 2021 LAOUC Evento de Primavera November 9-10. The event will be held online in Spanish, Portuguese, and English, and it's free and open to developers globally. Technologies discussed will be Oracle Database, security, APEX, Java, development tools, cloud, and more. Get involved here.

Rita Nunez, Oracle ACE Director

• https://twitter.com/ritan2000 

Jim Grisanzio, Oracle Developer Relations

• https://twitter.com/jimgris 
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimgris/ 
• https://developer.oracle.com/team/ 
• https://oraclegroundbreakers.libsyn.com/ 

Jim Grisanzio from Oracle Developer Relations talks with Chip Baber from Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) about the Oracle Code Innovate Program. The conversation centers around building the cloud community by working directly with developers — that's side by side, hands on coding collaboration — on real cloud projects for active customers.

The program, which started in 2018 with in-person sprints and moved virtual in 2020, uses a flexible Agile framework that spans a week of interactions, such as planning, training, ideation, coding, standups, demos, etc. What’s great about the program is that all sides learn — the customer’s developers get more direct experience coding in OCI, the customer’s executive management gets needed projects initiated that can be evolved to eventual deployment, and Oracle gets valuable engineering feedback that can help improve OCI. Plus, it’s fun. People at all levels who contribute to the project are really passionate about it. Listen in to hear why.  

Video Interview on YouTube
https://youtu.be/_qTnhoZ1vKI 

Article on Oracle News Connect
https://www.oracle.com/news/connect/groundbreakers-podcast-oracle-virtual-code-innovate.html 

Chip Baber, Senior Manager, Code Innovate, Emerging Technology Oracle Cloud
https://www.linkedin.com/in/chipbaber/ 

Contact the Code Innovate Team
codeinnovate_us_grp@oracle.com 

Latest Video Review of the Virtual Code Innovate Program
https://youtu.be/BcNuD8fm62k 

Dozens of Videos on Oracle Code Innovate
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLPIzp-E1msrZMCfSHbKgLK3KWsNM9JB9a 

Chip Baber's YouTube Tech & Code Channel
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsnBif_-5JnA8Hzvp8e1bQ3fo6VEvYEB0 

Jim Grisanzio, Oracle Developer Relations
https://twitter.com/jimgris 
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimgris/ 
https://developer.oracle.com/team/ 
https://oraclegroundbreakers.libsyn.com/ 

Photos from Live Code Innovate Events: 2018-2019
Oracle and GE Digital Bangalore https://flic.kr/s/aHsmtEb4XB 
Oracle and McAfee Bangalore https://flic.kr/s/aHsmsufTbW 
Oracle and Cisco San Jose https://flic.kr/s/aHsmBpBhVk 
Oracle and Cisco Bangalore https://flic.kr/s/aHsmDKBpPY 

Jim Grisanzio talks with John Spurling, a JVM engineer at Twitter, at UnVoxxed Hawaii 2020 about debugging and the mental process of solving difficult technical issues.

John Spurling, Twitter
https://twitter.com/synecdotal 

Jim Grisanzio, Java Developer Relations
https://twitter.com/jimgris 

Video on YouTube
https://youtu.be/6dwOPQSJwaI 

UnVoxxed Hawaii
https://flic.kr/s/aHsmLF23KD 
https://twitter.com/UnVoxxedHawaii 
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLX8CzqL3ArzU0APb6QgpMMTMPEz1jok5Q 

Seymour Cray
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seymour_Cray 

Make It Stick: The Science of Successful Learning 
https://www.amazon.com/Make-Stick-Science-Successful-Learning/dp/0674729013 

Venkat Subramaniam previews his upcoming session at Oracle Developer Live Java Innovations — The Elegance of Pattern Matching in Modern Java. The conversation was recorded via Zoom on Tuesday February 15, 2022.

Venkat Subramaniam, Founder, Agile Developer

@venkat_s on Twitter https://twitter.com/venkat_s

Background on Pattern Marching

JEP 305: Pattern Matching for instanceof (Preview)
Pattern Matching with Gavin Bierman — Inside Java Podcast 17
Pattern Matching in Java 17 and Beyond

Java Development & Community

OpenJDK https://openjdk.java.net/
Inside Java https://inside.java/
Dev.Java https://dev.java/
@java Twitter https://twitter.com/java

Duke's Corner Podcast

Jim Grisanzio, Host, Java Developer Relations
@jimgris on Twitter https://twitter.com/jimgris

Java Champion Chandra Guntur previews his Birds-of-a-Feather session — Code Katas for Java — for the upcoming Oracle Developer Live Java Innovations conference on March 22nd and 24th. This conversation was recorded via Zoom on Thursday February 24, 2022.

Chandra Guntur, Distinguished Engineer, Technical Fellow, BNY Mellon 

• @cguntur on Twitter https://twitter.com/CGuntur

Java Development & Community

• OpenJDK https://openjdk.java.net/
• Inside Java https://inside.java/
• Dev.Java https://dev.java/
• @java Twitter https://twitter.com/java

Duke's Corner Podcast

• Jim Grisanzio, Host, Java Developer Relations
  @jimgris on Twitter https://twitter.com/jimgris

JavaOne 2022 Speaker Preview

In this conversation Oracle's Jim Grisanzio talks with Java developer and JavaOne 2022 speaker Mark Heckler from St. Louis. Missouri in the United States.

Mark is a software developer and developer advocate at Microsoft, a Java Champion, a conference speaker, and an author. Check out his book Spring Boot: Up and Running. In this conversation Mark previews his session at JavaOne — Das Boot: Diving into Debugging Spring Boot Applications. Mark also talks about the value of technical conferences and the community. 

JavaOne 2022 from October 17-20 in Las Vegas

• JavaOne 2022: Registration and Sessions
• JavaOne Update 1
• JavaOne Update 2

Mark Heckler, Principal Cloud Developer Advocate for Java/JVM Languages at Microsoft

• @mkheck

Java Development and Community

• OpenJDK
• Inside Java
• Dev.Java
• @java on Twitter
• Java on YouTube

Duke's Corner Podcast Host

• Jim Grisanzio, Oracle Java Developer Relations, @jimgris

JavaOne 2022 Speaker Preview

In this conversation Oracle's Jim Grisanzio talks with Java developer and JavaOne 2022 speaker Oleg Šelajev from Tartu, Estonia.

Oleg works in developer relations at AtomicJar. He's also a Java Champion and a regular conference speaker. In this conversation Oleg previews his upcoming session at JavaOne — Delightful Integration Tests with Testcontainers. 

JavaOne 2022 from October 17-20 in Las Vegas

• JavaOne 2022: Registration and Sessions
• JavaOne 2022 Updates at Inside Java

Oleg Šelajev, Developer Relations at AtomicJar 

• @shelajev

Java Development and Community

• OpenJDK
• Inside Java
• Dev.Java
• @java on Twitter
• Java on YouTube

Duke's Corner Podcast Host

• Jim Grisanzio, Oracle Java Developer Relations, @jimgris

JavaOne 2022 Speaker Preview

In this conversation Oracle's Jim Grisanzio talks with JavaOne 2022 speaker Sander Mak from The Netherlands.

Sander is a Java Champion, an author, and an engineer at Picnic. In this conversation he previews his upcoming session at JavaOne — Streamlining Large-Scale Java Development Using Error Prone. He also talks about the Java community and his experiences becoming a developer. 

JavaOne 2022 October 17-20 in Las Vegas

• JavaOne 2022: Registration and Sessions
• JavaOne 2022: News Updates at Inside Java

Sander Mak, Java Champion, Author, Developer at Picnic 

• @sander_mak

Java Development and Community

• OpenJDK
• Inside Java
• Dev.Java
• @java on Twitter
• Java on YouTube

Duke's Corner Podcast Host

• Jim Grisanzio, Oracle Java Developer Relations, @jimgris

JavaOne 2022 Speaker Preview

In this conversation Oracle's Jim Grisanzio talks with JavaOne 2022 speaker Matt Raible from Colorado.

Matt is a Java Champion, a Duke's Choice Award winner, and Open Source developer, and a developer advocate. He previews his session at JavaOne on Micro Frontends for Java Developers. The conversation also gets into the Java community, how Matt got into development, and his contributions to the Open Source community. 

JavaOne 2022 October 17-20 in Las Vegas

• JavaOne 2022: Registration and Sessions
• JavaOne 2022: News Updates at Inside Java

Matt Raible, Java Champion, Open Source Developer at OktaDev

• @mraible

Java Development and Community

• OpenJDK
• Inside Java
• Dev.Java
• @java on Twitter
• Java on YouTube

Duke's Corner Podcast Host

• Jim Grisanzio, Oracle Java Developer Relations, @jimgris

In this conversation Oracle's Jim Grisanzio talks with engineer and Java Champion Mala Gupta at JavaOne Las Vegas in October 2022. In her session at the conference Mala used stories and fables as a way to help developers learn the new language features in Java 19. Mala talks passionately about how developers have superpowers since they create innovative technologies that are used all over the world.

Mala Gupta, Java Champion
https://twitter.com/eMalaGupta

Jim Grisanzio, Java Developer Relations
https://twitter.com/jimgris

Podcast Video
https://youtu.be/GBBoeoiMUFQ

Dev Java
https://dev.java/

Inside Java
https://inside.java/

In this conversation Oracle's Jim Grisanzio talks with Grace Jansen about her passion for science, problem solving, Java, and getting more women into technology around the world. Grace is a Java Champion and developer advocate at IBM. You can find her on Twitter @gracejansen27. You can find Jim at @jimgris on Twitter.

Jim Grisanzio from Java Developer Relations talks with Sam Brannen, a Java engineer from Switzerland who loves math and puzzles and solving complex problems in code. He's passionate about his craft and he loves diving deep into the details. He works on the Spring Framework and JUnit 5. Get him on Twitter @sam_brannen and get Jim on Twitter @jimgris.

Jim Grisanzio from Java Developer Relations talks with Sharat Chander, Sr. Director, Java Product Management & Community Engagement, about the Java community. The conversation explores Shar's beautiful summary of his experiences with the Java community in 2023 that he published on Inside Java:

https://inside.java/2023/12/21/seasons-thanks/

Shar on Twitter: @Sharat_Chander
Jim on Twitter: @jimgris

Jim Grisanzio from Java Developer Relations talks with Dervis Mansuroglu, a Java engineer and Java Champion based in Oslo, Norway. The conversation covers coding for massively scalable systems, managing engineering teams, running the JavaBin User Group and the JavaZone conference, building the House of Technology, and listening to Pink Floyd while writing your thesis. Dervis is passionate about Java technology and building the Java community. Oh, and try the Pink Floyd bit. It works! 

Dervis on Twitter https://twitter.com/dervismn
Jim on Twitter https://twitter.com/jimgris

Jim Grisanzio from Java Developer Relations talks with Simon Martinelli, a Java Champion and an Oracle ACE Pro from Switzerland who loves contributing to FOSS projects and teaching students all about Java. The conversation ranges from Simon’s early experience learning Java, working for the Swiss Railway, engaging multiple Java User Groups, and teaching students. Simon also gets into the benefits of modern Java and some of the best features the technology offers for developers.

Simon: https://x.com/simas_ch

Jim: https://x.com/jimgris

COPENHAGEN, 18 July 2016 – In response to the attempted coup in Turkey and subsequent developments in the country, Ignacio Sanchez Amor (MP, Spain), Chairperson of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s Committee on Democracy, Human Rights and Humanitarian Questions, today issued the following statement:

“I regret the violent events that took place in Turkey on the night of 15 July, especially the loss of human lives, and reiterate OSCE PA President Christine Muttonen’s condemnation of the attempt to overthrow Turkey’s elected leaders. I was relieved by the restoration of constitutional order and the rapid resumption of parliamentary activity, as well as the agreement of the major parties on the constitutional legitimacy of institutions.

“However, I am concerned by some subsequent developments, including mass arrests of judges and other members of the judiciary. Legitimate legal responses to the coup must not lead to reprisals or hasty purges, and a responsible approach must be taken to safeguard democratic institutions. Indeed, it is particularly at times of crisis that democratic approaches and institutions must be upheld.

“I call for the calm and prudent use of state powers, and for Turkish authorities to ensure that the constitutional order is consolidated through respecting human rights and the independence of democratic institutions.”

Related Stories

• OSCE PA human rights committee Chair Ignacio Sanchez Amor follows up on developments in Turkey
• Assembly’s work on migration presented to OSCE ambassadors by Ad Hoc Committee Chair Lombardi at special Permanent Council
• Christine Muttonen of Austria elected OSCE PA President, Vice-Presidents and Committee Officers also elected

COPENHAGEN, 25 July 2016 – In response to the measures taken by the Turkish authorities following the attempted coup, Ignacio Sanchez Amor (MP, Spain), Chairperson of the OSCE PA Committee on Democracy, Human Rights and Humanitarian Questions, issued the following statement today:

“I remain concerned by the developments which have been taking place in Turkey since the attempted coup, as expressed in an earlier statement. As I joined the rest of the international community in offering strong support to the restoration of constitutional order, I also warned against reprisals and hasty purges and underscored the need to safeguard democratic institutions.

“Unfortunately, the sudden dismissal of thousands of judges, prosecutors, academics, and journalists across the country has challenged human rights standards, due process, the right to a fair trial, and freedom of expression. As underlined by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), and the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Turkey’s response to these unconstitutional events should seek to reinforce, not undermine, the rule of law, the independence of the judiciary, and media freedom.

“I once again call on the Turkish authorities to follow a responsible approach to ensure that the constitutional order is reinforced through the respect of human rights and the independence of democratic institutions in line with OSCE commitments.”

Related Stories

• Christine Muttonen of Austria elected OSCE PA President, Vice-Presidents and Committee Officers also elected
• Assembly’s work on migration presented to OSCE ambassadors by Ad Hoc Committee Chair Lombardi at special Permanent Council
• OSCE PA human rights committee Chair Ignacio Sanchez Amor issues statement on developments in Turkey

The OSCE Programme Office in Astana concluded a series of two-day training seminars for some 100 members of the National Preventive Mechanism (NPM) against Torture on 2 August 2016 in Aktobe, Western Kazakhstan.

From May to August 2016, participants were trained in Pavlodar, Almaty, Astana and Aktobe on practical aspects of the NPM’s implementation.

The training seminars aimed at increasing the transparency and effectiveness of the Mechanism in monitoring, reporting and conducting preventive visits at detention facilities. National experts discussed with the NPM members the working procedures and methodology, challenges in fulfilling human rights obligations and ethical aspects in line with national and international anti-torture standards. Special emphasis was placed on the necessary co-operation between NPM and the law-enforcement sector.

The set of seminars was organized in partnership with the Ombudsman’s Office of Kazakhstan and the Regional Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and is part of the Office’s long-standing commitment to reinforce the NPM and promote the Optional Protocol to the UN Convention against Torture.

Related Stories

• OSCE promotes ‘green’ women’s entrepreneurship in rural areas of Kazakhstan
• OSCE supports water co-operation in southern Kazakhstan
• OSCE Programme Office concludes series of training seminars on National Preventive Mechanism Implementation in Kazakhstan

WARSAW / BUCHAREST, 2 August 2016 – Michael Georg Link, Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and Ambassador Mihnea Constantinescu, Chair of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA), called today for greater efforts to protect endangered memorial sites related to the Roma and Sinti genocide during World War II.

Speaking on the occasion of the commemoration of the liquidation of the “Gypsy family camp” at Auschwitz-Birkenau in 1944, when the close to 3,000 remaining Roma and Sinti in the camp were murdered, they stressed that states have to do more to demonstrate their sincere and strong commitment to education about and remembrance of the genocide.

“Positively, we have seen increasing attention in recent years on the part of OSCE participating States to commemorate the Roma and Sinti genocide, and to educate people about this horrible event. This practice and these experiences should be widely shared and replicated,” Director Link said. “Promoting understanding of the Holocaust and its effect on different communities can help to create empathy and promote equality and non-discrimination for all.”

“Accurate and ethical education about the Holocaust includes the respectful and dignified preservation of memorial sites,” said Ambassador Constantinescu. “States have to take resolute action to protect endangered memorial sites and continue to do more to commemorate the Roma and Sinti victims. The history of these endangered sites should be included as part of broader efforts to educate about the consequences of indifference to racism.”

They called on governments to ensure that endangered memorial sites for Roma and Sinti victims are preserved and protected, to include this history as an integral part of civic and human rights education in their countries. They stressed that current developments, including a disturbing rise in xenophobic public rhetoric and racism, mean it is even more essential to build strong alliances among different communities.

In 2003, with the Action Plan on Improving the Situation of Roma and Sinti within the OSCE Area, the OSCE participating States committed themselves to strengthen education about the Roma and Sinti genocide. Through its Contact Point for Roma and Sinti Issues, ODIHR promotes knowledge about and recognition of the plight of Roma and Sinti during the Holocaust to counter present-day discrimination and racism, and to promote tolerance. According to ODIHR’s recent publication Teaching about and Commemorating the Roma and Sinti Genocide: Practices within the OSCE Area, seven OSCE participating States officially commemorate the Roma and Sinti genocide on 2 August, while a larger number of states commemorate the Roma and Sinti victims on the International Holocaust Memorial Day, 27 January.

The International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance is an inter-governmental organization and the foremost international network of political leaders and professionals advancing and shaping Holocaust education, remembrance and research. Its 31 member countries are committed to the tenets of the Stockholm Declaration. The IHRA Committee on the Genocide of the Roma aims to increase the commitment of IHRA Member Countries to educate, research and commemorate the genocide of the Roma.

Related Stories

• After violent attempted coup, Turkish authorities must strengthen, not weaken, rule of law and independence of judiciary, says ODIHR Director Link
• OSCE workshop in Kosovo focuses on improving the recording of hate crimes
• OSCE/ODIHR Director Link welcomes Kyrgyzstan’s review of Askarov’s case, calls on Kyrgyz authorities to implement UN Human Rights Committee decision

WARSAW, 6 August 2016 – Michael Georg Link, Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), today criticized the call by the Prosecutor General of Tajikistan for the reintroduction of the death penalty, and expressed concern over recent discussions related to removing the bans on capital punishment in some other OSCE participating States.

“Countries in the OSCE have committed themselves to consider the complete abolition of capital punishment, not to reconsider that abolition,” the ODIHR Director said. “Yesterday’s call by the Prosecutor General in Tajikistan for the reintroduction of capital punishment in that country is completely out of place in a region where most of the countries recognize the inherently cruel, inhuman and degrading nature of a punishment that fails to act as a deterrent and makes any miscarriage of justice irreversible.”

Tajikistan’s Prosecutor-General, Yusuf Rahmon, told a press conference yesterday that perpetrators of premeditated murder, terrorists and traitors must be punished by death. His words followed similar statements by other leaders, among them President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey and President Viktor Orban of Hungary, suggesting that the reinstitution of the death penalty should be opened for discussion.

Tajikistan suspended the application of the death penalty in 2004, while Turkey and Hungary completely abolished capital punishment, in 2004 and 1990, respectively.

“Rather than reversing its course, it is my hope that Tajikistan will take further steps toward the complete abolition of the death penalty,” he said. “It is also my hope that Turkey, remains with the vast majority of the OSCE participating States and will continue to  act as a strong advocate for the global abolition, as it has in recent years.”

Related Stories

• OSCE/ODIHR opens observation mission for parliamentary elections in Belarus
• ODIHR Director Link and IHRA Chair Constantinescu, on day to commemorate genocide against Roma and Sinti, say greater efforts needed to protect endangered memorial sites and ensure dignity of victims
• ODIHR trains prosecutors and lawyers in Kyrgyzstan on international standards regarding freedom of religion or belief

NEUM, Bosnia and Herzegovina, 12 June 2016 – The OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) organized a two-day alumni meeting for over 20 students who attended the OSCE-organized Youth and Security Summer School when it was held for the first time last year. The peace and security studies students of the Universities of Sarajevo, Mostar and Banja Luka discussed current security challenges and ways to promote youth participation in the development of a comprehensive security policy for BiH.

“The meeting is an excellent opportunity for enhancing the knowledge and capacity of future security professionals. It provides a platform for them to actively participate in developing and implementing security policy,” said Jonathan Moore, Head of the OSCE Mission to BiH. “The recommendations they produced will be forwarded to the BiH Council of Ministers’ Inter-Ministerial Working Group on Monitoring and Implementation of Security Policy.”

Damjan Jugovic, student at the Faculty of Political Sciences in Sarajevo and member of the OSCE’s Youth Advisory Group said: “This is a chance for us to get more acquainted with the work of different security and intelligence agencies in BiH and support the co-operation between students from different universities.”

The students also expressed hope that affiliation with the summer school would help them in their future careers. “Having met peers from Mostar and Banja Luka, I realized that we all think alike. We want change and a better future. I am sure the practical knowledge we gained from the school will increase our chances for employment,” said Jovana Bilinac, student at the Faculty of Political Sciences in Sarajevo.

The main goal of the Summer School on Youth and Security of the OSCE Mission to BiH is to promote the development of democratic institutions through education of young security experts. The school provides a forum for them to discuss a wide range of security- and policy-related issues and increases their participation in political life as well as decision-making processes.

The organization of the alumni meeting was supported by the Hungarian Embassy in BiH. 

Related Stories

• Visit to Jajce of international community representatives led by OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina
• OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina facilitates visit to National Museum for children from Zepce and Maglaj
• Special Representative of OSCE Chairmanship-in-Office on Gender Issues Verveer to visit Bosnia and Herzegovina from 1 to 4 July

TBILISI, 2 July 2016 – Nearly 300 parliamentarians from 54 OSCE countries have begun debates on political and security affairs, economic and environmental issues and human rights and humanitarian concerns at the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s 25th Annual Session in Tbilisi.

The OSCE PA’s three general committees began working on resolutions Saturday dealing with topics including transnational terrorism, the crisis in and around Ukraine, protracted conflicts in Georgia, corruption, energy, climate change, migration and the rights of refugees.

Introducing the resolution to the Committee on Political Affairs and Security, Rapporteur Margareta Cederfelt (MP, Sweden) noted the importance of rebuilding trust and promoting stability in the OSCE region. “Since so many of our common challenges require real multilateral engagement, we as parliamentarians should work together in overcoming these challenges and work towards our mutual security,” she said.

Chaired by U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, the committee debated a number of issues related to the security situation in the OSCE area, with a particular focus on the threat of terrorism and resolving the Ukraine conflict through full implementation of the Minsk Agreements.

In the OSCE PA’s Committee on Economic Affairs, Science, Technology and Environment, chaired by Nilza Sena (MP, Portugal), Rapporteur Marietta Tidei (MP, Italy) highlighted the necessity of addressing climate change and other challenges in the economic and environmental dimension. She noted that 2016 marks not only the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s 25th anniversary, but also 25 years since the international community began addressing one of the most challenging environmental concerns of our time.

“In 1991, the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee held its first meeting to tackle what was already seen at that time as a serious challenge to humanity, the threat of climate change,” Tidei noted. She welcomed the adoption last year of the Paris Climate Agreement and urged its swift implementation by OSCE countries. Other issues touched on by the rapporteur and in the debate included food security, economic inequality and corruption.

The OSCE PA’s Committee on Democracy, Human Rights and Humanitarian Questions opened debate on Rapporteur Gordana Comic (MP, Portugal)’s report and draft resolution, introduced by Committee Chair Isabel Santos (MP, Portugal). The resolution urges a revitalization of the OSCE’s commitment to the human dimension of security at a time when a “crisis of leadership and ideas” is coinciding with a humanitarian emergency related to Europe’s refugee and migrant crisis.

Chaired by Ivana Dobesova (MP, Czech Republic), the committee debated issues including fundamental freedoms in Crimea and humanitarian concerns related to the migration crisis, including the special vulnerabilities of women and girls.

Santos noted that the report and draft resolution do not present a “magic solution” to the challenges of human rights in the OSCE area, but provides a basis for further co-operation. ‘“Together, we can achieve more, and one day we will achieve the solutions,” she said.

Committee meetings continue on 3 July with a number of amendments to consider. After the amendment process and their adoption by the committees, resolutions will be voted on by the full Assembly during the final day of the Annual Session on 5 July, for inclusion in the OSCE PA’s Tbilisi Declaration.

The committee meetings today follow a number of opening speeches Friday, including by Georgian Speaker of Parliament David Usupashvili, President Giorgi Margvelashvili, and Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili, as well as OSCE PA President Ilkka Kanerva (MP, Finland) and the OSCE’s Chairperson-in-Office, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier.

Also on Friday, President Kanerva and Foreign Minister Steinmeier met for a bilateral meeting that focused on conflict resolution efforts in Ukraine. They discussed the crisis in and around Ukraine in detail, including the current Russian position on its level of engagement and prospects for implementing the Minsk Agreements.

For schedules, resolutions, live streaming during the event, daily news updates, press releases and other information, please visit www.oscepa.org. Selected photos are being posted on the PA’s Flickr page atwww.flickr.com/oscepa and on the Georgian Parliament’s Flickr page athttps://www.flickr.com/photos/geoparliament. Both the PA and the Georgian Parliament are tweeting using the hashtag #OSCEPATbilisi.

The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly is comprised of 323 parliamentarians from 57 countries spanning Europe, Central Asia and North America. The Assembly provides a forum for parliamentary diplomacy, monitors elections, and strengthens international co-operation to uphold commitments on political, security, economic, environmental and human rights issues.

Related Stories

• Christine Muttonen of Austria elected OSCE PA President, Vice-Presidents and Committee Officers also elected
• OSCE parliamentarians in Tbilisi adopt wide-ranging Declaration on human rights, security and the environment
• Assembly’s work on migration presented to OSCE ambassadors by Ad Hoc Committee Chair Lombardi at special Permanent Council

TBILISI, 5 July 2016 – The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly adopted the 2016 Tbilisi Declaration today, addressing key issues in the fields of political affairs and security, economics, the environment, human rights, and humanitarian concerns. (Full text available here in English, French and Russian.)

The Declaration, resulting from months of work by committee rapporteurs and several days of debates at the Assembly’s Annual Session in Tbilisi, contains wide-ranging policy recommendations and pronouncements, serving as policy guidance to OSCE governments and the international community. Some 300 parliamentarians from 54 countries spanning North America, Europe and Central Asia contributed to the Session’s work. The Declaration and resolutions will now be sent to parliaments and to the foreign ministers of OSCE countries as policy input ahead of the OSCE’s 2016 Ministerial Council meeting this year in Hamburg.

Among the issues covered in the recommendations adopted by the parliamentarians are transnational terrorism, the crisis in and around Ukraine, protracted conflicts in Georgia, countering corruption, energy, climate change, migration, and the rights of refugees. The Declaration is the final product of the Assembly’s 2016 Annual Session, which was held in the Georgian capital from 1 to 5 July under the theme “25 Years of Parliamentary Co-operation: Building Trust Through Dialogue.”

Stressing the theme of trust-building, the Declaration “reaffirm[s] the undiminished validity and historic role of the guiding principles and common values of the Helsinki Final Act signed in 1975, including the commitments on politico-military, economic, environmental, human rights, and humanitarian issues.” It regrets however the trend of gridlock in the OSCE and urges OSCE countries to enhance the level of co-operation in addressing common challenges.

On terrorism, the Declaration calls upon governments to strengthen co-operation and develop measures aimed at blocking the funding of terrorist organizations. It further urges the OSCE to help governments counter terrorism through pragmatic assistance and promotion of best practices.

On the crisis in and around Ukraine, the Declaration urges all parties to fully implement the Package of Measures for the Implementation of the Minsk Agreements, and “underlines respect for the principles of the inviolability of frontiers and territorial integrity, peaceful settlement of disputes, equal rights, and self-determination of peoples as stated in the Helsinki Final Act.”

Regarding climate change, the Declaration calls upon parliamentarians to promote political dialogue in order to achieve the goals set by the Paris Climate Agreement adopted last year, and to ensure that the Agreement’s targets are met “with the greatest sense of urgency by implementing robust policies and regulations on greenhouse gas emissions and facilitating the transition to a low-carbon economy.”

On migration, the Declaration stresses the importance of prioritizing the rights of those fleeing violence, and urges governments to stop imposing legal and physical barriers to the movement of people fleeing violence and to actively work toward an inclusive approach to migrants and refugees.

The Assembly also approved 15 resolutions to supplement the Declaration, addressing issues such as fundamental freedoms in the Crimean peninsula, prevention of child sexual exploitation, confidence-building measures in the Baltic Sea region, and ensuring that members of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly affected by international travel bans are able to attend OSCE events.

For the full text of the Declaration and resolutions, as well as speeches, photos, videos and more, please visithttp://www.oscepa.org/meetings/annual-sessions/2016-tbilisi-annual-session. Additional photos are available on the Georgian Parliament’s Flickr pages at https://www.flickr.com/photos/geoparliament and https://www.flickr.com/photos/oscepatbilisi

The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly is comprised of 323 parliamentarians from 57 countries spanning Europe, Central Asia and North America. The Assembly provides a forum for parliamentary diplomacy, monitors elections, and strengthens international co-operation to uphold commitments on political, security, economic, environmental and human rights issues.

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TBILISI, 5 July 2016 – At the close of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s 25th Annual Session in Tbilisi today, members of the Assembly elected Austrian parliamentarian Christine Muttonen as President. Muttonen has previously served as OSCE PA Vice-President and Special Representative for Central and Eastern Asia, and is Deputy Head of the Austrian Delegation to the PA.

Upon being elected, Muttonen said that she would pursue direct talks with governments and other OSCE institutions on advancing avenues for closer co-operation.

“Parliamentarians can play a very important role in securing peace and stability,” she said. “It will be my duty to make sure they have the possibility to do so.”

OSCE PA Vice-Presidents were also elected today: Vilija Aleknaite Abramikiene (Lithuania), Azay Guliyev (Azerbaijan), and Isabel Santos (Portugal) were elected to three-year terms, and Victor Dobre (Romania) was elected to a one-year term.

On Monday, the OSCE PA’s General Committee on Political Affairs and Security elected its leadership. Members of the committee re-elected Roger Wicker (United States) and Margareta Cederfelt (Sweden) Chair and Rapporteur, respectively, and Guglielmo Picchi (Italy) was elected Vice-Chair.

In the General Committee on Economic Affairs, Science, Technology and Environment on Sunday, members elected Nilza Sena (Portugal) Chair and Artur Gerasymov (Ukraine) Vice-Chair. Italian parliamentarian Marietta Tidei was re-elected Rapporteur.

Members of the General Committee on Democracy, Human Rights and Humanitarian Questions on Monday elected Ignacio Sanchez Amor (Spain) Chair and Kyriakos Kyriakou-Hadjiyanni (Cyprus) Rapporteur. Vice-Chair Ivana Dobesova (Czech Republic) was re-elected by acclamation.

In his final address as Assembly President, Finnish parliamentarian and former Chairperson-in-Office of the OSCE Ilkka Kanerva noted that he has led the PA during challenging times.

“In these times, it is important to recall the validity of all ten Helsinki Final Act principles. As President, I have worked to reaffirm these principles, even as they have been put to the test lately. I believe that reviving the spirit of Helsinki requires ensuring that the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly remains an Assembly that is inclusive, open and transparent,” he said.

He also highlighted his special paper distributed at the Tbilisi Annual Session entitled “Our common vision for the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly.”

Kanerva was elected President of the Assembly at the Baku Annual Session in July 2014, and will now serve as President Emeritus of the Assembly.

For the full text of the OSCE PA’s Declaration and resolutions adopted today in Tbilisi, as well as speeches, photos, videos and more, please visit http://www.oscepa.org/meetings/annual-sessions/2016-tbilisi-annual-session. Additional photos are available on the Georgian Parliament’s Flickr pages at https://www.flickr.com/photos/geoparliament  and https://www.flickr.com/photos/oscepatbilisi/.

The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly is comprised of 323 parliamentarians from 57 countries spanning Europe, Central Asia and North America. The Assembly provides a forum for parliamentary diplomacy, monitors elections, and strengthens international co-operation to uphold commitments on political, security, economic, environmental and human rights issues.

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ISSYK-KUL, Kyrgyzstan, 8 July 2016 – A five-day training course supported by the OSCE Centre in Bishkek on a risk-oriented approach in supervising activities related to anti-money laundering and combating the financing of terrorism concluded today in Bosteri village, in the Issyk-Kul region.

The aim of the workshop, which was organized by the State Financial Intelligence Service under the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic (SFIS) in partnership with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), was to update the relevant State agencies and financial institutions on the practical aspects of a risks-oriented approach in their work. Some 46 officials from law enforcement agencies, supervisory agencies and financial institutions took part.

“A risks-oriented approach is the process which allows the countries to identify, assess and understand risks to effectively combat money laundering and financing of terrorism,” said Nana Baramidze, Senior Economic and Environmental Officer at the OSCE Centre. “The OSCE Centre in Bishkek fully supports the efforts of the Kyrgyz Government in its attempt to establish effective systems to counter money laundering and the financing of terrorism.”

Chyngyz Kenenbayev, Head of the Organizational and Legal department of the SFIS, said: “We are holding this educational seminar to train representatives of national authorities and the private sector so that we can successfully pass the second round of the evaluation by the Eurasian Group on Combating Money Laundering and Financing of Terrorism (EAG). In order to fulfil international obligations under the EAG, the Kyrgyz Republic is to conduct a mutual assessment of its anti-money laundering and combating the financing of terrorism system. From 28 November to 9 December 2016, a visiting mission of EAG evaluators will conduct this assessment within the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) initiative."

The training course, which was conducted by two IMF experts and three SFIS officials, was part of the OSCE assistance to the Kyrgyz Government in preparing for the second round of the FATF evaluation.

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The need for a risk management system for Tajikistan’s Customs Service and simpler procedures for transparency and accountability are key recommendations of an integrity assessment of the Customs Code, presented to international donors, private and international companies and NGOs by the OSCE Office in Tajikistan on 18 July 2016.

The assessment, which was commissioned by the OSCE Office in consultation with government representatives and international development partners, is the third in a series of assessments to examine the administrative codes and legal acts relevant for international business and cross-border trade in Tajikistan. Previous assessments focused on the Tax Code and different administrative legal acts.

Ambassador Markus Müller, the Head of the OSCE Office in Tajikistan welcomed the positive reception of the current anti-corruption assessment not only by international organizations but also within government circles and confirmed the Office’s readiness to work with all the relevant stakeholders involved.

The presentation of the Customs Code assessment followed a series of practical workshops on anti-corruption assessments for experts from the government and NGOs. During these workshops, participants learned how to identify in legislation provisions that might lead to corruption and draft recommendations to eliminate potentially corruptive provisions in law.

The Customs Code assessment is part of a multi-year initiative by the OSCE Office with the objective of designing a training module on anti-corruption assessment to be included in the mandatory training curricula for civil servants. 

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VIENNA, 13 April 2016 – As Poland takes over the rotating Chairmanship of the OSCE Forum for Security Co-operation (FSC), Under-Secretary of State with the Foreign Ministry Marek Ziółkowski said that one of the main tasks of his country will be to strengthen confidence- and security-building measures by revitalizing the Vienna Document 2011. Moving this process forward and including regional perspectives into the security dialogue with the focus on some areas including the Baltic Sea region, Central and Eastern Europe are the priorities of Poland’s Chairmanship of the FSC.

Opening the 815th meeting of the Forum for Security Co-operation Ziółkowski said: “Poland believes that risk reduction is one of the pillars of the Vienna Document-based co-operation. And nowadays the relevance and usefulness of risk reduction mechanisms are growing.”

He noted in particular the proposal made jointly by Poland and other OSCE participating States to improve co-operation regarding hazardous incidents of a military nature.

Poland’s Chairmanship will put an emphasis on regional perspectives in the security dialogue in the OSCE area. Political-military aspects of security in Georgia and Tajikistan as well as Montenegro’s Demilitarization Programme (MONDEM) will also be topics of discussion.

Regarding the crisis in and around Ukraine, the Under-Secretary of State drew attention to the lack of progress in the implementation of the Minsk agreements and further deterioration of the security situation in Donbas. “The OSCE must retain its focus and resolve to facilitate a peaceful and lasting resolution of the conflict in eastern Ukraine. We see room for the FSC to play a more prominent role here. For example, the applicability of the existing set of confidence- and security-building measures could be re-examined and further explored,” Ziółkowski said.

Poland is taking over the Chairmanship of the Forum for Security Co-operation from the Netherlands and preceding Portugal. Ambassador Adam Bugajski of Poland will chair the FSC till the end of the summer recess.

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Montenegro’s Demilitarization Programme (MONDEM) has had a positive impact on promoting the OSCE’s comprehensive approach to security, said the country’s Defence Minister Milica Pejanovic-Djurisic as she addressed the OSCE Forum for Security Co-operation in Vienna on 20 April 2016, under the Chairmanship of Poland.

Run by Montenegro’s Government, OSCE and UNDP, the Programme has since 2007 contributed to the reduction of the country’s surplus ordnances by 85 per cent, decrease in the number of munitions sites and closure of open-space storage facilities. There are still about 1,900 tonnes of ammunition and some 14,000 pieces of armaments pending destruction.

“The Programme has had a positive impact on human security, counter-proliferation policy, sub-regional confidence- and security-building measures, the national small arms and light weapons control strategy, public administration reform, reducing of environmental pollution and sustainable development,” said Pejanovic-Djurisic.

MONDEM is based on five components aimed at demilitarizing chemicals, ammunition and heavy weapons, developing safe storage infrastructure and enhancing the knowledge and abilities of personnel working in this area.

Pejanovic-Djurisic said that the expert support and assistance provided by the OSCE Mission to Montenegro has contributed not only to the implementation of MONDEM but also to strengthening of democratic institutions and overall reforms in the country.

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