Hon. Alice Wong, P.C.

RICHMOND — As part of her official duties as Parliamentary Secretary for Multiculturalism, Alice Wong will be headed to Kazakhstan to attend a conference on Canada’s behalf for tolerance and non-discrimination. The conference will take place on June 29 and 30 in the Palace of Peace and Reconciliation (“the Pyramid“) in Astana, Kazakhstan for the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).

Alice Wong was asked by the Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration to attend on Canada’s behalf, with support from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Alice Wong stated, “It is a privilege to represent Canada at the OSCE conference. Tolerance and non-discrimination are cornerstones in Canada’s multiculturalism policy. The promotion of mutual respect and understanding through inter-cultural and inter-religious dialogue are two important aspects of living in a multicultural society like Canada. In particular, combating anti-semitism and racism is a concern.”

Wong continued, “While Canada has been seen as a good model for diversity and multiculturalism, I am intending on learning about how other countries have approached these issues and see if any policies could be brought back to Canada to make our existing policies even better.”

As a result of her attendance in the OSCE conference, Alice Wong will be returning back to Canada after July 2. Subsequent to the OSCE conference, Alice will be hosting a belated Canada Day celebration for new Canadian citizens in Richmond.

Backgrounder

About the Organization for Security and Co-Operation in Europe (OSCE)

The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) is the largest regional security organization in the world with 56 participating states from Europe, Central Asia, and North America. It is concerned with early warning, conflict prevention, crisis management and post-conflict rehabilitation in its area, with 18 missions or field operations in South-Eastern Europe, Easter Europe, South Caucasus and Central Asia.

The OSCE deals with 3 dimensions of security – The politico-military, the economic and environmental, and the human dimension. For example, it addresses security-related concerns including arms control, confidence-and-security related concerns, human rights, national minorities, democratization, policing strategies, counter-terrorism and economic and environmental activities. All 56 participating States enjoy equal status, and decisions are taken by consensus on a politically, but not legally binding basis.

About the OSCE High-Level Conference on Tolerance and Non-Discrimination

Throughout the last decade, the OSCE has attached great importance to fighting intolerance and promoting mutual respect and understanding, including by means of intercultural and interreligious dialogue. The OSCE has recognized in several Ministerial Decisions that tolerance and non-discrimination are important elements in the promotion of human rights and democratic values and that respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, democracy and the rule of law is at the core of the OSCE’s comprehensive concept of security.

The OSCE will hold a high-level conference on tolerance and non-discrimination in order to sustain political awareness of the issues and, thereby, promote effective implementation of commitments. The conference will build on the outcomes of past conferences, including the 2003 Vienna Conferences on Anti-Semitism and on Racism, Xenophobia and Discrimination, the April 2004 Berlin Conference on Anti-Semitism, the June 2004 Paris Meeting on the Relationship between Racist, Xenophobic and Anti-Semitic Propaganda on the Internet and Hate Crimes, the September 2004 Brussels Conference on Tolerance and the Fight Against Racism, Xenophobia and Discrimination, the June 2005 Cordoba Conference on Anti-Semitism and on Other Forms of Intolerance, and the High-Level Conference on Combating Discrimination and Promoting Mutual Respect and Understanding held in Bucharest in 2007.

The 2010 conference will provide an important opportunity to review and assess implementation of the commitments related to tolerance and non-discrimination, including the most recent commitments under the Athens Ministerial Decision on Hate Crime. The conference will also provide an opportunity to review steps taken to follow up the 2007 conference and assess the progress made since then. The conference will also serve as an opportunity for participating States and civil society to present examples of good initiatives, and to discuss how OSCE institutions and other intergovernmental organizations have supported their efforts to combat discrimination and promote mutual respect and understanding.

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