| Advance Information The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Hungary has decided to launch a series of international human rights conferences, to be held annually under the name of “Budapest Human Rights Forum”. The First Budapest Human Rights Forum took place on 28-29 August 2008, on the occasion of the 60th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The Ministry devoted the first conference to the plight of human rights defenders. While seeking membership in the UN Human Rights Council for the period of 2009–2012 – demonstrating its commitments to strengthen respect for human rights – Hungary pledged to organise human rights conferences annually. For the Second Budapest Human Rights Forum the MFA invited important international organisations such as the UN, OSCE, the European Union, NGO-s and representatives of governments involved or actively engaged in human rights issues. The 2nd Forum is held in Budapest, on 25-26 June 2009 in the MFA. The discussion will be carried out within the framework of four panel debates which could give a chance for the audience to be involved. The opening statement will be presented by Senior State Secretary of the MFA, Mr Vilmos Szabó. This will be followed by the video messages of the EU High Representative on Foreign and Security Policy, Mr Javier Solana as well as of Ms Navanethem Pillay, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. The first panel will focus on the prevention of genocide as during the First Forum Hungary has undertaken to prepare a feasibility study on the establishment of an International Centre for the Prevention of Genocide and Mass Atrocities. The present conference could be an excellent occasion to discuss the experience gathered during the preparation of the feasibility study. The second panel would deal with the human rights aspects of the Eastern Neighbourhood Policy of the European Union. With the commencement of the Eastern Partnership Programme it is high time to elaborate on the human rights aspects of the dialogue with the Eastern partners of the EU. The third panel of the conference will be dedicated to the freedom of movement with special emphasis on the challenges of migration on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the dismantling of the Iron Curtain and the opening of the Western borders of Hungary. This latter political decision taken on the 18th May, 1989 provided an opportunity for the citizens of the then German Democratic Republic to reach the Federal Republic of Germany and this way it also contributed to the reunification process of Germany. With regard to the fact that the opening of our borders was an important step towards democratisation, the fourth panel of the Forum will focus on the right to free and fair elections by discussing the work of the election observation missions of the relevant international organizations. The Programme of the Second Budapest Human Rights Forum can be read here 
(June 24, 2009)
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