Skip Links
U.S. Department of State
Hostages Rescued From FARC Captivity  |  Daily Press Briefing | What's NewU.S. Department of State
U.S. Department of State
SEARCHU.S. Department of State
Subject IndexBookmark and Share
U.S. Department of State
HomeHot Topics, press releases, publications, info for journalists, and morepassports, visas, hotline, business support, trade, and morecountry names, regions, embassies, and morestudy abroad, Fulbright, students, teachers, history, and moreforeign service, civil servants, interns, exammission, contact us, the Secretary, org chart, biographies, and more
Video
 You are in: Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs > Bureau of Public Affairs > Bureau of Public Affairs: Press Relations Office > Press Releases (Other) > 2003 > August 
Press Statement
Philip T. Reeker, Deputy Spokesman
Washington, DC
August 29, 2003


Former Congressman J.C. Watts to Head U.S. Delegation to Conference on Racism, Xenophobia and Discrimination

Secretary of State Colin L. Powell has asked J. C. Watts, former Oklahoma Congressman, to lead the U.S. delegation to the Conference on Racism, Xenophobia and Discrimination, hosted by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in Vienna, Austria, September 4-5. Congressman Watts was chosen to represent the United States in recognition of his strong leadership in combating racism and discrimination as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives.

The U.S. delegation includes U.S. Ambassador to the OSCE Stephan M. Minikes; Maryland Lieutenant Governor Michael Steele; Dr. Nanette Lee Reynolds, Director, Michigan Department of Human Rights; Ralph Boyd, former U.S. Assistant Attorney-General for Civil Rights; Murray Friedman, Director of the Myer and Rosaline Feinstein Center for American Jewish History and former Vice Chairman of the U.S. Civil Rights Commission.

The OSCE resolved in December 2002 to convene a conference to address shared concerns on racism, xenophobia and discrimination in Europe, Eurasia and North America, and the role of governments and civil society in promoting greater tolerance and equality. This conference is as a result of that resolution.

Scheduled speakers at the conference include Austrian Foreign Minister Benito Ferrero-Waldner; Dr. Mustafa Ceric, Grand Mufti of Bosnia and Herzegovina; Jean Augustine, State Secretary for Multiculturalism and Status of Women, Canada; Lord Nazir Ahmed of Rotherham; Professor Ioanna Kucuradi of Hacettepe University in Ankara, Turkey; and Sir Peter Ustinov.


  Back to top

U.S. Department of State
USA.govU.S. Department of StateUpdates  |  Frequent Questions  |  Contact Us  |  Email this Page  |  Subject Index  |  Search
The Office of Electronic Information, Bureau of Public Affairs, manages this site as a portal for information from the U.S. State Department. External links to other Internet sites should not be construed as an endorsement of the views or privacy policies contained therein.
About state.gov  |  Privacy Notice  |  FOIA  |  Copyright Information  |  Other U.S. Government Information

Published by the U.S. Department of State Website at http://www.state.gov maintained by the Bureau of Public Affairs.