Strengthening co-operation between government and civil society to increase security of Jewish communities focus of OSCE/ODIHR event in Sofia 

The security needs of Jewish communities were at the centre of an event organized by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) in Sofia on 22 November 2018. The event, organized in partnership with Bulgaria’s Foreign Ministry, the “Shalom” Organization of Jews in Bulgaria and the World Jewish Congress, raised awareness about issues concerning the security needs of Jewish communities and related heritage sites in Bulgaria.

The event, held as part of ODIHR’s Words into Action to Address Anti-Semitism project, brought together 30 government representatives, law enforcement officials and Jewish community representatives, including 22 men and 8 women.

As part of the event, representatives of the Bulgarian government, "Shalom" and the World Jewish Congress signed an agreement to promote sustainable co-operation in addressing anti-Semitism in Bulgaria. The agreement includes exchanging data about hate crimes, as well as educational and cultural activities.

“Building trust between governments and Jewish communities is an important step towards addressing anti-Semitism,” said Ilan Cohn, the project manager. “This is why this agreement, which is designed to enable lasting co-operation in meeting the security needs of Jewish communities in Bulgaria, is so important. It is just one example of good practice in co-operation between governments and civil society in this area, which ODIHR promotes.”

Georg Georgiev, Bulgaria’s Deputy Foreign Minister, said: “Co-operating with ODIHR on the issue of hate crime helps raise awareness of the problem among our law enforcement officials. By signing this agreement, our government is stating not only that anti-Semitism will not be tolerated, but also that we are willing to take concrete steps to guarantee that Jewish and other minority communities feel safe in Bulgaria.”

The event also featured a presentation of ODIHR's practical guide Understanding Anti-Semitic Hate Crime and Addressing the Security Needs of Jewish Communities and a discussion on how it can be applied in Bulgaria.