Representatives of 24 countries, leading experts on anti-Semitism, diplomats, representatives of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), and a large number of officials from non-governmental organizations (NGOs) participated in a "Regional Conference on Combating Anti-Semitism" September 17-18 in Bucharest, Romania. The closing session of the conference was moderated by B'nai B'rith International Executive Vice President Daniel S. Mariaschin. The conference, which was mandated by a resolution adopted by the Romanian Government in its meeting on August 20, was organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Romania, the Elie Weisel National Institute for the Study of the Holocaust in Romania, and the Romanian National Defense College.
The stated purpose of the conference was to "make it possible, on the one hand, to have a concrete assessment of the efficiency of the measures adopted by the participating states for combating anti-Semitism and, on the other hand, to encourage the debate on identifying new ways of action for the implementation of political pledges, by exchange of good practices in the field included." In keeping with that mandate, the conference included sessions on: "Current Issues Related to Anti-Semitism at the National Level," "Legislative Measures for Combating Anti-Semitism and the Role of Law Enforcement Bodies," and "The Role of Education in Fighting Anti-Semitism."
Also representing B'nai B'rith at the meeting were Center for Human Rights and Public Policy Deputy Director Eric Fusfield; Jose Jacobescu, president of B'nai B'rith in Romania; and Dr. Naste Vladoiu, a board member of B'nai B'rith Romania.
