The Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) is the largest OSCE specialized body and is dedicated to building and supporting democracy and a culture that recognizes and respects human rights. Several of the activities of its five departments (Elections, Democratization, Human Rights, Tolerance and Non-discrimination, and the Contact Point for Roma and Sinti Issues) are highly relevant for minorities (e.g., the observation of elections, review of legislation or monitoring of human rights throughout the OSCE area).
ODIHR also conducts training programmes for Government and law enforcement officials, as well as NGOs, on how to uphold, promote and monitor human rights. A number of these activities are aimed at increasing the capacity of NGOs to monitor the human rights situation in their own countries in an objective and professional way. Support is also targeted at NGOs operating outside capital cities, where it is often harder to obtain international assistance. ODIHR is currently implementing a project in four countries in Central Asia, for example, focusing on human rights in pretrial detention, an issue of concern throughout the region. It has conducted training sessions on monitoring human rights in places of detention and has supported subsequent monitoring projects conducted by participants. NGOs interested in receiving human rights training can contact ODIHR directly to discuss the possibilities.
ODIHR also plays an important role in facilitating dialogue between States and civil society on human and minority rights, for example, through the two-week Human Dimension Implementation Meeting in Warsaw. This is Europe’s largest annual human rights and democracy conference, attended by the 56 participating States of OSCE and up to 500 representatives of NGOs.
Participation is open to human rights NGOs, minority groups and other civil society actors from all OSCE participating States, who can raise human rights issues with their Governments and the international community.151
The Tolerance and Non-discrimination Programme of ODIHR works to raise awareness and build Government capacity to prevent hate-based crime, monitor discrimination and combat various forms of intolerance. It does this through education programmes, legislative assistance,
151 See www.osce.org/hdim_2012. To register for OSCE/ODIHR conferences, see http://meetings.odihr.pl/
(accessed 4 December 2012).
development and support of civil society networks and law enforcement training programmes.
The Tolerance and Non-discrimination Information System, TANDIS, gives access to information received from the OSCE participating States, NGOs and other organizations; country pages covering country initiatives, legislation, national specialized bodies, statistics, and other information; thematic pages with information on key issues; international standards and instruments; and information from intergovernmental organizations, including country reports and annual reports.152
The ODIHR Contact Point for Roma and Sinti Issues addresses relevant issues either directly through its programmes or by promoting the establishment of local and national institutional frameworks for advising Governments on policymaking on Roma and Sinti affairs. It is also engaged in promoting the legalization of informal settlements, promoting civil registration and combating trafficking in human beings, and working to increase the participation of Roma and Sinti in public life at all levels and stages of decision-making. The Contact Point works in close coordination with other international organizations and NGOs and seeks to involve Roma and Sinti in all its activities. Human rights NGOs, Romani organizations and other civil society actors interested in cooperating with the Contact Point are encouraged to contact ODIHR directly.
Contacts and further information
OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights Aleje Ujazdowskie 19
00-557 Warsaw Poland
Tel: 48 22 520 06 00 Fax: 48 22 520 06 05 E-mail: office@odihr.pl
Website: www.osce.org/odihr
OSCE field operations
OSCE has 18 field operations in Central and Eastern Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia.
The size, character and activities of the field operations vary considerably depending on the mandate of the mission, which is available through the website of each field operation. In several cases, the activities undertaken by field operations (e.g., Government and civil society capacity-building in good governance, economic participation and human rights) are highly relevant for local minority groups. Missions also provide legislative assistance, monitor human rights and train judiciary and law enforcement officials.
Contacts and further information
Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe Secretariat Wallnerstrasse 6
1010 Vienna Austria
Tel: 43 1 514 360 Fax: 43 1 514 36 6996 E-mail: info@osce.org Website: www.ocse.org
152 See http://tandis.odihr.pl/ (accessed 4 December 2012).
A great number of works have been written on the OSCE Helsinki process generally and on the High Commissioner on National Minorities in particular. Since 2001, an annual account of the activities of the High Commissioner can be found in The European Yearbook of Minority Issues (Leiden, Boston, Martin Nijhoff). For an account of the activities of the first High Commissioner, Mr. Max van der Stoel, see Walter Kemp (ed.), Quiet Diplomacy in Action: The OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities (The Hague, Kluwer Law International, 2001), and Yeorgios I. Diacofotakis, Expanding Conceptual Boundaries: The High Commissioner on National Minorities and the Protection of Minority Rights in the OSCE (Brussels, Athens, Ant.
N. Sakkoulas and Bruylant, 2002).
A useful compilation of international standards on minority rights (in Russian and in English) is OSCE and Council of Europe: National Minority Standards: A Compilation of OSCE and Council of Europe Texts (Council of Europe, 2007).