Human rights

Respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms are key to the OSCE's comprehensive security concept.

(UEA/Michael Hamilton) Photo details

Respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms are key to the OSCE's comprehensive security concept. The OSCE monitors the human rights situation in its 57 participating States, all of which have recognized that human rights are the birthright of all human beings and are inalienable and guaranteed by law. Strengthening and promoting the protection of human rights across the OSCE region is therefore at the heart of the Organization’s work.

The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) provides participating States with advice and assistance, and supports individuals and civil society with targeted training and education. ODIHR covers a broad spectrum of issues, ranging from the fundamental freedoms of religion or belief, movement, assembly and association, to reporting on the use of the death penalty, monitoring trials, and preventing torture and other forms of ill-treatment.

A number of OSCE field operations dedicate efforts to human rights. Their work includes:

Supporting the implementation of legislation protecting the rights of persons belonging to minorities;
Working to eliminate discriminatory laws, policies and practices;
Providing technical support to human rights bodies;
Reviewing legislation to ensure compliance with OSCE commitments and international human rights standards;
Analysing and advising on human rights compliance;
Monitoring and helping strengthen executive, judicial, legislative and law enforcement institutions;
Sharing best practices and supporting efforts to ensure international human rights standards are met;
Supporting civil society organizations working on human rights;
Training judges in line with national and international human rights best practices;
Supporting probation services;
Assisting in human rights-compliant legal and detention service reform;
Training human rights advocacy groups;
Focusing attention on the rights of communities, languages, education, returnees and repatriated persons, refugees and vulnerable persons;
Promoting gender equality;
Monitoring hate crimes and hate speech; and
Preventing human trafficking and torture.

Human rights

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Human rights

OSCE in Action

Information and activities on Human rights from across the Organization.

Institutions and Structures

OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights

Human rights and fundamental freedoms

OSCE participating States have recognized that human rights are the birthright of all human beings, are inalienable and are guaranteed by law. In promoting respect for human rights, ODIHR monitors governments’ compliance with their human dimension commitments. The Office provides states with advice and assistance, and supports individuals and civil society with targeted training and education. ODIHR covers a broad spectrum of issues, ranging from the fundamental freedoms of religion or belief, movement, assembly and association, to reporting on the use of the death penalty, monitoring trials, and preventing torture and other forms of ill-treatment.

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Legislative support

Good and effective legislation is the foundation of every functioning state based on the rule of law. Laws should be adopted through democratic procedures and be clear and concise. To ensure the quality and effectiveness of laws related to the human dimension, ODIHR supports participating States by reviewing their law-making systems and relevant draft and existing legislation. In providing such support, the Office draws on legislative guidelines in specific areas, such as election, freedom of assembly and political party legislation, as well as the resources of Legislationline.org, ODIHR’s online legislative database.

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Field Operations

OSCE Centre in Ashgabat

The Centre regularly organizes seminars and training courses for officials from the judiciary and legislative authorities, law enforcement, legal practitioners, office of the Ombudsperson and human rights researchers to familiarize them with international human rights standards and OSCE commitments in this area. It also trains prison officers on prisoners’ rights and organizes human rights lectures at universities and institutes.

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OSCE Mission in Kosovo

The Mission works to advance human and community rights through their monitoring, protection, and promotion. It supports Kosovo institutions in complying with domestic legislation and international legal instruments. Community rights include, among others, language rights, access to education, support for returnees and repatriated persons, communities’ participation in decision-making processes, property and housing rights of vulnerable groups (e.g. displaced persons), access to justice, religious and cultural heritage protection, as well as communities’ security issues.

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OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina

The Mission works to advance understanding of and respect for human rights. It works with an extensive network of counterparts, including public officials at all levels of government in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), on a range of human rights topics relevant to BiH’s international human rights commitments. Activities are focused on the promotion of fundamental freedoms – freedom of assembly, media, and religion or belief, the right to non-discrimination, economic and social rights, and rights of Roma and other minorities, persons and groups in situations of vulnerability.

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OSCE Mission to Moldova

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OSCE Mission to Montenegro

A key priority for the Mission in this area is to build the capacities of human rights institutions to help them protect those rights more efficiently. The Mission provides legal advice on how to strengthen legislation on tolerance and non-discrimination, in line with international standards. To help Montenegro meet its commitments with regard to displaced persons, the Mission monitors and provides advice on the implementation of the Regional Housing Programme (RHP). It also assists with initiatives that confront discrimination against vulnerable groups by sharing best practices among state bodies and by raising public awareness on human rights issues as well as on hate crime.

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OSCE Mission to Serbia

The Mission provides expert advice to help Serbia’s authorities bring the country’s human rights legislation in line with international standards. This includes providing guidance to authorities and civil society organizations to improve their reporting on the state of human rights in Serbia. Another priority is the provision of advice and support aimed at facilitating the return of refugees to and from neighbouring countries and in this regard, together with other international organizations and countries of the region, the Mission is a partner in a regional programme on housing for the most vulnerable refugees and internally displaced persons stemming from the 1991-1995 conflict.

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OSCE Mission to Skopje

The Mission works with the country’s Anti-Discrimination Commission and the Ombudsman to help bring human rights legislation in line with non-discrimination principles and to include provisions that safeguard equal treatment for all. It also monitors hate crimes and hate speech and trains legal practitioners and civil society on international standards in this field.

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OSCE Presence in Albania

Working closely with civil society and national human rights institutions, such as the People’s Advocate and the Commissioner for Protection from Discrimination, the Presence promotes the protection and strengthening of human rights in Albania. It gives support to the probation service and assists with the reform of the detention system. It also works toward the efficient implementation of legislation protecting the rights of minorities and other vulnerable groups, primarily through training and advocacy efforts.

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OSCE Programme Office in Bishkek

The OSCE Programme Office is active in promoting human rights and fundamental freedoms in Kyrgyzstan. As such, the Programme Office supports the host country in upholding economic, social and cultural rights across the country with a special focus on gender. Following the ratification of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the Office supports initiatives aimed at the promotion of persons with disabilities’ labour rights at the state and municipal service, including civic awareness-raising and empowerment of persons with disabilities to take a more active role in political, public and social life.

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OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe

The Programme Office increases the capacity of government and civil society in Tajikistan to implement the State Programme on Human Rights Education, the National Human Rights Strategy, and the Recommendations of the United Nations Human Rights Council Universal Periodic Review (UPR) Third Cycle. The Office provides training for government human rights focal points, judges and teachers on international human rights laws and standards.

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OSCE Programme Office in Nur-Sultan

The Office focuses on supporting Kazakhstan in strengthening human rights and fundamental freedoms. A particular priority is to strengthen the country’s human rights institutions and civil society. The Office also helps Kazakhstan implement ratified international human rights conventions, domestic laws and national action plans in compliance with OSCE principles and commitments. It assists in combating human trafficking and domestic violence, promoting tolerance, equal opportunities for women and men as well as media-related issues.

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OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Ukraine

Respect for human rights is a crucial component of public trust in state institutions. The Co-ordinator works with the security sector and law enforcement agencies to help them implement human rights-based approaches, assists parliamentarians draft laws that safeguard individual freedoms, and supports law enforcement reform both by participating in developing and implementing its strategy.

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OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan

In co-operation with the country’s parliamentary Ombudsperson and the National Human Rights Centre, the Co-ordinator assists Uzbekistan in implementing its human rights commitments. This entails capacity-building training for the Ombudsperson institution’s staff and a project to strengthen the skill set of the Human Rights Centre’s staff in the use of international human rights norms and standards. The Co-ordinator also organizes training for personnel at penitentiary facilities and supports the Human Rights Resource Centre, a teaching facility at the Interior Ministry Academy.

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