Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights

Good legislation does not necessarily make good government, but good government cannot emerge without good laws. The conditions necessary for respect for human rights, democracy, and the rule of law cannot improve without an adequate legal basis.

Legislation and its implementation are therefore critical to the development of democracy and the rule of law. Also, for democracy to function properly, laws have to be prepared, drafted, discussed,and adopted through an open and transparent process that involves actors outside parliament and government.

A number of OSCE participating States have undertaken legislative-reform efforts either as part of a broad transition to democracy or else in the face of emerging challenges that existing legislation is not adequate to handle.

The ODIHR's primary task in the field of legislative assistance is to respond to requests from participating States and to ensure the consistency of such responses. Assistance generally involves a review of draft legislation in areas covered by the human dimension to ensure compliance with international standards, particularly OSCE commitments.

Assistance may also go beyond a mere review of draft legislation by providing states with best practices that have been culled from years of experience of working with a number of countries. Such practices and sample legislation may serve as a source of inspiration for lawmakers in other parts of the OSCE region.