Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights

The right to free choice of place of residence: Since the collapse of communism in the early 1990s, Soviet-era propiska regulations of civil registration have not changed in a number of countries of the former Soviet Union, restricting the freedom of individuals to choose their place of residence within their own countries. Moreover, the propiska system poses a significant barrier to finding durable solutions for problems of internally displaced persons, leads to the denial of social services, and impedes access to jobs, as well as creates obstacles to migrants' participation in elections.

Combating discrimination against the most-vulnerable groups, such as internally displaced persons: The issue of internal displacement is one of most acute problems in the OSCE region, where an estimated 3 million people have been displaced by conflicts and human-rights violations. Thirteen of the 56 OSCE participating States are affected by the problem of internal displacement. Unlike refugees who cross international borders, those who stay within their own territories must rely upon their own governments to protect their security and well-being and to uphold their political and civil rights.

Promoting interstate co-operation on labour migration and human rights of migrants: Following new labour-migration trends and patterns in the OSCE region in the last few years, a number of states have become recipients of flows of migrant workers. Often, these states lack the policy and legal framework for protecting migrants. Therefore, there is an urgent need for promoting dialogue and establishing co-operative mechanisms among OSCE participating States on the issue of labour migration to prevent discrimination, ill-treatment, and other cases where the rights of migrant workers are violated.   

Facilitating interstate co-operation on migration-related information: The management of international migratory flows in accordance with human-rights standards could be facilitated by the timely exchange of information between countries on the nature of these flows. Sharing information is an integral part of cross-border co-operation, and it is also a prerequisite for developing joint policy responses that take into account the interests of states while safeguarding the rights of migrants.