Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights

Activities

Tolerance and non-discrimination

Nataliya Dryomina-Voloc (l), from the National Academy of the Public Prosecutor's Office of Ukraine, and Maia Kvirikashvili, from the Chief Prosecutor’s Office of Georgia, discuss a case study during a pilot training session for prosecutors, organized by ODIHR, on the effective prosecution of hate crime cases, Warsaw, 5 July 2012. (OSCE/Shiv Sharma)
Nataliya Dryomina-Voloc (l), from the National Academy of the Public Prosecutor's Office of Ukraine, and Maia Kvirikashvili, from the Chief Prosecutor’s Office of Georgia, discuss a case study during a pilot training session for prosecutors, organized by ODIHR, on the effective prosecution of hate crime cases, Warsaw, 5 July 2012. (OSCE/Shiv Sharma)

Manifestations of hate and intolerance and violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms, including the freedom of thought, conscience, religion or belief, continue to endanger stability and threaten security in the OSCE region.

To promote tolerance and non-discrimination, ODIHR’s activities consist of work in the following areas:

Combating racism, xenophobia and discrimination

Discrimination and manifestations of racism and xenophobia continue to threaten security in the increasingly diverse societies of many OSCE participating States. In order to understand the phenomenon of racism, the monitoring of racist incidents is essential, and this is one of ODIHR's central activities in this area. ODIHR also advises and supports governments and NGOs in implementing programmes to combat racism.

Combating anti-Semitism and promoting Holocaust remembrance

With some parts of the OSCE region seeing a resurgence of anti-Semitism, participating States have committed themselves to combating this problem. ODIHR works with non-governmental organizations and community groups to help them monitor anti-Semitic incidents. Together with its partners, ODIHR is developing guidelines and teaching tools for educators to address contemporary anti-Semitism. The Office also facilitates the exchange of good practices regarding Holocaust remembrance and education.

Combating discrimination against Muslims

Intolerance and discrimination against Muslims are not new , but manifestations of these phenomena appear to have been on the rise in recent years. Muslims might experience verbal harassment or be the targets of hate speech, violent attacks or religious profiling. ODIHR works with OSCE participating States to develop educational policies to fight hostility toward and prejudice against Muslims, and provides training on hate crimes for NGOs working in this area.

Freedom of religion or belief

ODIHR’s work in the area of freedom of religion or belief focuses on assisting participating States, religious or belief communities and civil society in protecting and promoting this freedom. ODIHR also works on preventing and responding to intolerance and discrimination based on religious grounds.

Hate Crime

Hate crimes are a serious breach of human rights that have a deep impact on victim communities and can pose a threat to domestic and international security. ODIHR works to combat hate crime by raising awareness, helping OSCE participating States to draft legislation that effectively addresses the problem, and supporting the efforts of civil society to monitor and report hate crimes. ODIHR also produces an annual report to highlight the prevalence of hate crimes and good practices that participating States and civil society have adopted to tackle them.