Country-Visit Reports by Special Representatives of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office on Gender Issues

In accordance with the post’s mandate, rooted in the 2004 OSCE Action Plan for the Promotion of Gender Equality, the Special Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office on Gender Issues encourages governments of OSCE participating States to place women’s rights and gender equality high on their political agenda. Country visits serve to establish a direct and constructive dialogue with participating States on gender equality issues.

During country visits, the Special Representative holds consultations with representatives of government and civil society, meeting with government authorities, parliamentarians, non-governmental women’s rights organizations, human rights groups, gender experts, and local women’s advocates. The Special Representative’s country visits afford an important opportunity to share knowledge and focus attention on particular aspects of women’s rights and gender equality, both at the national level and across the OSCE.

After each visit, the Special Representative writes a country-visit report, highlighting the country’s promising practices, as well as challenges and areas where greater efforts to implement OSCE commitments on women’s rights and gender equality are needed. These reports contain specific recommendations to support the country in improving its implementation of relevant OSCE commitments. In addition to sharing the report with the country visited, the report is distributed to all OSCE participating States.

More information on the work of the Special Representative, the OSCE Gender Section, and links to OSCE Ministerial Council Decisions on gender equality is available here.