OSCE and Mediterranean civil society groups recommend increased Organization engagement to support transitions in the Mediterranean region

The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) released on 26 January 2012 a report summarizing the discussions and the recommendations agreed at the OSCE - Mediterranean Partner Countries' Civil Society Conference, held in Vilnius on 4-5 December 2011 ahead of the OSCE Ministerial Council.

The discussions at the conference focused on electoral good practice, political participation, justice and legal reform in democracies in transition; they made it clear that civil society faces similar problems and has similar hopes on both sides of the Mediterranean.

The conference participants in their joint recommendations stressed that at a time of rapid change and transition in the Middle East and North Africa, the Mediterranean Partner states could benefit from greater OSCE engagement in strengthening capacities of civil society organizations, and called on the OSCE participating States to become more involved with the Partners, including through providing expertise and training and other capacity-building activities in such areas as election observation, gender equality, work with young people and minorities.  

The report recalls the final statement of the conference expressing "concern that consolidation of democracy in both our regions remains far from assured, and that civil society groups in particular will need to maintain a leading role in ensuring that transition processes move forward towards greater participation, equality, justice, rule of law, democracy and respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms."

The conference was organized jointly by Lithuania which held the OSCE Chairmanship in 2011, and ODIHR. Its recommendations were presented in December to the then OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Audronius Ažubalis.