Documents library

High-level meeting on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of “The Hague Recommendations Regarding the Education Rights of National Minorities”, The Hague, 20 April 2016.

Speech by Steinmeier delivered at his visit to the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights on the occasion of its 25th anniversary, Warsaw, 19 April 2016.

Report by the OSCE Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings, Ambassador Madina Jarbussynova. The Permanent Council adopted Decision No. 1195 on the revision of the 2015 Unified Budget. The Permanent Council adopted Decision No. 1196 on the Scales of Contributions for 2016–2017 (Belgium, also on behalf of France, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom, interpretative statement 1; United States of America, interpretative statement 2; Ukraine, interpretative statement 3; Russian Federation, also on behalf of Belarus, interpretative statement 4). Ongoing aggression against Ukraine and violations of OSCE principles and commitments by the Russian Federation. Situation in Ukraine and the need to implement the Minsk agreements. Abduction and illegal detention of Ukrainian citizens by the Russian Federation. Thirty-fourth round of the Geneva International Discussions, held on 9 December 2015. Anniversary of the Astana Commemorative Declaration and the OSCE human dimension commitments. International Day of Commemoration and Dignity of the Victims of the Crime of Genocide and of the Prevention of this Crime, marked on 9 December 2015. Violations of religious freedom in Ukraine. Racial discrimination in the United States of America. Response to a statement on freedom of the media in the OSCE area made by the Russian Federation at the 1082nd meeting of the Permanent Council. Paris Agreement under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, adopted on 12 December 2015 (France, Annex). Allegations of police misconduct in Chicago, United States of America. Conviction of human rights activist Mr. I. Dadin in the Russian Federation. Report on the activities of the Chairperson-in-Office. Farewell statement by the Serbian Chairmanship. Statement regarding the Minsk Group.

800th Plenary Meeting of the Forum for Security Co-operation

800th Plenary Meeting of the Forum for Security Co-operation

800th Plenary Meeting of the Forum for Security Co-operation

800th Plenary Meeting of the Forum for Security Co-operation

Security Dialogue on the “UNSCR 1540 Regional Implementation: Cooperation Between The OSCE And The IAEA”- presentation by Ms. R. Evans, Senior Nuclear Security Officer, Department of Nuclear Safety and Security, International Atomic Energy Agency (Spain, Annex 1). The Forum for Security Co-operation adopted Decision No. 5/15 on the date of the 2015 Meeting of the Heads of Verification Centres. Situation in and around Ukraine (Ukraine, Annex 2).

The Guidelines follow the Venice Commission’s Report on the misuse of administrative resources during electoral processes and the conclusions of the 11th European Conference of Electoral Management Bodies that dealt with this topic on 26-27 June 2014 in Helsinki. In these conclusions, the participants to the Conference invited “the Council for Democratic Elections […] to consider developing guidelines aimed at preventing the misuse of administrative resources during electoral processes”. The guidelines also build upon the OSCE/ODIHR’s election observation findings and recommendations in respect of the misuse of administrative resources. The Guidelines are aimed at assisting national lawmakers and other authorities in adopting laws and initiating concrete measures to prevent and act against the misuse of administrative resources during electoral processes. Therefore, they are not intended as a set of hard rules.