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This Opinion was prepared by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) in response to a request from the Chair of the Committee on Human Rights and Equal Opportunities for Men and Women of the House of Representatives of the Republic of Cyprus.

On 18 December 2023, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) hosted a consultative meeting examining State practices and the role of civil society in relation to incidents of desecration of religious texts, including Quran-burning. The consultation was held during the annual meeting of ODIHR’s Panel of Experts on Freedom of Religion or Belief, and efforts were made to bring other actors with relevant experience and perspectives to the table. Thus, the meeting brought together actors ranging from academics working on issues related to freedom of thought, conscience, religion or belief (FoRB) and on intolerance against Muslims, representatives of Muslim communities and wider civil society, representatives of intergovernmental organizations, to representatives from OSCE participating States. It also achieved both a gender and intergenerational balance. This report will discuss why the consultation was held, provide background information as to the relevant legal and policy framework, and then present the discussions that were held and recommendations arising from the discussions.

The right to monitor assemblies is part of the general human right to receive and impart information. The importance of this right is increasingly recognized; in particular, its role in ensuring the respect for and protection of freedom of peaceful assembly, as well as the transparency and accountability of law enforcement agents and other state authorities.

This document provides and outline for the webinar "Making gender equality in politics a national policy priority – A call for renewed action", a part of the ODIHR’s gender & politics webinar series.

This document is an account of key conclusions and recommendations derived from the discussions at the conference “Mapping the Challenges faced by Ukrainian Roma in a War Time and Overcoming the Obstacles through Policy, Advocacy and Empowerment”. The conference organized by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) in partnership with the Council of Europe Office in Ukraine, State Service of Ukraine for Ethnic Affairs and Freedom of Conscience and Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights took place on 7 March 2024 in Warsaw.