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The 7-8 December 2020 online meeting was organized by ODIHR with the aim of supporting OSCE participating States to meet OSCE commitments on human rights, in particular the human rights of migrant children. The event brought together 40 participants (31 women and 9 men), including experts and representatives from national authorities, human rights bodies, international organizations and civil society from 10 OSCE participating States (Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, the Russian Federation, Switzerland, Tajikistan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan) and Japan.

ODIHR summary report from the 8 December 2020 online event launch of the practical guide on “Understanding Anti-Muslim Hate Crimes- Addressing the Security Needs of Muslim Communities”.

The Joint Opinion raises key issues and provides indications of areas of concern. The ensuing recommendations are based on international standards, norms and practices, as for example set out in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the European Convention on Human Rights and its additional protocols, as well as the relevant OSCE human dimension commitments, and the Venice Commission’s Code of good practice in electoral matters. The Joint Opinion also highlights, as appropriate, good practices from other Council of Europe member states and OSCE participating States in this field

The ensuing recommendations are based on international standards, norms and practices, as for example set out in the United Nations’ International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) and its additional protocols, as well as relevant OSCE human dimension commitments, and the Venice Commission’s Code of Good Practice in Electoral Matters. Where appropriate, they also refer to other reference documents and sources as well as relevant recommendations made in previous legal opinions published by the OSCE/ODIHR and/or the Venice Commission.

The Opinion raises key issues and provides indications of areas of concern. In the interest of conciseness, it focuses more on areas that require amendments or improvements than on the positive aspects of the Draft Law. The ensuing recommendations are based on international human rights standards and obligations, OSCE human dimension commitments, and good national practices. Where appropriate, they also refer to the relevant recommendations made in previous legal opinions published by OSCE/ODIHR and/or the Venice Commission.

Visa regimes are not designed to disincentivize the entry of foreign nationals, but to enable states to assess the possible risks of allowing foreign citizens in, before their arrival at the border. By examining visa and visa-free regulations, states are better able to identify the levels at which cross-border mobility is facilitated in the OSCE region and ways in which OSCE participating States have liberalized visa regimes- bilaterally or multilaterally.

This brief will provide clarity on situations in which gender may impact the ability to equitably access a short-term visa; it will assist states in mainstreaming gender into their visa policies to ensure that any potential gender inequalities are eliminated; it will also highlight good practices and recommend areas for improvement of current policies.