Publications

The purpose of the manual on torrential floods and community based flood risk reduction is to acquaint local and international stakeholders with national achievements and challenges in the field of torrential flood risk management in Serbia. The manual contains a comprehensive review of historically significant torrential floods in Serbia, existing flood management strategies, risk analysis and legal framework that stipulates the jurisdiction of local governments in the prevention and management of flood risks. It highlights the strategic importance of the role that local authorities have in creating flood resilient communities. A part of the manual is dedicated to the engagement of civil society in raising awareness of local communities in disaster risk reduction and the importance of their co-operation and partnership with elected officials, thus creating a "culture of preparedness".

This study aims to highlight the commitments on freedom of movement and human contacts made by OSCE participating States, as well as to provide baseline information to assist them in the implementation of these commitments. As such, this study presents the situation of cross-border mobility in the form of baseline data and is intended to raise awareness among OSCE participating States of the current situation in relation to freedom of movement and human contacts in the OSCE region.

“Housing Models for Substandard Roma Settlements: Guidelines for Local Self-Governments, civil society organizations and Roma community” is a handbook resulted from the work on the selection and refinement of the housing models used so far in Serbia for the improvement of housing conditions of Roma and other vulnerable persons. It provides guidelines for the implementation of 13 housing models, and contains descriptions, conceptual designs, technical parameters, construction materials to be used, as well as a list of necessary technical documentation including building and other permits, cost-estimations and timeline for each model. The publication aims to assist local self-governments, civil society organizations and other entities to effectively develop and implement their housing improvement projects on Roma settlements.

Not available in English

Based on an unofficial English translation of the Concept Paper

This Handbook on Promoting Women’s Participation in Political Parties aims at encouraging political party leaders, men and women alike, to support the integration of gender aspects into internal political party decision-making processes. It also seeks to develop the capacity of women politicians to advance their political careers. The key finding that has emerged during the development of this handbook is that internal party reform is critical to women’s advancement. A lack of internal party democracy and transparency, the absence of gender-sensitivity in candidate selection and outreach, as well as the failure to decentralize party decision-making processes, all inhibit women’s opportunities to advance as leaders within parties and as candidates for elected office. To this end, the handbook provides a valuable overview of voluntary measures that political parties can adopt to enhance gender equality within party structures, processes, policies and activities, as a means to provide both women and men equal opportunities to participate meaningfully in the political life of OSCE participating States.

The study provides an analytical overview of women’s participation in 2012 parliamentary elections in Armenia. It was prepared by the Gender Studies Centre of the Association of Women with University Education, with support from the OSCE Office in Yerevan and with the financial contribution from the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Tbilisi.

Prepared by Katrin Nyman-Metcalf and Andrei Richter, November 2010.

The Guide on Discrimination grounds is a systematized and analytical review of discrimination grounds, based on consideration of existing definitions (and their integral parts) set forth under international and domestic law, international and national case law of courts and various treaty bodies, as well as in academic and grey literature.