Publications

The purpose of these Guidelines is to ensure that those involved in drafting and applying legislation in the area of the freedom of religion or belief, including civil society representatives, have at their disposal a benchmark document containing minimum international standards in the area of recognition of religious or belief communities. The document does not seek to challenge established agreements between states and religious or belief communities but, rather, to delineate the legal framework that would ensure that communities wishing to do so have a fair opportunity to be granted legal personality, and that the criteria established are applied in a non-discriminatory manner. This document elaborates on the issues of registration and recognition of religious and belief organizations, and supplements section II.F on “Laws governing registration of religious/belief organizations” of the 2004 Guidelines. The 2004 Guidelines do, however, remain valid in their entirety.

These guidelines were prepared by ODIHR's Advisory Panel of Experts on Freedom of Religion or Belief in consultation with the Council of Europe's Venice Commission to assist them in their analyses of laws and draft legislation pertaining to the freedom of religion or belief. They are intended to provide an overview and suggestions for those involved in the review of such laws.

Women have the right to freedom of thought, conscience, religion or belief (FoRB), including in employment. In practice however, many women face a range of challenges related to their religion or belief. This threatens not only their right to FoRB, but also their effective participation in the labour market on an equal footing with men.

ODIHR has developed this guide in response to calls from participating States to give them guidance and practical tools to help them create an environment that enables fruitful dialogue and joint action across religious and belief boundaries.

The quality of laws is a direct consequence of how they are developed and discussed. Lawmaking procedures and practices should follow democratic principles, adhere to the rule of law and comply with international human rights obligations and standards. At the same time, they should be evidence-based, open and transparent, participatory and inclusive, and subject to effective oversight.

The publication aims at clarifying the procedural legal concept of shifting the burden of proof, its meaning and scope, as well as all open issues during practical implementation of the proceedings before the Commission for Prevention and Protection against Discrimination and the national court, to ensure effective application of the Law on Prevention and Protection against Discrimination. It also focuses on helping legal practitioners in acquiring knowledge and skills in the area of equality law and the principle on non-discrimination, thus examples from the Court of Justice of the European Union and the European Court of Human Rights, as well as comparative practices from European countries, are widely used.

On average, Roma and Sinti life expectancy is between five to twenty years shorter than that of the mainstream population. This is mainly due to preventable risks such as malnutrition, inadequate housing conditions and the inability to afford healthcare services, as well as the impact of racist and discriminatory practices from healthcare institutions and professionals.

The Guidelines for the Effective Performance of Municipal Coordination Mechanisms against Domestic Violence (MCMDV) are a practical tool to facilitate more effective and co-ordinated responses of these mechanisms to domestic violence cases at the local level. They cover the legal basis and purpose of the MCMDVs, the importance of a multi-institutional and coordinated approach, data collection and reporting, and training and capacity building for MCMDV members.