Publications

The purpose of this Guide is to provide OSCE participating States with benchmarks for drafting hate crime legislation within a simple, clear and accessible document. While good practices are highlighted and risks identified, a prescriptive approach has been avoided. Hate crimes are specific to their social context, and legislation must recognize this. The Guide assists states wishing either to enact new legislation or to review and improve their current legislation by setting out the major questions to be addressed by legislators; giving examples of drafting choices made by different states; commenting on the implications of different approaches; making recommendations concerning specific aspects of hate crime law, and offering a list of further resources to supplement the information provided.

This publication has been developed by the Technical Working Group on Self-Regulation and supported by the OSCE Mission to Montenegro. In order to help solve the challenge of responsible reporting on hate speech, the Manual offers answers to the questions 1) how to detect hate speech in public space and 2) in what way- which method- to report on hate speech, while respecting the high standards of investigative and professional journalism in the public interest. The publication is available only in Montenegrin.

Hate Crime Victim Support: Policy Brief Hate Crime Victim Support: Policy Brief This policy brief condenses the knowledge and key findings of the Enhancing Stakeholder Awareness and Resources for Hate Crime Victim Support (EStAR) project implemented by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions

This policy brief provides an overview of the concrete steps and measures governments can take to establish or strengthen structural arrangements to make a comprehensive and needs-based hate crime victim support system a reality.

This guide, which is built around ten key guiding principles, is aimed at national stakeholders who are interested in the meaningful and considerate inclusion of hate crime victims’ voices in policymaking and policy implementation processes.

This Compendium has been created by the the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), in partnership with the Association of Counselling Centers for Victims of Right-Wing, Racist and Antisemitic Violence in Germany (VBRG).

This Guide advances the fulfilment of the OSCE commitments to assist hate crime victims. Developed in consultation with civil society and government experts, and based on good practice identified across the region, the Guide responds to a need in many OSCE participating States, where victims of hate crime often do not receive adequate protection and support. It addresses gaps in integrating assistance efforts with criminal justice processes and is designed primarily for hate crime victim support practitioners, criminal justice officials and policymakers responsible for developing and maintaining victim support systems. It provides practical recommendations on adapting procedures, policies and laws, while taking into account the realities and complexities of criminal justice and victim support systems.

Muslim communities across the OSCE region are the victims of rhetoric that often associates them with terrorism and extremism, or portrays the presence of Muslim communities as a threat to national identity. Muslims are often portrayed as a monolithic group, whose religion and culture are incompatible with the concepts of human rights and democracy. This intolerance, left unchecked, can enable a climate that fosters hate crime against Muslims, which is an attempt to isolate them from society. Only a strong response from all actors in society can effectively challenge discrimination, intolerance and hate crimes against Muslims.

The objective of this compendium is to illustrate the main features of an effective individual needs assessment (INA) of hate crime victims, using existing practices and initiatives that have been developed in relation to different aspects of INAs in countries covered by ODIHR's EStAR project. The publication shows that a more robust approach to developing an INA as an essential post-victimization tool is necessary, and that greater recognition is required of the importance and utility of this tool in securing victims’ rights and enabling their access to relevant services to address needs.

Prosecuting Hate Crimes: A Practical Guide was written in cooperation with the International Association of Prosecutors to improve the investigation and prosecution of hate crimes across the OSCE region. The guide is relevant to different legal systems and legislative frameworks and complements ODIHR’s Prosecutors and Hate Crime Training (PAHCT). This guide aims to explain the impact of hate crimes by highlighting their specific features compared with other crimes. It presents the most common issues that arise for prosecutors in dealing with these crimes, with an emphasis on evidence of bias motivation, which is the distinguishing factor in hate crimes.