Publications

The joint OSCE/ODIHR and Venice Commission Guidelines on Freedom of Association aim to offer advice and expertise on how to legislate on freedom of association-related matters, in a manner that is compliant with international human rights standards and OSCE commitments. They also reflect evolving good state practices, and are intended to enhance awareness of the above right in general. They will offer a practical toolkit to legislators tasked with drafting laws which regulate or affect associations, but also to associations, members of associations and human rights defenders, to support advocacy in this field of human rights law.

The compilation includes 54 decisions made by the Criminal Chamber of the Cassation Court of Armenia in the course of 2013. It is the 5th book of a series. The Cassation Court of Armenia acts to guarantee uniformity in the application of the law and ensure the consistency of the courts’ interpretations of legal acts. It is designed to serve as a reference tool for judges and lawyers.

In this issue: Stepping up against Corruption; For a New Mediterranean; Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina: Innovate against Hate.

Proceedings and winners of the Max van der Stoel Award ceremonies of 2011 and 2014. The Max van der Stoel Award Commemorative Award 2014 Programme and 2011 Commemoration provides an overview of the award ceremony. It features the winners of the award in 2011, the Nansen Dialogue Centre Skopje, and in 2014, Spravedlivost (a human rights NGO from southern Kyrgyzstan) and their activities to improve the position of national minorities in their respective OSCE participating States.

This guidebook is a result of joint work between Ukraine's Interior Ministry officers and media unions’ experts as part of a project implemented by the OSCE Project Co-ordinator. It includes recommendations on their co-operation during mass events, the rules of safe conduct and a detailed overview of the rights and responsibilities of both the police and journalists. It is not available in English.

The publication contains an in-depth overview of the relationship between the OSCE and its Mediterranean Partners featuring significant historical documents, a table of current and past projects with the Mediterranean Partners, and a compilation of key findings originating from relevant OSCE events that have taken place since the Vilnius Ministerial Council in 2011. Moreover, attention is given to the role of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly in fostering OSCE-Mediterranean dialogue. Chapter VII is dedicated to the New-Med Track II Network with academics and think tanks in the Mediterranean region. This is followed by, a selection of OSCE publications of interest to the Mediterranean Partners. The publication concludes with comments on the Helsinki+40 Process insofar as it affects the Mediterranean Partnership.

The report provides an overview of the current status of voluntary returns to Kosovo, including conflict-affected displacements of persons to the Western Balkans region and within Kosovo itself. The reports finds that while there have been some improvements since 2012, the return process is affected by unresolved property issues, administrative difficulties in applications for assistance, and in some returns sites, problematic inter-community relations and security incidents.

The handbook draws on international and Ukrainian experience to provide insights on the need and ways of introducing gender-based approaches and gender-sensitive practices in media. It covers, inter alia, the following issues: importance of gender issues for journalists and media; connections

The publication consists of selected worldwide legal opinions, commentaries, and reports, including opinions of the Council of Europe’s Consultative Council of European Judges, and European Court of Human Rights jurisprudence. Not available in English.