Publications

The 2012 Annual Report of the Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings aims to offer a concise overview of the wide range of activities carried out by the Office of the Special Representative and by the OSCE’s executive structures, institutions and field operations. The last part of the Report builds upon the October Alliance Conference “An Agenda for Prevention: Non Discrimination and Empowerment”, with an action-oriented paper highlighting how full recognition of the existing linkage between trafficking and discrimination can lead to new paths for advocacy, and make it possible that anti-trafficking and non-discrimination policies enhance each other.

This guide is provided for policymakers and practitioners who seek to develop and implement effective Confidence-Building Measures.

The publication was compiled by a team of environmental experts under the guidance of NGO “Association for Environmental Policy and Law- Equilibrium, Serbia”. It is meant for the use of the general public and civil society organizations actively involved in environmental issues.

This report was prepared as a result of implementing a project called Promoting Freedom of Assembly in the Kyrgyz Republic, which was supported by the OSCE Centre in Bishkek and the German Foreign Ministry. This report is intended for state bodies, non-governmental organizations, human rights defenders, and others with an interest in the challenges of observing the right to peaceful assembly in Kyrgyzstan.

This 2012 report was produced following the implementation of two projects called Addressing Human Rights in Closed Facilities in Kyrgyzstan through Nationally Owned Human Rights Mechanisms and Increasing Police Accountability with the Introduction of Civil Society Monitoring Mechanisms, which were supported by the OSCE Centre in Bishkek, as well as the Freedom House Project on Strengthening Human Rights in Kyrgyzstan, and financed by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The report is meant for public institutions, nongovernmental organizations, human rights defenders and other individuals who are interested in respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms and conditions in temporary detention facilities and reception centres under the Ministry of Interior and in pre-trial and remand places of detention under the jurisdiction of the State Service for the Execution of Punishments.

The manual was prepared with the support of the OSCE Office in Yerevan on the basis of the Handbook on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms of the Personnel of the Armed Forces" published by the OSCE ODIHR and the Geneva Centre for Democratic Control of the Armed Forces (DCAF). It aims to raise awareness about human rights and fundamental freedoms among army staff. It is available only in Armenian.

The report outlines a spectrum of violence, ranging from intimidation, threats, vandalism and assault to arson and murder. It includes a set of recommendations to help OSCE participating States improve their national legal systems and provide them with tools for effectively combating hate crimes.

This edition of our bi-annual newsletter highlights the Office's activities for the second half of 2012.

This report reviews the progress made by the Assembly of Kosovo in developing its relations with civil society. It analyses participation of civil society in the work of the Assembly in a comprehensive manner. It gathers best practices from parliaments in the Western Balkans region and the rest of Europe on three aspects of public participation: the provision by the legislature of actionable information to the public, the existence of institutional mechanisms for facilitating civil society participation, and the application of sound practices of public consultation. The report proceeds to assess the Assembly’s performance against these practices, acknowledging important achievements and identifying key challenges.