Publications

Parliamentary oversight is one of the core tasks of parliaments and, alongside their legislative and representative roles, is a fundamental element of any effective system of democratic governance.

Supporting and strengthening democratic institutions and processes is the objective of ODIHR’s project Stronger Democratic Institutions in Eastern Partnership Countries: an ODIHR project supported and funded by the EU. The project aims to increase public trust in democratic institutions and foster more inclusive, accountable and transparent governance, with respect for human rights and the rule of law. Stronger democratic institutions contribute to more effective responses to current crises while building resilience to future challenges.

A factsheet on ODIHR's activities in Ukraine

This publication explains gender equality in political life in terms of access, voice and transformation and provides guidance on how to conduct a national assessment of gender equality in political life and on how to develop a national action plan based on the findings of the assessment.

This factsheet describes how ODIHR works in multiple areas to advance gender equality in political and public life.

This publication, intended for gender equality and party development experts from political parties across the OSCE region and beyond, complements ODIHR's online gender audit tool and provides practical guidance on how to conduct gender audits and implement gender action plans.

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.

This tool is designed to support national parliaments in OSCE participating States in developing parliamentary integrity systems. It provides a concise roadmap for designing and implementing a code of conduct for MPs from scratch, as well as guidance for parliaments that want to improve their existing integrity systems.

Institutional mechanisms for the advancement of women and gender equality have a unique potential for making women’s and men’s lives better and, more generally, making democracies stronger, more resilient and egalitarian. In these challenging times for democracy, institutional mechanisms play an important role in preventing the reversal of gender equality in practice.

Since the Helsinki Final Act of 1975, the OSCE region has experienced a number of conflicts that have not only destabilized the region but have also had a very negative impact on human rights and fundamental freedoms, triggering grave humanitarian consequences and human suffering. Unfortunately, the tensions, crises and conflict situations continue to this day. In 2023, according to UNHCR, displacement has reached approximately 27 million, including internal displacement within the OSCE region. This number includes those displaced from Ukraine since February 2022. At times of conflict, protection under International and Regional Human Rights Law and International Refugee Law is complemented by the protection offered under International Humanitarian Law, all mirrored in OSCE Commitments.