Publications

Prosecutors and Hate Crimes Training (PAHCT) is a programme designed to improve responses to hate crimes by prosecutors. PAHCT is tailored to the needs and experiences of each country in which it is used. This programme is short, compact and flexible. It is designed to be integrated into existing training efforts and to draw on local resources. The standard PAHCT curriculum is customized to the hate crime context of the implementing state and to the laws and criminal justice procedures. PAHCT is best applied in co-operation with national training institutions for prosecutors and prosecutorial authorities. PAHCT can be delivered as a training of trainers or through training sessions provided directly to prosecutors. The training of trainers lasts three days, while a typical course for prosecutors only takes one and a half days.

The present publication builds on the Guidelines to Assist National Minority Participation in the Electoral Process by including new material on the development of international standards and good practice in the field of promoting the participation of national minorities in electoral processes.

The Analytical Report on the Implementation of the Decentralization Process is the result of a field research and desk analysis which were conducted by the Democratic Governance Unit of the OSCE Mission to Skopje during the period July 2012 and July 2013. It grounds its findings on a survey questionnaire (field research) in selected municipalities, a desk review completed on the basis of written materials collected at central government institutions, legal analysis and roundtable discussions with relevant stakeholders. The aim of the Report is to assess the progress made in decentralization process implementation in specific key reform areas related to the Ohrid Framework Agreement.

The newsletter covers the OSCE Office in Yerevan activities for the period of 1 January  - 1 July 2014.

This user guide for lawyers and journalists on the application of defamation norms has been developed with the OSCE support. It introduces all step-by-step procedures on pre-trial and court proceedings related to defamation and insult cases. The guide was developed by Ara Ghazaryan, Deputy Director of Arni Consult and member of the Information Disputes Council and Artak Zeynalyan, human rights activist of the Rule of Law NGO. It is not available in English.

The report provides an assessment of freedom of the media in Kosovo, implementation of applicable legal framework which provides for freedom of expression and of the media, access to information, the protection of sources of journalists, professional reporting standards and level of self-censorship/censorship in the media, including intimidation and threats against journalists. It also assesses the work of media institutions in protecting freedom of the media. The report poses two overarching questions: the first asking about challenges and violations of freedom of the media and safety of journalists in Kosovo, and secondly, it explores the responses to violations and challenges to freedom of expression and of media and safety of journalists.

The integrated disaster risk management field visits in the Canton of Valais on 21 May 2014 are organised in conjunction with the 2nd OSCE Preparatory Meeting of the 22nd OSCE Economic and Environmental Forum in Mon-treux, Switzerland. The field visits and its tour guide booklet are a collaboration of the Swiss Confed-eration and the Canton of Valais. The tour booklet incorporates some sections of the brochure that was prepared to accompany the field visits held on 24 May 2013 at the "Global Platform on Disaster Risk Reduction GPDRR”. The booklet first provides a general overview, including a brief presentation of the Swiss context (chapter 2) and the principles of integrated risk management (chapter 3). This is followed by a description of each of the planned field visits (chapters 4 and 5).

The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) is the world’s largest regional security organization, comprising 57 participating States across three continents – North America, Europe and Asia. Updated 13 June 2014.

The leaflet carries information on how to handle animals, carcasses and contaminated material of animal origin and activities related to disinfection, disinsection and deratisation. It also provides names and contact details of veterinary inspectors in each Serbian District. The leaflet is intended to raise awareness of farmers returning to their flooded property, to increase the security and health of the livestock. Only Serbian version of the Fact Sheet is available.

The OSCE Secretary General’s Annual Report gives an overview of the Organization's activities and its co-operation with partner states and other organizations.