Publications

High standards of parliamentary behaviour and ethics are vital to ensure public trust in democratic systems and how they work. They also help foster a culture of public service that favours public interest over private gain.

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.

National referral mechanisms (NRMs) are the institutional mechanisms that help states identify human trafficking victims and ensure their protection. This handbook provides a guidance model which all OSCE participating States can adapt and apply within their own national systems to ensure that their NRMs meet the highest standards in both design and implementation.

This practical guide is intended to support the full range of parliamentary actors — from parliamentary leadership teams, members of parliament, and political and parliamentary staff, to parliamentary practitioners and civil society organizations dealing with gender equality issues — in transforming these institutions into gender-sensitive parliaments.

The Diagnostic Tool is a practical tool for assessing shortcomings and strengths in national hate crime victim support structures and services. The primary purpose of the Tool is to enable hate crime victim support practitioners, officials, activists and policymakers to identify areas in their national systems that require improvement to enhance protection and support for victims of hate crime.

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.

With the aim of encouraging constructive and human rights-centred political discourse, thisguidance targets national, regional and local political leaders and decision-makers. This guidanceis built around three ‘Rs’, designed to help politicians and government officials: • Resist pressure to

Intolerance and discrimination have affected Roma and Sinti communities for centuries, and continue to be a concern in the OSCE region, including harmful discourse and stereotyping. Too often, this intolerance can morph into anti-Roma hate crimes, ranging from anti-Roma graffiti to racially-motivated violence. Hate crime has a significant, long-lasting impact on victims, perpetuates inequality, and undermines security and social cohesion. Anti- Roma hate crimes send a message of exclusion not only to Roma and Sinti victims and their communities, but society as a whole. Everyone has a role to play in addressing anti-Roma hate crimes and all forms of intolerance and discrimination. This factsheet highlights the impact of anti-Roma hate crime and provides guidance on identifying such crimes.

An essential part of election processes are election campaigns, in which candidates compete for voter support. During election campaigns political actors energize society, invigorate and mobilize the electorate, but at the same time these are periods when fundamental freedoms are put to the test. Election campaigns provide an opportunity for all election stakeholders, including the authorities, political parties and voters, to demonstrate respect for fundamental freedoms and human rights.

Online social networking sites have moved election campaigns into a new era of communication, in which voters have wider channels to express their opinions. While social networking sites provide space for voters to enhance their direct participation in campaigns and enable electoral contestants to better mobilize support, the use of social networks, especially during election campaigns, carries a wide array of challenges.