In 2019, we marked the 30th anniversary of the
peaceful revolutions that brought down the Berlin
Wall and reconnected Europe after so many years
of division. The founding of the OSCE Office
for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights
(ODIHR) just two years later demonstrated the
will to work towards full democracy based on
universal human rights, by creating a powerful
tool to assist participating States in meeting their
commitments in this area.
At the same time, ODIHR’s establishment was
recognition that none of us, no matter how powerful, can tackle global challenges alone. Since
then, partnerships between countries in the form
of membership in international institutions has
become even more important in order to solve
issues that affect everyone.
History did not end in 1989 as some forecast: life
moves on and the world faces new challenges, as
both the advantages and risks of fast-paced digitalization become clearer, and the debates over
climate change become ever more vehement.
There is also no denying that democracy and
human rights, which lie at the heart of ODIHR’s
mandate, are facing a multitude of challenges at
present.
Solutions to many of these challenges have
already been developed and even used successfully, but we are no longer talking to each other
about them as we sink into ever deepening polarization. It is unacceptable that numerous public
figures across the OSCE region are irresponsibly
fuelling prejudice and hatred for the sake of
short-term political gain. They know – or should
know – that history has shown us many times how
fatal the consequences of polarization, prejudice
and hatred can be.
4
DEMOCRACY AND HUMAN RIGHTS IN THE OSCE
OSCE/Piotr Markowski
ODIHR Director’s foreword
That is why ODIHR is working unabated to help strengthen
the institutions and processes that ensure the rule of law and
respect for human rights, observe elections, provide advice
and legal expertise to ensure the independence of the judiciary, support civil society, and build more tolerant and equal
societies that protect the rights of all citizens. ODIHR’s work
is showcased each year at the OSCE’s annual human rights
conference, the Human Rights Implementation Meeting.
In 2019, it was clearer than ever that whatever political slogans
and promises are made to the contrary, only democracies built
on trust, equality and respect for human rights can make their
societies more secure and prosperous.
You will see that this year, we have restyled our annual report to
hone in on a number of activities that demonstrate the positive
impact of our work across the OSCE region.We need to remember the many challenges the men and women who shaped
history 30 years ago faced, and learn from them that they can
be overcome. Let us reawaken the optimism of that time.
Ingibjörg Sólrún Gísladóttir