Overview
ODIHR plays a unique role in the OSCE’s overall
mandate, working towards a region in which
resilient and effective democratic institutions
work in the interest of the people, in which strong
civil society organizations and coalitions engage
in meaningful dialogues with the state and with
society, and in which the voices of all are heard
and the rights of all are respected.
The OSCE commitments remain the basis of
ODIHR’s work, and are more important than ever.
However, as challenges continue to multiply, and
in its efforts to provide successful and sustainable
support to participating States in making their
human dimension commitments a reality across
the OSCE region, ODIHR has developed a new
programmatic strategy. Finalized in 2019, it aims
to ensure the ongoing relevance of the Office’s
work to the challenges the OSCE region is facing
in the human dimension, and at the same time
provide the strongest possible support to participating States to overcome them.
OSCE/Piotr Dziubak
Ever since ODIHR’s inception, it has provided
support, assistance and expertise to participating
States and civil society to promote democracy,
the rule of law, human rights and tolerance and
non-discrimination. Indeed, the rule of law and
its core principle that judiciaries must operate
free from undue influence is a cornerstone of
the Office’s human rights and democratization
activities. At the same time, ODIHR has gradually
expanded the reach of its activities to countries
with longer democratic traditions, in recognition
of the fact that no democracy and no election is
perfect, and also that this is the only way to tackle
challenges to human rights that go far beyond
national borders, from terrorism through to
human trafficking.
ODIHR 2019
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