OSCE Mission helps Bosnia and Herzegovina combat hate crimes

SARAJEVO, 21 December 2010 - The OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina today concluded a series of roundtable meetings and other events to combat hate crimes and other bias-motivated incidents.

Hate crimes, a concern for every society, are particularly destabilizing for post-conflict societies such as Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The seven roundtable meetings, held throughout the country, aimed to raise awareness about hate crimes, and to improve responses to hate crimes from local authorities, and religious and community leaders. Other events targeted police, judges and prosecutors to improve responses to hate incidents and build confidence in the criminal justice system.

"Authorities must recognize the potential sources of hate and intolerance and respond to such occurrences decisively and effectively," said Ambassador Gary D. Robbins, the Head of OSCE Mission. "The key is systematic and co-ordinated joint action of all authorities. The OSCE Mission supports the efforts of criminal justice professionals to identify and address potential hate crimes."

The OSCE Mission works to combat hate crimes by increasing awareness about the phenomena in all parts of society and by supporting amendments to criminal legislation to provide for appropriate recognition of hate crimes. The Mission also has supported the integration of specialized hate crimes training into police curricula, and it recently published a handbook on hate crimes in Bosnia and Herzegovina together with the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights.

The Mission promotes tolerance among all citizens and communities, particularly through the enhancement of respect for human rights and the rule of law in line with its mandate.