Publications

The migration of people is a timeless phenomenon integral to human society. Whether motivated by the need to flee conflict, or by the desire to seek a better quality of life elsewhere, the movement of people across national borders is inevitable. Usually migration brings a range of positive benefits, both for countries of origin and of destination. However, the process of adapting to life in a new country, particularly for those who may have had difficult journeys, is not always easy. The integration of migrants into society should be seen as a two-way process, involving efforts by the migrants themselves and those in destination host countries. This training manual is intended for use during training courses for government officials; members of parliament; representatives of national, regional and local authorities; social partners and civil society actors involved in developing, implementing and reviewing migrant integration policies in the OSCE region. The overall aim of this manual is to support OSCE participating States in implementing policies and practices that meet relevant OSCE commitments and international legal standards in the field of migrant integration. It does so by building the capacity and raising the awareness of those involved in migrant integration policies and processes.

The migration of people is a timeless phenomenon integral to human society. Whether motivated by the need to flee conflict, or by the desire to seek a better quality of life elsewhere, the movement of people across national borders is inevitable. Usually migration brings a range of positive benefits, both for countries of origin and of destination. However, the process of adapting to life in a new country, particularly for those who may have had difficult journeys, is not always easy. The integration of migrants into society should be seen as a two-way process, involving efforts by the migrants themselves and those in destination host countries. This training manual is intended for use during training courses for government officials; members of parliament; representatives of national, regional and local authorities; social partners and civil society actors involved in developing, implementing and reviewing migrant integration policies in the OSCE region. The overall aim of this manual is to support OSCE participating States in implementing policies and practices that meet relevant OSCE commitments and international legal standards in the field of migrant integration. It does so by building the capacity and raising the awareness of those involved in migrant integration policies and processes.

While the definition and scope of the term “foreign terrorist fighter” (FTF) is controversial, in recent years it has been commonly used to refer to individuals who have travelled from their home states to other states to participate in or support terrorist acts, including in the context of armed conflict, especially in Iraq and Syria. This document seeks to provide states with recommendations, and supporting analysis, on some of the key human rights issues that they must grapple with as they seek to respond to the threats posed by FTFs in a manner that is consistent with human rights and the rule of law. Following a brief overview of background facts, international and national responses, this document offers a series of recommendations for a human rights-compliant approach to addressing the flow and return of FTFs.

This paper was prepared by the OSCE’s Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR). It updates The Death Penalty in the OSCE Area: Background Paper 2017. It is intended to provide a concise update to highlight changes in the status of the death penalty in OSCE participating States since the previous publication and to promote constructive discussion of the issue. It covers the period from 1 April 2017 to 31 March 2018.

The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media and its staff observe media developments in the 57 participating States and promote compliance with OSCE media freedom commitments. 

This leaflet provides guidance to Ukrainians on safety issues to pay attention to in order to minimize risks of becoming a victim of traffickers, they are being distributed in print across the country as part of an awareness raising campaign #CounterAct Against Trafficking in Human Beings,

The bulletin is a summary of information obtained from the first instance courts in relation to discrimination cases, and from the annual reports of the Anti-discrimination Commission, and the Ombudsman Institution from 2017. It provides data on cases of discrimination and activities of the state institutions and civil society organizations in the field of prevention and protection against discrimination, and it also provides the institutions with recommendations for improvement of the current situation. Not available in English.

Christians of various denominations are targets of hate crime across the OSCE region. The nature of hate crimes against Christians ranges from attacks on property, including graffiti and vandalism, to physical assaults. This factsheet highlights how hate crimes affect Christians, and helps readers to effectively identify anti-Christian hate crimes. Only a strong response from all actors in societies can effectively challenge discrimination, intolerance and hate crimes against Christians.

Within the framework of the Cyprus Dialogue project, the OSCE RFOM Office has supported the creation of a glossary of some of the phrases commonly used by the two communities, which may be sensitive.

Analytical report on the findings of the monitoring of judgements on application of the European Convention on Human Rights and the case-law of the European Court of Human Rights, carried out by the NGO “Institute of Applied Humanitarian Research” within “Safeguarding Human Rights through Courts” project of the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Ukraine with the financial support from Global Affairs Canada. Available in Ukrainian only.