Enhancing co-operation with the OSCE’s Mediterranean Partners in the Human Dimension

Participants at a working session on justice and legal reform during the OSCE-Mediterranean Partner Countries’ Conference for Civil Society, Vilnius, Lithuania, 4 December 2011. (OSCE/Velimir Alic) Photo details

At the 2011 Ministerial Council in Vilnius, OSCE participating States decided to further enhance the OSCE’s co-operation with its Mediterranean Partners − Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Morocco and Tunisia − through broadening dialogue, intensifying political consultations, strengthening practical co-operation and further sharing good practices and experience.

The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights assists Mediterranean Partners for Co-operation in their democratic transition by sharing good practice and providing expertise in election observation, promoting political participation and gender equality.

Within this framework, since 2011, ODIHR has increased its engagement with OSCE Mediterranean Partners for Co-operation in accordance with its mandate through the extra-budgetary “Programme on Increasing Understanding of the OSCE Human Dimension”. The programme includes a number of projects and activities designed to facilitate the transfer of ODIHR expertise in the fields of elections, democratization and human rights, as well as to support dialogue, exchange of good practice and knowledge transfer between OSCE participating States and the Mediterranean Partners for Co-operation.

ODIHR provides a platform for exchange of experiences to government officials and civil society in the OSCE Mediterranean Partners for Co-operation, and assists them in their efforts to meet international and OSCE standards in the Human Dimension.

Official delegations and civil society representatives from OSCE Partners for Co-operation are welcome to participate in all mandated human dimension events: Human Dimension Implementation Meetings, Human Dimension Seminars and Supplementary Human Dimension Meetings.

OSCE Human Dimension events are forums where representatives of participating States, NGOs and international organizations and institutions discuss the implementation of human dimension commitments that were adopted by consensus at prior OSCE Summits or Ministerial Meetings.