OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR)

Women face growing violence online. As the #16Days of activism against gender-based violence begin today around the world, we invite you to join our webinar to discuss the challenges and find solutions. 📅 When: Monday, 2 December, 11-12 CET 🎤 Guest: Elina Nikulainen, expert on tackling digital violence, will share tips to boost safety and resilience online. Register via the link in the comments.

Wow! Young people are impressive ❤️ 💪 Follow us on LinkedIn and together we'll hear more from them 🚀 Today it's a wrap for the ODIHR and Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung School on Politics, Leadership and Advocacy. Who wants to join us next year? Drop a line in the comments 😍 

Inspirational. This is how participants describe meeting Poland's former President, Lech Wałęsa. He spoke about how his experience leading the Solidarity movement in the 1980s has lessons for defending democracy today. Over the next two days, at the ODIHR-organized DoP conference in Gdańsk, election experts from more than 30 organizations will share their experiences and plans for the coming year. Learn more about the conference - link in the comments. 📷 OSCE/Michał Algebra

Let’s invest in the next generation of leaders and strengthen democracy today and for the future 💪🌍 Today, ODIHR, in partnership with the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung, proudly launches its 2024 School on Politics, Leadership and Advocacy to empower young politicians and activists from across the OSCE region. Participants will gain vital skills such as: 👉 Negotiation and public speaking 👉 Running election campaigns 👉 Teamwork and leadership 👉 Critical thinking and analysis These young leaders bring integrity, fresh perspectives, and democratic values to the table — essential for strengthening democratic governance. By giving them the tools to drive change, they can shape their future where youth voices lead policy and uphold democratic principles. Big thanks to EU Neighborhood & Enlargement, France, Italy and Norway for their generous support. 📷 OSCE/Piotr Dziubak

On the eve of the International Day for Tolerance, we are launching our annual hate crime report. Hate crimes send a message of exclusion and sow divisions in society. Out today, ODIHR’s 2023 Hate Crime Report highlights the gap between the impact of #HateCrime and the lack of hate crime prosecution. Our launch in Vienna takes place alongside the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights and hate crime experts from across the OSCE. Explore the report now and join us for an online presentation with a live Q&A on Tuesday 19 November 10:30 am CET. Go to comments for links to the report and registration. PS. What work do you do to fight hate crime? 📷 OSCE/Micky Kroell

Good laws are vital for strong democracies. For 20 years, ODIHR has been helping states across the OSCE region ensure their laws are in line with international #HumanRights and rule of law standards. PS. To find out more about our 500+ legal reviews, check out the carousel and the link in the comments section ⬇️

This Friday, 15th November, ODIHR launches its annual hate crime report — the largest dataset on hate crime in the world. Hate crimes leave deep scars — on individual people and on entire communities. Yet too often, hate crimes are under-reported, overlooked or not recognized and not prosecuted for what they are. This year’s report highlights a significant gap: challenges in prosecuting hate crime. Explore the report this Friday at hatecrime.osce.org, and join us for an online presentation with a live Q&A on Tuesday 19 November 10:30 am CET. Registration details are in the comments below.

The most rewarding thing is exchanging experience with professionals in the field and seeing the materials we designed become part of their daily work. Last week, ODIHR had the privilege of contributing to a training of trainers course on combating hate crimes organized by the Gendarmerie Nationale in France. This initiative reflects a major effort by French law enforcement to address hate crimes effectively and respond to victims with respect and sensitivity. Through this collaboration, our resources — focused on the respectful treatment of victims — will now be distributed to future trainers across France. These trainers will, in turn, educate their peers, ensuring that a ripple effect of knowledge spreads throughout the regions. 📷 Tomasz Filipiak

Violence against women active in political life is a growing problem across the OSCE region and beyond. But to ensure all society is represented, #women’s full participation in political life is crucial. How can we address violence against women in politics? Learn more from our toolkit, теперь доступны также на русском языке: https://buff.ly/4eVuQ71

We learn from human rights defenders as much as they learn from us. From 29 to 31 October, ODIHR organized training for human rights defenders working at international borders in South Eastern Europe on the use of new technologies in border control and migration management. We were inspired. Human rights defenders actively challenge harmful practices, advocate for the rights of people on the move and often risk their own safety to protect others. Understanding how new technologies affect the rights of people crossing international borders helps to protect them better. #HumanRights defenders ask questions, bring their own experience and look for practical ways they can use what they learn during training in their own activities, advocating for rights at borders.