Human Rights dred OSCE staff from all field operations, the Secretariat, and institutions attended courses in 2006. OSCE III. Human rights and the armed forces Legal and military experts discuss protecting human rights in the armed forces, Berlin, 7-8 September. relevant government authorities their value as future partners for co-operation. Another project developed in 2006 involved a four-stage training course for civil society activists on planning and carrying out human rights monitoring. Conducted in Armenia and Tajikistan, the project equipped new civil society activists from outside of the capitals with the skills needed to work actively and effectively on human rights issues. To encourage the alumni of the programme not only to continue working as monitors but also as trainers, passing on their knowledge, skills, and values to others, a trainthe-trainer session for a mixed Armenian-Tajik group was held in Ukraine in October. Participants will comprise the core team of trainers for planned projects in Tajikistan and Armenia. Training OSCE staff In 2006, the ODIHR continued offering a quarterly course for OSCE field staff working in the areas of human rights, rule of law, democratization, and elections. Four four-day sessions were held in Warsaw, covering issues such as human rights monitoring, human rights in the fight against terrorism, rule of law, anti-trafficking, Roma and Sinti issues, democratic governance, legislative assistance, gender mainstreaming, elections, and national minorities, which was introduced for the first time last year in cooperation with the Office of the High Commissioner on National Minorities. Around a hun- 56 Annual Report  Armed forces are an integral part of a democratic state and society. By fulfilling their defence and national-security functions, the armed forces play a key role in creating an environment that allows citizens to enjoy the human rights and fundamental freedoms to which we are all entitled. As representatives of the state structure, armed forces personnel are bound to respect human rights and international humanitarian law in the exercise of their duties. The ODIHR’s programme is based on the premise that, when the human rights of armed forces personnel are respected within their own institution, they in turn will be more likely to uphold human rights in the discharge of their tasks both in the barracks and during operations. As citizens in uniform, armed forces personnel, whether professional or conscripted, are entitled, so far as is consistent with military life, to the same human rights and fundamental freedoms as other citizens. However, the exercise of their rights is often subject to excessive restrictions because of a perceived conflict between human rights and military effectiveness. Furthermore, there may be a discrepancy between the legal rights of armed forces personnel and whether or not these rights are enjoyed and protected in practice. Physical and psychological violence such as bullying and “hazing” of new recruits by other soldiers are some of the most common human rights violations that occur in the armed forces. Although laws and regulations prohibiting such practices often exist, it is their practical implementation that proves most difficult. In 2006, the ODIHR launched a new programme on human rights and the armed forces. The core of the programme is the development of a handbook that presents an overview of legislation, policies, and mechanisms for ensuring the protection and enforcement of the human rights and fundamental freedoms of armed