NEWS FROM THE ODIHR THE FIRST CSCE IMPLEMENTATION MEETING ON HUMAN DIMENSION ISSUES 17 October - 15 November, 1993 The CSCE Implementation Meeting on Human Dimension Issues took place in Warsaw September 27October 15. The meeting, the first of its kind, achieved positive results at many different levels. It reviewed implementation of the full range of CSCE Human Dimension commitments in all 53 CSCE states. Discussion was comprehensive and direct; it included not only comments from representatives of the participating states, but also contributions from several international organisations, two invited guests (from non-participating Mediterranean states), and over seventy-five non-governmental organisations. Participants in the meeting also included the CSCE Chairman-in-Office and her personal representatives, the CSCE Secretary General, the High Commissioner for National Minorities, heads of CSCE missions, as well as the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Poland. This high level of participation was a clear indication of the continued relevance of the Human Dimension to the CSCE states and to a broad spectrum of institutions and individuals. In addition to reviewing implementation of commitments in the participating states, the meeting analysed the performance of the new CSCE institutions in serving the needs of these states in all areas of the Human Dimension. Perhaps most important, it considered ways to improve existing CSCE procedures and mechanisms. A full description of the discussion and debate may be found in the attached reports prepared by the rapporteurs of the meeting's subsidiary working bodies. These reports, incorporating suggestions for improvements, are being forwarded by the Implementation Meeting to the CSCE's Committee of Senior Officials for further action. Political upheavals occurring at the same time as the meeting -- and the CSCE's response to these events -- provided vivid proof of the continued relevance and immediacy of the Human Dimension. In the midst of the political crisis in Moscow, the Russian government invited the ODIHR and the CSCE Parliamentary Assembly to be deeply involved in national elections now scheduled for December. In addition, the Georgian government used the meeting as the venue for an urgent appeal for heightened CSCE Human Dimension involvement in the country. All in all, the Implementation Meeting provided the participating states with a substantial amount of new ideas, including specific recommendations for a wider and more effective implementation of CSCE commitments in individual states and concrete suggestions for the further improvement of the CSCE's Human Dimension activities. At the end of the meeting, delegations underlined the central importance of the Human Dimension in the CSCE process and the usefulness of this meeting. SUBSIDIARY WORKING BODY 1 CLUSTER I The first cluster dealt with: Freedom of thought, conscience and religion or belief; Freedom of expression and free media; Freedom of association and peaceful assembly; Freedom of movement; and Education and culture. While participants agreed that notable progress had been made towards achieving compliance with these basic commitments, significant shortcomings were highlighted as well. Concerns were raised the CSCE ODIHR BULLETIN Vol. 2, No. 1 39