DEMOCRATIZATION SUPPORT FOR OSCE PARTNERS FOR CO-OPERATION ODIHR further enhanced its co-operation with the OSCE Partners for Co-operation, in line with its mandate and an OSCE Ministerial Council decision. Within this framework, ODIHR implemented a programme to increase understanding of the OSCE Human Dimension in the Mediterranean Partner countries, providing support in the fields of elections, legislative assistance, parliamentary strengthening, women’s political participation, gender equality and human rights. ODIHR provided legislative assistance in the fields of political parties, freedom of assembly, national human rights institutions and anti-terrorism. ODIHR legal opinions examined compliance of legislation with OSCE commitments and other international human rights standards, and included recommendations on how to enhance such compliance. The opinions were followed up with consultative meetings with key government authorities, including the Ministry of Human Rights and Transitional Justice and the National Constituent Assembly of Tunisia. Another important component of ODIHR’s support to Mediterranean Partners consists of promoting the political participation of women and youth, and enhancing gender equality within political institutions, including political parties and parliaments. To this end, ODIHR contributed expertise at a number of events on women and youth participation in politics, organized by government bodies, international organizations, and civil society. On 29 May in Tunis, ODIHR presented its work on enhancing women’s representation in parliaments to 35 representatives of the Tunisian National Constituent Assembly, followed by consultations with the Ministry of Human Rights and Transitional Justice on protecting and promoting women’s rights and gender equality. The Office also supported capacity-building initiatives to develop the skills of women candidates and youth leaders, in co-operation with the Tunisian School of Politics, the Center of Arab Women for Training and Research, UN agencies and other international organizations. ODIHR also fostered the exchange of knowledge and experience between civil society and government representatives from the Mediterranean Partner for Co-operation States and representatives from the OSCE region, through mandated ODIHR activities, including the annual Human Dimension Implementation Meeting. Participants from the Mediterranean Partner countries also took part in ODIHR training activities, including in courses on short-term and long-term election observation and expert workshops on election observation reporting and political parties. Over the year, ODIHR implemented a total of 28 activities, involving 481 civil society and government representatives from Mediterranean Partners for Co-operation. 38  /   ODIHR Annual Report 2013