PART III 9 DOMESTIC REFERRALS  The judicial system: Most human rights violations entail violations of domestic law, as well as international standards. In such cases, it can be logical for complainants to take their cases to court. Missions receiving individual complaints should consider whether the legal system in the country provides a reasonable channel to provide redress for a specific kind of human rights violation. If so, it can be appropriate to refer the individual complainant to the courts and to provide basic information such as how to initiate the legal process. Some countries have public-defenders offices that assist individuals with human rights complaints; in such instances, these may be appropriate points for referral. If free or low-cost legal services are available in the country, the mission could refer the complainant to these for assistance. In some countries, “legal clinics” exist – in some cases established with OSCE/ODIHR assistance – that are designed to provide free legal advice for people who cannot afford to hire lawyers;  Non-governmental organizations: Many countries have an effective network of NGOs that can provide assistance to victims of human rights violations. In some cases, these include human rights NGOs, which can give helpful advice on how to proceed with an individual complaint at the national level. They may also include NGOs that specialize in specific aspects of human rights, e.g., the human rights of women, and so are in a position to offer more specialized advice and assistance. Some NGOs provide social services relevant to victims of human rights violations, e.g., shelters for victims of domestic violence or centres for the treatment of victims of torture. All of these can be valuable resources for victims and can provide services in fields that are usually beyond the means even of large missions;  Other international organizations: Although not strictly speaking a “domestic” remedy, a number of international organizations other than the OSCE may be based in a country and may help provide solutions or services for victims of human rights violations. Some of these have been mentioned previously. For example, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees may be able to provide assistance to refugees. The International Organization for Migration and the United Nations Children’s Fund sometimes have programmes to assist victims of trafficking. The International Committee of the Red Cross can often assist prisoners, can sometimes help trace disappearances, and frequently has programmes to assist refugees and internally displaced persons in conflict situations. OSCE missions should become familiar with the other international organizations working in their host country and the extent to which the local offices of these organizations might be in a position to assist individual victims of human rights violations. While it often may be useful to refer a victim to another international organization if that organization is in a position to 84