PART III 10 OSCE INTERVENTIONS their country are made aware of serious human rights cases or issues and are given the opportunity to consider raising these with the host government. OSCE institutions concerned with human dimension issues include the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), the Representative on Freedom of the Media, and the High Commissioner on National Minorities (HCNM). The HCNM mandate precludes dealing with individual cases, but the ODIHR and the Representative on Freedom of the Media have frequently taken up cases of individual violations of human rights. Both these institutions welcome input from field operations. They may be willing to support mission efforts to resolve individual cases, or they may be ready to intervene directly, within their own mandates, on individual cases. The ODIHR and the Representative on Freedom of the Media can raise cases privately or publicly and may do so at very high levels, including with presidents. They are specifically authorized to raise cases with the Permanent Council.53 They may also be willing to visit countries specifically to follow up on human rights issues or cases. 10.4 PUBLIC STATEMENTS Public statements of concern or criticism are often the strongest step available to follow up, and seek government action on, individual cases of human rights violations. Public statements or press releases should be limited to the most serious or urgent cases of human rights violations. In general, field operations should seek action through private diplomatic channels before considering any public statement. However, in extremely urgent or flagrant cases, a mission may see a need to go public before it has exhausted other types of diplomatic action. The head of a field operation may choose to issue a public statement himself or herself or may recommend that the Chairman-in-Office or the head of an institution issue a public statement on a case. 53 Charter for European Security (Istanbul, 1999), Paragraph 36. 96