D emocracy is a cornerstone of the OSCE’s human dimension. Regardless of how much democratic experience a country has, all OSCE participating States are equal in their commitment to democratic ideals. ODIHR’s democratization work is aimed at helping participating States in their efforts to uphold this most fundamental of commitments. With this in mind, ODIHR focuses on long-term assistance programmes aimed at the policy level rather than short-term projects. ODIHR provides technical assistance to participating States upon request, where possible with and through the OSCE’s unique network of field operations. Before responding to requests for assistance, ODIHR conducts a needs assessment in order to ensure that the OSCE’s human, financial and time resources are used effectively and that ODIHR’s engagement brings genuine added value. While ODIHR’s democratization work is multifaceted, it is, in essence, about ensuring that the knowledge and expertise available for democratic reform get to where they are most needed. Over recent years, ODIHR has developed targeted areas of expertise at the heart of its institution-building mandate and has published guidelines for participating States dealing with particular areas of democratic development. These serve as a platform for the delivery of ODIHR assistance. The main priority for 2009 was the consolidation of democratization expertise to support integrated ODIHR follow-up to the final reports of election observation missions. The current areas of expertise for such follow-up engagement are: 55Population- and voter-registration issues; 55Freedom of assembly, specifically legislative reviews; ODIHR Annual Report 2009 17 Democratization