Human Rights of Armed Forces Personnel Right OSCE Commitment Relevant Chapter Gender Equality [The participating States undertake to] eliminate all forms of discrimination against women, and to end violence against women and children as well as sexual exploitation and all forms of trafficking in human beings. (Istanbul 1999) Chapter 11 [The participating States recognize that] the knowledge, skills and experience of both women and men are essential to peace, sustainable democracy, economic development and therefore to security and stability in the OSCE region. (Ljubljana 2005) The Ministerial Council […] calls on the participating States to […] consider taking measures to create equal opportunities within the security services, including the armed forces […], to allow for balanced recruitment, retention and promotion of men and women. (Athens 2009) Equality and nondiscrimination [The participating States will] ensure human rights and fundamental freedoms to everyone within their territory and subject to their jurisdiction, without distinction of any kind such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status; […] [The participating States will] ensure that no individual exercising, expressing the intention to exercise or seeking to exercise these rights and freedoms or any member of his family, will as a consequence be discriminated against in any manner. (Vienna 1990) All persons are equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimination to the equal protection of the law. In this respect, the law will prohibit any discrimination and guarantee to all persons equal and effective protection against discrimination on any ground. […] Measures derogating from obligations will be limited to the extent strictly required by the exigencies of the situation […] such measures will not discriminate solely on the grounds of race, colour, sex, language, religion, social origin or of belonging to a minority. (Copenhagen 1990) 32 Chapters 9, 10, 11 and 12