rights of persons with disabilities, the rights of military and law enforcement personnel, as well as particular human rights problems in the field of civil and political, economic, social and cultural rights. Some focus their work on the development and observance of the international normative framework for the protection of human rights; others provide services to victims or seek to empower individuals to claim their rights. Some engage more in advocacy and public campaigning; others in monitoring, reporting and uncovering abuses. Many human rights defenders work across borders, some of them with the aim of enhancing the protection of human rights worldwide, while others focus on a particular country or region.11 7. Anyone promoting and striving for the realization of human rights is a human rights defender – regardless of profession, age or other status or whether they are carrying out their human rights activities individually or jointly with others, as part of an informal group or a non-governmental organization (NGO), or whether they act in a voluntary capacity or professionally. Lawyers, trade unionists, staff of national human rights institutions (NHRIs), journalists, medical professionals, public servants and students, among others, can be human rights defenders. 8. The only requirement is that human rights defenders conduct their activities by peaceful means and that they recognize, in accordance with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), the universality of all human rights for all, “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.”12 9. OSCE participating States have confirmed the rights of everyone to know and act upon their rights and duties, as well as the positive role that organizations and people can play in achieving the respect of peace, justice and well-being necessary to ensure the development of friendly relations and co-operation between participating States.13 They have also committed to recognizing as NGOs “those which declare themselves as such.”14 10. When developing national policies or strategies for the protection of human rights defenders, participating States should apply a broad definition of the term “human rights defender” based on the UN Declaration. 11  For a more detailed overview of the range of typical activities and a description of the term “human rights defender”, see “Human Rights Defenders: Protecting the Right to Defend Human Rights”, Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHRCR), Fact Sheet No. 29, April 2004, <http://www.ohchr.org/Documents/Publications/FactSheet29en.pdf>. 12  The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), Article 2, <http://www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/ index.shtml>. 13  Helsinki 1975. 14  Document of the Moscow Meeting of the Conference on the Human Dimension of the CSCE, Moscow 1991, para. 43. Guidelines on the Protection of Human Rights Defenders 25