DEMOCRATIZATION Ambassador Andrey Sorokin (l), Head of the OSCE Office in Yerevan, Hovhannes Manukyan (c-l), Armenian Minister of Justice, Hovhannes Sahakyan (c-r), Chairman of the Standing Committee on State and Legal Affairs of the Armenian National Assembly, Nathalie Tagwerker (r), Deputy Head of the ODIHR Democratization Department presenting the assessment report on legislative procedure in Yerevan, Armenia, 30 October. Photolure Strengthening Capacity for Legislative Reform ODIHR reviews state legislation in the human dimension upon request and provides opinions and comments with recommendations aimed at bringing individual laws or draft laws in line with international human rights standards and OSCE commitments. In 2014, ODIHR published 19 legal reviews for 11 OSCE participating States. The legal reviews focused on a variety of issues, such as freedom of religion or belief, criminal procedure codes, independence of the judiciary, combating violence against women and domestic violence, political party regulation, housing rights and torture, as well as new subject areas such as police reform, anti-corruption laws, and combating cybercrime. In 2014 the main geographical focus of ODIHR’s legislative assistance was on Western and Eastern Europe, with legislative reviews conducted for Austria, Latvia, Malta, ­Slovakia and Ukraine. ODIHR collaborates closely with other OSCE institutions and international or regional organizations, such as the Council of Europe’s Venice Commission, in providing legislative assistance. Four joint opinions on draft laws pertaining to the judiciary and to political parties were conducted in co-operation with the Venice Commission. ODIHR also participated in two assessment missions organized by the Venice Commission to provide background for the drafting of two joint opinions on draft laws on the disciplinary liability of judges in Moldova on 11 and 12 February in Chisinau, and on 20 May in ­Bishkek, respectively. ODIHR also organized and participated in a number of follow-up events to discuss its legal opinions and recommendations with key stakeholders in OSCE participating States: on 24 June in Tashkent, relating to the definition of torture under the Criminal Code; on 27 June in Chisinau, relating to the evaluation of judges; and on 24 November in Podgorica, relating to violence against women, domestic violence and compensation for crime victims. During these follow-up meetings, state counterparts committed to incorporate ODIHR’s recommendations in ongoing and upcoming legal reform processes. As a result of the Office’s legislative assistance, draft and existing legislation was amended or is in the process of being amended to reflect ODIHR’s recommendations. For instance, following two ODIHR opinions produced in 2013 on the anti-discrimination legal framework of Montenegro, a new Law on Prohibition of Discrimination was adopted in 2014 that incorporates the majority of ODIHR’s recommendations, particularly those regarding the definition of harassment and discrimination and on the structure of the law. In Ukraine draft ­anti-corruption laws were revised to reflect key recommendations made by ODIHR in earlier legal opinions. Also, the Parliament of Montenegro informed ODIHR that many of the recommendations the Office made on the legal framework for preventing and combating violence against women and ODIHR Annual Report 2014 29