conference in Belgrade, “Activism, Participation, Security”, represented a continuation of ODIHR’s work to encourage the participation of Roma and Sinti youth in their communities. Other activities carried out by the Contact Point included a joint roundtable in Chisinau with United Nations agencies and the Council of Europe on Roma women’s political participation. Countering anti-Semitism was the focus of a high-level commemorative event in November, co-organized by ODIHR, the Swiss OSCE Chairmanship and the German Federal Foreign Office, designed to mark the 10th anniversary of the OSCE’s Berlin Conference on Anti-Semitism. The adoption of the Declaration on Enhancing Efforts to Combat Anti-Semitism at December’s OSCE Ministerial Council reaffirmed existing commitments and reiterated the determination of participating States to pursue common efforts throughout the OSCE region. ODIHR remains committed to its mandate and role in promoting comprehensive security, especially during times of crisis, by supporting the work of governments and civil society. This is a short overview of ODIHR’s many activities in 2014, the following pages present a much more comprehensive description, with special focus on our work in Ukraine throughout the year. I encourage you to browse through it to discover what may not always be the most publicly visible, but certainly is one of the most important aspects of the OSCE’s work to make our region more secure. Michael Georg Link Director OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights Launched in June, ODIHR’s new hate crimes reporting website highlights the continued need to improve the collection and recording of reliable data, such as on victim groups targeted and perpetrators, in order to support the efforts being made in many participating States to combat these crimes. The website will enable better access to more upto-date information on advances in this effort. The Office carried out 12 election-observation activities in ten participating States and Afghanistan in 2014. The May early presidential election in Ukraine was ODIHR’s largest deployment in its history, with over 1,200 observers from 49 participating States. ODIHR produced 45 election-related reports, including final reports providing recommendations on how electoral processes can be improved in relation to OSCE commitments and other international standards for democratic elections. The Office’s observation methodology continued to evolve in response to emerging trends in elections, with the revised Handbook on Observing and Promoting the Participation of National Minorities in Electoral Processes, published in co-operation with the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities, which provides guidance to experts focusing on national minority participation, by analysing factors affecting their inclusion and representation, as well as to observers monitoring the electoral process. ODIHR Annual Report 2014 9