The Human Dimension of the OSCE: An Introduction A. The Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights Originally established as the Office for Free Elections in 1990, the OSCE’s Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), based in Warsaw, is the main institution of the OSCE for the human dimension. The 1992 Helsinki Document set the ODIHR’s mandate to help OSCE participating States “ensure full respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, to abide by the rule of law, to promote principles of democracy and … to build, strengthen and protect democratic institutions, as well as promote tolerance throughout society.” In accordance with its mandate and tasks contained in a variety of documents, the ODIHR promotes democratic election processes through the in-depth observation of elections and conducts election assistance projects that enhance meaningful participatory democracy and assists OSCE participating States in the implementation of their human dimension commitments by providing expertise and practical support in building up democratic institutions. This is done through longer-term programmes to strengthen the rule of law, democratic governance, and civil society. It also assists OSCE field missions in their human dimension activities, through training, exchange of experiences, and regional co-ordination, and contributes to early warning and conflict prevention by monitoring the implementation of OSCE human dimension commitments by participating States. For this purpose, it also provides regular human rights training for government authorities, civil society, and OSCE staff. The ODIHR also assists participating States with the implementation of international legal obligations and OSCE commitments on anti-terrorism in compliance with international human rights standards and in implementing their commitments on tolerance and non-discrimination. In this context, it also supports efforts to respond to, and combat, hate crimes and incidents of racism, anti-Semitism, and other forms of intolerance, including against Muslims. The ODIHR serves as the OSCE Contact Point for Roma and Sinti Issues and seeks to promote the full integration of Roma and Sinti groups into the societies in which they live. In all its activities, the ODIHR develops policies and actions to ensure gender mainstreaming and implements activities designed to improve the situation of women in the OSCE region. In order to structure its human dimension activities, it organizes regular meetings that take stock of OSCE human dimension commitments and recommends follow-up. In all its activities, the ODIHR reaches out to a network of partners active in related areas, including international and local non-governmental human rights organizations, as well as international governmental organizations, in particular the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Council of Europe. B. The High Commissioner on National Minorities The OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities, established in The Hague in 1992, is tasked to identify — and seeks early resolution of — ethnic tensions that might endanger peace, stability, or friendly relations between OSCE participating States. Operating independently of all parties involved, the High Commissioner conducts on-site missions and engages in preventative diplomacy at the earliest stage of tension. xxii OSCE Human Dimension Commitments