sions, as the results of such work often only take effect in the long term. Often, success can be gauged in indirect ways only. 156. Of course, there are situations where the ODIHR has been able to mediate between political forces or offer concrete solutions to urgent questions. Its advice usually enjoys high standing in debates, particularly in countries in transition. Its election observation reports have served as an objective and common point of reference for electoral contestants to navigate their way through an election. The general response the ODIHR receives, paired with the increasing demand for its advice and involvement, indicates that the ODIHR serves the participating States well in what it has been built for. 157. This overall satisfaction with the accomplishments of the past 15 years should not make the ODIHR and its staff, or OSCE States, complacent. As any international institution, particularly as a pioneer in what was often uncharted territory for the international community, the ODIHR continues to learn its lessons and acknowledges that processes always lend themselves to improvement. The ODIHR has opened itself to change in order to maintain its flexible and relevant edge. 158. The ODIHR was designed as an institution with wide operational autonomy in order to protect it from daily political interference or from succumbing to a politicized approach in its activities. In fact, nothing would harm the ODIHR more were it to provide grounds for the accusation that it lacks independence from political pressure or that its findings and advice have been motivated by anything other than serving the OSCE community as a whole in the spirit of the commitments undertaken by all. The report of the Panel of Eminent Persons has reinforced the conclusion that the very structural setting for the ODIHR is fundamental to the implementation of its mandate. Institutions can only be efficient and effective if they retain their relative autonomy under the general leadership and guidance of the Permanent Council. 159. The very essence of an institution in this Organization is that it is free from polarization and not subject to political pressures, but rather that it can focus on the reliable, predictable, and long-term implementation of its mandate and tasks. The ODIHR reports to participating States on the implementation of its mandate and the use of resources provided for that purpose; it has done so diligently and with increasing transparency made possible in particular through technological advances. In fact, the ODIHR has probably been the most closely observed and scrutinized part of the OSCE in recent years. 160. Assistance provided can take the form of direct technical assistance within the OSCE framework (see below), but it can also be channelled, sometimes more effectively, through other more specialized development-oriented international partners. Such assistance is often time-sensitive, as windows of opportunity for change tend to be limited. The ODIHR has therefore also understood its role as a conduit and facilitator for such assistance. 161. However, for any technical assistance to be meaningful, a willingness to implement central OSCE commitments on human rights and democratic rule is essential. Rhetorical expressions of allegiance to all commitments cannot suffice. The international community has, therefore, developed ways of establishing the facts behind any particular government’s 58 Common Responsibility: Commitments and Implementation