225. On a regional level, the African Union, the Organization of American States, and others have adopted a considerable body of both political and legal commitments on what is referred to in the OSCE as the human dimension. Many have also begun to conduct election observation and are engaged in electoral assistance. The ODIHR has been requested frequently by relevant partners to provide advice and expertise. While the ODIHR sees considerable potential in such a form of co-operation, it cannot expand these activities without the provision of commensurate resources. OSCE States should enable the ODIHR, as well as the other institutions, to be effective. Three steps should be taken in this regard: first, States should demonstrate the necessary political will to prepare the ground for effective assistance work; second, States should provide an enabling environment for the ODIHR to continue its work unhampered by unnecessary constraints; third, States should equip the ODIHR with sufficient resources to carry out all the mandates and tasks assigned to it by the States. u The Chairman-in-Office should further encourage participating States to make use of the assistance offered by OSCE institutions; u States should re-examine the idea of establishing a flexible, temporary, and focused mechanism to examine specific issues or cases; u The OSCE should further engage with Partners for Co-operation and promote knowledge about, and visibility of, OSCE standards; u The OSCE should reach out more proactively to the wider network of organizations and initiatives and use its valuable expertise to promote democracy and human rights around the globe. The ODIHR will: u Further identify areas and issues that should be of concern for the OSCE community, in particular by bringing them to the attention of the Chairman-in-Office, the Permanent Council, and a possible Human Dimension Committee; u Continue to reach out to the general public and disseminate relevant materials and information on its work in the human dimension and on the OSCE human dimension commitments, including by translating the OSCE Human Dimension Commitments into other languages; u If provided with adequate resources, enhance co-operation with the Mediterranean and Asian partners; u Enhance the collection and preservation of past and present expertise. In turn, field operations are encouraged to make more use of the ODIHR as a depository of successful strategies, methodologies, and projects in the human dimension. 74 Common Responsibility: Commitments and Implementation