Executive Summary T he present report, “Common Responsibility: Commitments and Implementation”, aims to help the OSCE community to again underscore its core collective values and recommit to them. It reinforces earlier calls to redevelop a common responsibility of participating States not only towards each other, but, even more importantly, towards their citizens as primary beneficiaries. Requested by the 2005 OSCE Ministerial Council of Ljubljana and submitted to the 2006 OSCE Ministerial Council of Brussels, the report is structured along four chapters and covers the implementation of existing commitments, possible supplementary commitments, ways of strengthening and furthering the ODIHR’s election-related activities, as well as improving the effectiveness of the ODIHR’s assistance to participating States. In preparing the report, the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) consulted closely with all 56 participating States. A decade ago, heads of state and government expressed concern about a number of serious deficiencies in the implementation of OSCE commitments. While much progress has been achieved since then, this report points out that many problems remain acute today. Indeed, it is regrettable that, 10 years after the Lisbon Summit, electoral fraud, manifestations of aggressive nationalism and xenophobia, threats to freedom of the media, involuntary migration, incomplete or stalled transition to democracy, and a climate detrimental to the full realization of, and respect for, human rights persist within the OSCE region. This report also highlights the challenges many human rights defenders still have to face today and notes the important role of national human rights institutions in this regard. The fundamental freedoms of assembly and association are at risk in a number of participating States. The implementation of commitments on these two issues needs intensified attention. Finally, the report takes stock and raises awareness of the challenges that participating States face when they engage in the fight against terrorism. Since Lisbon, several other issues of concern have emerged that need to be addressed as a matter of urgency for the OSCE to remain true to its principles, in particular the commitment to implement. New challenges, however, may require new commitments. The second chapter responds to the request of participating States to identify a number of areas where it appears that the OSCE acquis needs to be supplemented or made more explicit. Those areas where a normative response might be required and useful concern election-related challenges such as the transparency of the vote when new voting technologies are being tested and used, and the confidence an electorate needs to develop with respect to the process. Common Responsibility: Commitments and Implementation vii