IV. Improving the Effectiveness of the ODIHR’s Assistance to Participating States A. The ODIHR’s mandate to assist participating States 153. The ODIHR’s overall task is to help ensure that OSCE commitments in the human dimension are implemented in the participating States. To that end, it is mandated to gather and analyse factual information on the state of implementation and to conduct programmes that assist States to develop and uphold a democratic culture that will respect and promote the ideals expressed in those commitments. Generally speaking, the ODIHR’s assistance to States falls into four categories: (i) disseminating knowledge of the commitments; (ii) monitoring and reporting on implementation of commitments; (iii) providing technical assistance to enhance their implementation; and (iv) organizing and holding human dimension meetings to allow for collective review of implementation. 154. In its 15 years of existence, the ODIHR has grown and adapted to the rapidly evolving nature of the OSCE as a flexible and results-oriented organization. The ODIHR has been actively involved in all significant developments within the OSCE since its establishment and has become a cornerstone of human dimension work. The ODIHR has played an important role in bringing the core principles of democracy and human rights, including transparency and accountability, to the attention of the wider public. This has been facilitated by the ­ODIHR’s close connection with both the political bodies and structures in Vienna and the other institutions and field operations. Its work, in particular in election observation, has raised the profile and visibility of the Organization, arguably more than most other activities that the Organization has been engaged in. This carries a particular responsibility: the credibility of the OSCE as a whole tends to be influenced by the ODIHR’s performance in accordance with the high standards it has set for itself. 155. The human dimension encompasses the entire range of human rights, rule of law, democracy and tolerance and non-discrimination issues. Discharging the function of assisting 56 diverse countries spanning the Northern Hemisphere of the globe, and doing so in a way that is efficient, effective, and balanced, is a daunting task. It would be tempting, yet questionable, to quantify success in this field by the number of projects carried out, by the number of participants in seminars, or the number of publications produced. It is more difficult to judge how the ODIHR’s efforts have contributed to preventing conflicts and diffusing tenCommon Responsibility: Commitments and Implementation 57