ANNUAL REPORT 2004 Human Rights The challenge of providing security in times of a global courage critical thinking, and develop skills that con- terrorist threat was the focus of discussion at a work- tribute to respect for, and protection of, human rights. shop that the ODIHR organized in Copenhagen in A society educated in human rights is more likely to be March. Particular areas of concern included data pro- committed to protecting those rights and more likely tection, the problem of the root causes of terrorism or to build a comprehensive culture of human rights. conditions that give rise to terrorism, and the issue of preventing terrorism by developing capabilities on the Training and education constitute a strong instrument international level to identify potential threats emerg- for preventing conflicts and human-rights violations. ing from governments and terrorist groups. Workshop As this is a key factor in achieving and maintaining participants also noted that there is a need to protect human security, this has, in recent years, become one the rights of individuals in relation to information- of the priority areas of the ODIHR’s human-rights pro- gathering tactics used by governments and security gramme. agencies. In 2004, the ODIHR focused its education and training The ODIHR also presented a food-for-thought paper activities on providing support to staff of OSCE field entitled “Preventing and Combating Terrorism: The missions, increasing the capacity of NGOs to monitor New Security Environment” at the second annual OSCE human-rights protection and violations, and raising Security Review Conference. The paper highlights the awareness among government authorities of the over- imperative of protecting human rights while counter- all situation of human rights in their respective coun- ing terrorism and makes a number of recommenda- tries and the rest of the OSCE region. tions, including that the OSCE seek to formalize its endorsement of the Council of Europe’s Guidelines on Human Rights and the Fight against Terrorism and that the Organization increase its efforts to address the un- Supplementary Human Dimension Meeting derlying factors causing terrorism and extremism. on Human-Rights Education and Training In an effort to address the rising threat of religious and The first OSCE Supplementary Human Dimension political extremism, the ODIHR and the OSCE Centre in Meeting for 2004 was devoted to human-rights Almaty, in co-ordination with the OSCE’s Action against education and training. The meeting took place Terrorism Unit, organized a roundtable in Almaty on 1- on 25-26 March in Vienna, bringing together 190 2 July on combating extremism. This was the first of participants, including 50 representatives of 44 what is expected to be a series of events to be held in non-governmental organizations. The objective 2005. The meeting was conducted with the participa- of the meeting was to consolidate ongoing ef- tion of the Council of Europe’s Venice Commission. forts to promote human-rights education and training in the OSCE region. The topics selected 3. Human-rights training and education for discussion included formal human-rights education, human-rights education in school curricula, human-rights education and training of public Education and training in the field of human rights can officials, and informal human-rights education. be used to encourage respect for the dignity of all human beings. Activities can increase knowledge, clarify values, promote solidarity, change attitudes, en- 57