HUMAN DIMENSION MEETINGS  //  63 IN THE SPOTLIGHT HDIM’S OPENING DEBATE ON KEY ISSUES THAT THREATEN THE HUMAN DIMENSION OF THE OSCE REGION – HOW SHOULD THE OSCE RESPOND? The opening plenary session of the HDIM featured a high-level panel on key issues that threaten the human dimension in the OSCE region and how the OSCE should respond to them. The panel opened with a video statement by prominent Russian human rights defender Lyudmila Alekseeva, the Chairperson of the Moscow Helsinki Group. Two panelists continued the discussion: Claudia Luciani of Council of Europe and Jonathan Cohen of Conciliation Resources. The debate was moderated by Annabelle Chapman, a Warsaw-based journalist. The panel discussed a number of issues, including whether “winter is coming” for human rights and democratic standards, how to reduce the risk of conflict in the OSCE area, how to balance and ensure that human dimension is not neglected and what can be done by the OSCE and its participating States to protect the human dimension. Claudia Luciani, Director of Democratic Governance at the Council of Europe's Directorate General of Democracy and Jonathan Cohen, Executive Director of Conciliation Resources, discuss key issues that threaten the human dimension in the OSCE region and how the organisation should respond during a high-level panel moderated by journalist Annabelle Chapman. The panel was part of the Opening Plenary Session of the OSCE Human Dimension Implementation Meeting in Warsaw on 11 September 2017. (OSCE/Piotr Dziubak). HIGHLIGHT SUPPLEMENTARY HUMAN DIMENSION MEETING One of the highlights in 2017 was the Supplementary Human Dimension Meeting on Access to Justice as a Key Element of the Rule of Law, which was held on 16-17 November in Vienna, Austria. The meeting provided a rare opportunity for substantial discussions to be held between participating States on trends, challenges and good practices with regard to people’s rights and ability to seek and obtain judicial remedies. The meeting, organized by ODIHR in co-operation with the Austrian OSCE Chairmanship and the OSCE Office of the High Commissioner on National Minorities (HCNM), brought together 165 participants. To emphasize the importance of the adequate representation of women and minorities in the judiciary as an element of equal access to justice ODIHR also organized a side event on to present “Recommendations for enhancing gender equality and ­diversity in justice systems”.