how human rights standards work, in particular the central principles most directly relevant to developing practical counter-terrorism strategies. Sources of human rights within the manual The human rights principles and standards found in this manual are those that apply in the OSCE region, although not every standard mentioned is binding on every participating State. These standards are largely reflected in the OSCE human dimension commitments, which drew their initial inspiration from the UN human rights framework. In addition, the manual relies on Council of Europe obligations and mechanisms to protect and promote human rights, as the great majority of OSCE participating States are also members of the Council of Europe.4 Moreover, the Council of Europe has, for over fifty years, created a body of human rights law and legal principles that can be readily applied and provide a useful interpretative tool for human rights in general. OSCE commitments frequently make reference to the Council of Europe’s expertise in the field of human rights.5 Additionally, where appropriate, the work of other regional bodies such as the African Union, the Inter-American system and the European Union (EU) is reflected, as are, on occasion, the relevant decisions of domestic courts. OSCE human dimension commitments provide a consistent thread throughout this manual. These politically binding commitments represent the essential values of the OSCE, which is not only a community of values, but also a community of responsibility. OSCE participating States have recognized that pluralistic democracy based on the rule of law is the only system of government suitable to guarantee human rights effectively.6 The human rights standards referred to in this manual provide a guide to the current and developing framework of human rights applicable to counter-terrorism in the OSCE region. These consist of both “hard” and “soft” law, as well as other commitments undertaken by some or all OSCE participating States. They should help policy makers and practitioners in OSCE participating States to ensure that their own developing counter-terrorism measures are fully compliant with their OSCE human dimension commitments and international obligations. 4 5 6 Forty-seven of the 56 OSCE participating States are members of the Council of Europe, and are therefore parties to the European Convention on Human Rights. See, for example, Document of the Moscow Meeting of the Conference on the Human Dimension of the CSCE (1991 Moscow Document) para. 31: “The participating States acknowledge the extensive experience and expertise of the Council of Europe in the field of human rights.” Available at http://www.osce.org/documents. See for example, Document of the Copenhagen Meeting of the Conference on the Human Dimension of the CSCE (1990 Copenhagen Document), Preamble. Available at http://www.osce.org/documents. Countering Terrorism, Protecting Human Rights 17