ODIHR develops policies and actions to ensure gender mainstreaming and implements activities designed to improve the situation of women in the OSCE region. In order to structure its human dimension activities, ODIHR organizes regular meetings that take stock of OSCE human dimension commitments and recommends follow-up. In all its activities, ODIHR reaches out to a network of partners active in related areas, including international and local non-governmental human rights organizations, as well as international governmental organizations, in particular the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Council of Europe. B. The High Commissioner on National Minorities The OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities, established in The Hague in 1992, is tasked to identify – and seeks early resolution of – ethnic tensions that might endanger peace, stability, or friendly relations between OSCE participating States. Operating independently of all parties involved, the High Commissioner conducts on-site missions and engages in preventative diplomacy at the earliest stage of tensions. In addition to seeking first-hand information, the High Commissioner seeks to promote dialogue, confidence, and co-operation. C. The Representative on Freedom of the Media The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media assists participating States in furthering free, independent, and pluralistic media as one of the basic elements of a functioning pluralistic democracy. The Representative, whose office is in Vienna, observes media developments in all participating States and advocates and promotes compliance with relevant OSCE principles and commitments. 5. Concluding remarks The OSCE participating States have created an impressive corpus of norms and principles in the area of the human dimension. OSCE documents constitute a wealth of important human rights commitments that have marked the Organization as a leading innovator in this field. It is hoped that the present publication will further promote the knowledge, as well as the implementation, of the many, often very detailed commitments that the OSCE participating States have entered into in the sphere of human rights and fundamental freedoms, the rule of law, and democracy. xxii