Human Rights k Human rights and the armed forces: Armed forces personnel are entitled to the same rights and freedoms as all other people, subject to certain limitations imposed by military life. However, the extent to which they are able to enjoy their human rights and fundamental freedoms differs widely across the OSCE region. This may be due to restrictions on the exercise of certain rights, or it may also be due to the existence of legislative and regulatory shortcomings and the lack of appropriate control mechanisms for the protection and enforcement of these rights. k Human rights, women and security: The ODIHR’s work in the area of women and security is based on UN Security Council Resolution 1325. This resolution of 2000 expresses concern that women and children account for the vast majority of those adversely affected by armed conflict, reaffirms that women have an important role in the prevention and resolution of conflicts and in peace-building, and stresses the need to increase their role in decision-making with regard to conflict prevention and resolution. Activities In 2006, the ODIHR conducted activities under the following programmes: k Human rights and anti-terrorism; k Human rights training and education; k Human rights and the armed forces; k Monitoring compliance with human dimension commitments; k Anti-trafficking; and k Human rights, women and security. I. Human rights and anti-terrorism A state’s failure to respect human rights and the rule of law in the fight against terrorism can add to the sense of injustice and persecution felt by some sectors of society and thereby exacerbate conditions conducive to the recruitment of terrorists and the furtherance of violent extremism. Prosecution of terrorist suspects that does not respect human rights may lead to miscarriage, or denial, of justice; thus, not only may the real 54 Annual Report  perpetrators of terrorist acts enjoy impunity, but this may also undermine the confidence of the population at large in the state’s ability to protect them. Allegations of serious human rights violations by the state, such as torture and the illegal use of lethal force, can serve to bolster extremist discourse, while state actions that suppress political and religious groups prevent democratic discussion of issues and can force dissent to take other more radical forms. The ODIHR helps participating States address the threat of terrorism in a way that respects human rights. For example, the ODIHR conducts a training programme for senior public officials that brings together policy makers from various ministries to raise awareness about the relevant international standards and to assist them in applying these standards in their daily work. This training is designed to allow policy makers to discuss and develop multifaceted strategies to prevent and combat terrorism. In 2006, national training courses were carried out in Belgrade and Astana and more are planned for 2007. As an additional tool for policy makers, the ODIHR is currently finalizing a manual on human rights and counter-terrorism that provides in-depth background on the rights at stake in counter-terrorism and the relevant standards that apply in the OSCE region. Recent experience has shown that international co-operation in the fight against terrorism can compromise human rights and fundamental freedoms. There have been numerous examples that show that there are gaps in human rights protection when counter-terrorism measures cross borders. These include issues such as prolonged detention without trial or the transfer of individuals and lack of information related to their whereabouts. Many of the issues that arise involve complex questions of international and comparative law and highlight the intersection of international criminal, human rights, refugee, and humanitarian law, as well as the overlap of international and regional legal frameworks in the OSCE region. One ODIHR activity in 2006 therefore aimed to provide a forum for discussion of these issues

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