ODIHR has been specifically mandated to assist OSCE participating States in ensuring the compliance of their counter-terrorism initiatives with OSCE human dimension commitments and international human rights standards. The 2018 OSCE-wide Counter-Terrorism Conference on “The Reverse Flow of Foreign Terrorist Fighters (FTFs): Challenges for the OSCE Area and Beyond”, convened by the Italian OSCE Chairmanship in Rome on 10-11 May 2018, recommended that OSCE executive structures continue to effectively mainstream the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms, as well as gender considerations, as an integral part of all OSCE activities related to FTFs.4 It is against this backdrop, and on the basis of its mandate, that ODIHR aims to provide support and guidance, from a human rights perspective, to OSCE participating States on how they can respond to FTF-related threats and challenges. We hope that this publication will facilitate dialogue between the broad range of state and non-governmental actors involved in counter-terrorism efforts,5 and lead to further exchanges of experiences and good practices between states. This process should help to promote comprehensive, coherent6 and human rights compliant responses to this multi-dimensional issue. Ingibjörg Sólrún Gísladóttir Director, OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights 4  See: “Chairmanship’s Perception Paper: Recommendations from the 2018 OSCE-wide Counter-Terrorism Conference on ‘The Reverse Flow of Foreign Terrorist Fighters (FTFs): Challenges for the OSCE Area and Beyond’, Rome, 10-11 May 2018”, Italian OSCE Chairmanship, CIO.GAL/90/18, 20 July 2018, p. 5, (hereafter, Chairmanship’s Perception Paper on the 2018 OSCE-wide Counter-Terrorism Conference). 5  “Ministerial Statement on Supporting the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy”, OSCE, MC.DOC/3/07, 3 December 2007, para. 22, (hereafter, OSCE Ministerial Statement on Supporting the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy). 6  OSCE Ministerial Declaration on FTFs, op. cit., note 2, para. 8. Guidelines for Addressing the Threats and Challenges of “Foreign Terrorist Fighters” 7