4.2 HOW TO DEAL WITH AN INDIVIDUAL COMPLAINT The manner in which to deal with an individual complaint depends on the nature of the case, its sensitivity, the current political and security situation, and other considerations. In general, however, a mission should consider the following standard steps: 1) First contact When an individual complaint is made, the first step is to determine whether it is appropriate for the field mission to pursue the case. If an individual presents the complaint in person, the staff member involved should listen carefully and pose preliminary questions to ascertain basic facts and circumstances. It is also possible to ask the complainant to fill in a standardized form (a sample form is included as Annex 3 to this handbook). If the complaint arrives in written form, the mission should study the information it contains. A response should be provided to the complainant acknowledging receipt of the complaint and, if appropriate, inviting him or her to visit the mission to provide further information. Whether the complaint is lodged orally or in written form, the mission should make a careful record of the details of the allegations and the contact information of the complainant. This should be placed in an individual file that should be kept in a locked and secure filing cabinet. 2) Preliminary assessment Based on the information provided, the mission should make a preliminary assessment on whether to pursue the case further. The first point to consider is whether the complaint constitutes a violation of OSCE commitments or other international human rights standards. For example, depending on the specific circumstances, if a complaint relates to an individual’s dismissal from a job, eviction from an apartment, or a problem with collecting a pension, this may not qualify as a violation of human rights that could be legitimately pursued by the mission. On the other hand, if one of these circumstances has occurred because of an individual’s ethnicity, religion, or political activities, then it might merit followup. Chapter 5, on international human rights standards, provides basic guidance on what may be considered a violation of human rights. 37 4