Tolerance and Non-discrimination V iolations of human rights and fundamental freedoms, including the freedom of thought, conscience, religion or belief, and manifestations of hate and intolerance threaten stability and security in the OSCE region. While OSCE participating States have undertaken numerous commitments since 1990 to combat racism, xenophobia, anti-Semitism, and related intolerance, including against Muslims, much work remains to be done to foster democratic and pluralistic societies, where ethnic, cultural, and religious diversity is not only tolerated, but is truly respected and valued. Tolerance and non-discrimination have been among the priorities developed under each of the two previous OSCE chairmanships. Bulgaria headed the Organization in 2004, a year that saw three high-level conferences in this field, as well as the appointment of three Personal Representatives of the Chairmanship dedicated to particular aspects of tolerance and non-discrimination, and the creation of a separate Tolerance and Non-discrimination Programme at the ODIHR. Under Slovenia’s leadership in 2005, the Chairman-in-Office reappointed the three Personal Representatives for another year. The OSCE also organized a high-level conference on anti-Semitism and other forms of intolerance, where implementation of OSCE commitments pertaining to tolerance and non-discrimination was reviewed. vandalism. Responding to hate crimes is problematic for a number of reasons. To begin with, most states lack accurate data about the nature and extent of hate crimes, which means that law enforcement and criminal-justice agencies are not armed with the information needed to combat such crimes. This is often compounded by an absence of legislation specifically on hate crimes, making it difficult to prosecute such cases. From left: ODIHR Director Amb. Christian Strohal; Amb. Janez Lenarcic, represent- k Freedom of religion or belief: Across the OSCE region, many individuals and groups face restrictions on their right to freedom of religion or belief. Problems include discrimination against individuals in the workplace and public services, defamation campaigns against minority religions or belief groups, the disruption or prohibition of worship even in private homes, censorship of religious literature, and imprisonment of those who object to military service on religious grounds. These restrictions may be a direct result of state legislation and policies, or, in other cases, they may arise as a result of a lack of protective action from state authorities, often in the face of a dominant religious ing the OSCE Chairman-inOffice; Amb. Carlos Sanchez de Boado, representing the host government; and Amb. Omur Orhun, Personal Representative of the Chairman-in-Office on Combating Intolerance and Discrimination against Muslims, at a press conference during the OSCE Conference on Combating Anti-Semitism and Other Forms of Intolerance, which was held on 8-9 June in Cordoba, Spain. k Hate-motivated crimes and violent manifestations of intolerance: Hate crimes, the most insidious manifestation of intolerance and discrimination, involve violent expressions of biases that may take the form of assault, murder, threats, or property damage, such as arson, desecration, or ANNUAL REPORT 2005 OSCE/URDUR GUNNARSDOTTIR Main Issues 65