Democratization Armenian Prosecutor General Aghvan Hovsepyan, Head of the OSCE Office in Yerevan Sergey Kapinos, Armenian Justice Minister Gevorg Danielyan and Deputy Chief of OSCE/ODIHR’s Rule of Law Unit Vasil Vashchanka (left to right), at a workshop in Yerevan on reform of criminal procedure, 19 November. (OSCE/Gayane Ter-Stepanyan) Gender Equality and Women’s Participation in Politics OSCE participating states have committed themselves to the promotion of gender equality as a basic tenet of democratic societies. Across the OSCE region, however, women’s participation in political and public life is hindered by institutional and social barriers that undermine women’s rights to full and equal political engagement. Transforming gender equality into a reality requires that states strengthen legal frameworks, national mechanisms and political processes to promote women’s participation and protect their rights. Migration and Freedom of Movement The fact that modern populations are more mobile than at any point in history poses a number of challenges, including the integration of migrants into the societies to which they move, the development of population-registration systems that respect freedom of movement and comply with international human rights standards, and in relation to cross-border crime, such as trafficking and terrorism. Numerous OSCE commitments call on the participating States to facilitate the movement of people and to protect the human rights of all migrants. Activities ODIHR’s democratization activities can be divided into three basic areas: »» Rule of Law and Legal Reform »» Democratic Governance and Participation in Public Affairs: and »» Migration and Freedom of Movement Rule of Law and Legal Reform The challenges faced by countries working to strengthen the rule of law in the OSCE area are formidable, including poor infrastructure, underfunded and insufficiently trained judicial and legal personnel, and lack of awareness of existing legislation. These challenges highlight the importance of setting proper priorities for governments genuinely interested in advancing the rule of law and its underlying values. Progress depends on their political will and ability to lead by example in preserving a culture where no one is above the law, the government serves ODIHR Annual Report 2010 21