Foreword
The OSCE participating States committed themselves to protect and respect
human rights in the fight against terrorism as early as the Madrid Meeting in
1983. This approach reflects the OSCE comprehensive and cross-dimensional
concept of security, which recognizes that security goes beyond politico-military issues to fully encompass economic, environmental and human rights
issues. Efforts to counter security threats should, therefore, be undertaken in
all three OSCE dimensions of security: the politico-military dimension, the
economic and environmental dimension, and the human dimension.
The OSCE views security as anchored in the respect for human rights, democracy and the rule of law, and relates the maintenance of peace to the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms. Similarly, the 2006 United
Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy places respect for human rights
and the rule of law at the very core of any counter-terrorism measures. In
the 2012 OSCE Consolidated Framework for the fight against terrorism,13 the
OSCE participating States strongly reaffirmed that such an approach is wellsuited to address challenges posed by terrorism and ensure the respect for the
rule of law, human rights and fundamental freedoms.
The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) is
the principal OSCE institution within the human dimension and assists the 57
OSCE participating States in fulfilling their human dimension commitments.
The Strategic Police Matters Unit of the Transnational Threats Department
in the OSCE Secretariat assists participating States in police development,
reform of criminal justice systems, law enforcement co-operation and efforts
to combat organized crime in line with the OSCE Strategic Framework for
Police-Related Activities and the OSCE Concept for Combating the Threat of
Illicit Drugs and the Diversion of Chemical Precursors.
13
OSCE Permanent Council, Decision No. 1063, “OSCE Consolidated Framework for the
fight against terrorism”, Dublin, 7 December 2012, <http://www.osce.org/pc/98008>.
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