[ Human Rights ]
Law-enforcement officers participating at a training session in Zajecˇar, Serbia, on increasing awareness of
women’s security issues at the local level, 10 November 2011. (OSCE/Andreea Vesa)
Activities
Support for Human Rights Defenders and
National Human Rights Institutions
In 2011, ODIHR continued to work with civil society
actors to build their capacity to monitor and report on
the human rights situation in participating States.
During the first six months of 2011, ODIHR supported the efforts of a Georgian NGO, the Human
Rights Centre, to carry out systematic monitoring of
assemblies. Monitors trained by ODIHR observed 75
assemblies in Tbilisi and other parts of the country.
Their preliminary findings were compiled in a comprehensive report, prepared by the Human Rights Centre
and to be published in early 2012. Its recommendations
should form the basis for dialogue with authorities on
strengthening the freedom of assembly.
From 1 to 3 February, ODIHR delivered training in
Bishkek on human rights monitoring to 21 civil society representatives, mainly from Bishkek and southern
Kyrgyzstan, the area most affected by ethnic violence in
2010.
ODIHR organized a roundtable on monitoring freedom of assembly on 13 May in Chisinau, Moldova, with
the participation of civil society actors from Armenia,
Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova and Serbia. During the
roundtable, past experiences were evaluated in order
to provide input for future monitoring activities by
civil society and OSCE actors. Training on freedom of
assembly and the policing of assemblies was delivered
to 18 police chiefs and representatives of the Ministry
of Interior of Armenia on 17 May in Yerevan. On 5 and
6 September, ODIHR organized, jointly with the OSCE
Office in Baku, training for 22 civil society representatives on international standards relating to freedom
of association, with a focus on registration standards.
On 1 and 2 December in Belgrade, ODIHR organized,
jointly with the OSCE Mission to Serbia, training on
assembly monitoring for Serbian civil society. Given the
positive feedback on the training, Serbian NGOs are
expected to take on additional monitoring functions in
the area of freedom of assembly in 2012.
ODIHR also launched two new tools on freedom of
assembly and association in 2011. The Handbook on
Monitoring Freedom of Peaceful Assembly, available
in English and Russian, is a guide for groups undertaking independent monitoring of assemblies in their
countries. The Handbook draws on established good
practices in monitoring assemblies and on training programmes for NGOs supported by ODIHR in
various participating States. AssociatiOnline, a webbased interactive guide to freedom of association for
ODIHR Annual Report 2011
43
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