HUMAN RIGHTS  : :  29 Quebec City, Canada, 8 June 2018. A team of monitors from ODIHR observing a public assembly during the 2018 G7 summit. (OSCE/Maria Kuchma) Attempts to reduce the enjoyment of human rights and the space for public expression continued in 2018, often in the name of promoting security and stability. Dissenting views and rule of law safeguards continued to be restricted in some places, while rhetoric undermining human rights as our common and shared norms was heard increasingly in political discourse across the OSCE region. These negative trends were met by the mobilization of human rights defenders from all walks of life who, despite the challenges and risks, continued their efforts to advocate for human rights and assist those whose rights have been violated. Placing a strong emphasis on partnerships with other OSCE structures, and international and civil society organizations, ODIHR continued to provide advice, assistance and capacity-building training to participating States, national human rights institutions (NHRIs) and civil society, in order to advance human rights protection and promotion.