Preface – How to Use This Compilation Beginning with the Helsinki Final Act in 1975, the now 56 participating States of the OSCE region have adopted a large number of politically binding commitments relating to what has become known as the human dimension of the OSCE’s comprehensive security concept. The selection of commitments contained in the thematic and the chronological parts of this publication was made on the basis of a definition of the term human dimension as it is used today, encompassing all aspects related to human rights and fundamental freedoms; democracy, including democratic elections and democratic governance and institutions; tolerance and nondiscrimination; and the rule of law, as well as those related to national minorities, human contacts and international humanitarian law.* In addition, the compilation includes provisions for mechanisms to monitor the implementation of these commitments, as well as the basic mandates of the OSCE institutions active in the field of the human dimension. The documents used for this publication were signed or otherwise adopted by various high-level CSCE/OSCE forums. While these documents do not have the character of legally binding treaties under international law, they represent political commitments, adopted by consensus and binding on each participating State. As they are all adopted by consensus, they are, as it were, of immediate effect, are immediately applicable and can be invoked by any citizen or OSCE government directly vis-à-vis any government of a participating State. Moreover, OSCE commitments reinforce, rather than duplicate, obligations contained in international law and conventions, as they contain a commitment to implement those and to do so in good faith. The human dimension provisions contained in this compilation are laid down in the documents that emerged from summits, follow-up meetings, conferences on the human dimension and, where relevant, Ministerial Council meetings since 1975. Also included are documents that were produced by relevant expert meetings and later incorporated into the CSCE/OSCE body of commitments by other forums. While the goal of this publication is to present a comprehensive account of the OSCE’s normative basis in the field of the human dimension, no attempt has been made to produce a complete inventory of every part of a sentence that could possibly be conceived to have a human dimension aspect. It should be stressed that, while this compilation focuses on the human dimension and, therefore, human rights and democracy, OSCE commitments should always be read and understood in the context of the comprehensive security concept, which *  This definition is also reflected in the agenda of the annual OSCE Human Dimension Implementation Meeting. xiii