 • Human Rights Defenders in the OSCE Region Areas of Particular Concern As this report is intended to strengthen the implementation of commitments by OSCE participating States and generate further action, it focuses on patterns of violations affecting human rights defenders that were identified during the 2006 SHDM and in the course of the ODIHR’s monitoring work. On this basis, four areas of particular concern have been identified: • Continuing physical attacks on defenders, whether actual or threatened; • The curtailment of the freedom of association of defenders; • The failure to respect and protect human rights defenders’ freedom of assembly; and • The often severe restrictions placed on the freedom of movement and right to liberty of defenders. The report further identifies specific challenges and obstacles faced by human rights defenders; it does not discuss or draw any conclusion as to the broader exercise of human rights in any state, although clearly there is a connection between the two. It should be noted that examples of specific threats faced by human rights defenders in hate-motivated incidents can also be found in the ODIHR’s 2006 annual report on hate crimes in the OSCE region.13 This report is not intended to provide a complete picture of individual cases; rather, cases cited serve as illustrations for identifying trends and patterns. Therefore, the omission from this report of any particular incident should not be interpreted as meaning that the ODIHR does not consider the victims in question to be human rights defenders. Similarly, the inclusion of any incident should not be viewed as an endorsement by the ODIHR of any of the opinions expressed or actions taken by the human rights defenders in question. It is not for defenders to prove they are “right”; it is for the state to ensure that measures limiting the exercise of human rights are necessary and proportionate, and in line with OSCE commitments and international human rights law. Follow-up Human rights defenders play an important role in promoting and protecting human rights. It is states, however, that bear the primary duty of implementing their 13 Hate Crimes in the OSCE Region: Incidents and Responses – Annual Report for 2006 (Warsaw: OSCE/ ODIHR, 2007), Part II, <http://www.osce.org/item/26296.html>.