At the occasion of the 15th Ministerial Council of the Organisation of Security and Co-
operation in Europe (OSCE) which takes place in Madrid the 29th and 30th November,
2007, the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) has submitted a position
paper to the OSCE Ministers of Foreign Affairs, urging them to reinforce the human
dimension of the Organisation.
FIDH calls upon the Ministerial Council to adopt the draft Decision on Human Rights
Defenders and National Human Rights Institutions so that the Office for Democratic
Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) be given the ability to develop protection activities
towards human rights defenders. Furthermore, the Ministerial Council should reaffirm the
principle of strong OSCE election observation missions and consider ways to increase
their efficiency and visibility. FIDH requests the adoption by the Ministerial Council of a
decision allowing unhindered access of lawyers, medical personnel, national and OSCE
observers to detention centres. Finally, the OSCE Ministers of Foreign Affairs should
undertake an annual review of cases of serious non-compliance with OSCE commitments
at Ministerial Councils and define plans of actions to be followed-up at Permanent Council
sessions.
FIDH considers that the 2007 Ministerial Council offers an excellent opportunity to assess
the work done regarding the Human Dimension, as well as to address the remaining
challenges such as recent attempts by some OSCE participating States to restrict NGO
participation and weaken election observation missions as well as to interfere with the
mandate and the work of the ODIHR.
«A strong Human Dimension is a prerequisite for a strong OSCE. We call upon the
Organisation to strengthen its action in the field of human rights : the issues of death
penalty, torture, freedom of the media shall be efficiently addressed, activities relating to
human rights defenders shall be developed, the question of migrants shall be dealt with,
urgently» said Ms. Souhayr Belhassen, FIDH President.