OSCE/ODIHR hate crime data for 2013 now available

WARSAW, 14 November – The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) today released its data for 2013 on its Hate Crime Reporting website. The release was timed ahead of the International Day for Tolerance on Sunday, 16 November.

“This release demonstrates how the Hate Crime Reporting website transforms our ability to fulfil our mandate. Unfortunately, these data show that people continue to be targeted by hate crimes across the region,” said ODIHR Director Michael Georg Link. “Notably, the reporting now provides key observations that draw the attention of governments to potential gaps in their data collection. Of course, ODIHR is ready to assist participating States in meeting their commitments in this area.”

Launched in June, the website was created to improve access to the information ODIHR collects on hate crimes for OSCE participating States, civil society, the media and the public in general. Along with providing the data included in previous annual reports, the website allows users to cross-reference and search for data by country and bias motivation. It is also a platform for information, news and analysis related to ODIHR’s work in countering hate crimes.

The data for 2013 include information submitted by 36 participating States, as well as incidents reported by international organizations and civil society, covering a total of 45 states.

“Civil society plays a crucial role in our hate crime reporting by complementing and contextualizing official figures and, sometimes, revealing gaps in official reporting,” said Cristina Finch, Head of ODIHR's Tolerance and Non-Discrimination Department. “Civil society is a key partner for us. We work closely with them, as well as with international organizations, to help them improve their hate crime reporting.”

See http://hatecrime.osce.org/ for more information.