Efforts by international organizations to counter hate crime the focus of OSCE/ODIHR training event in Warsaw

Increasing co-operation between international organizations and sharing good practices to counter hate crime were the focus of a two-day training event organized by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) in Warsaw on 20 and 21 August 2015.

During the event, 28 participants from international organizations and OSCE field operations learned about ODIHR's approach to hate crime, explored the nature and impact of these acts, shared good practices based in their ongoing efforts and identified areas to strengthen their work locally.  

"Our training helps foster a common understanding of hate crime among different organizations. We can then work with participants to see how they can best apply our approach to hate crime in their daily work," said ODIHR Hate Crime Officer Aleš Gião Hanek. "This can help us have a common understanding, if not a common approach, to this problem."

A special section of the event focused on efforts undertaken by international organizations in Ukraine, as part of ODIHR's efforts to promote a co-ordinated approach to human rights issues in that country. Participants discussed current efforts and challenges in Ukraine, as well as the best way international organizations can support local authorities and civil society groups.

The training event included participants from OSCE field operations based in Ashgabat, Bishkek, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Moldova, Montenegro, Serbia, Skopje, Astana, Ukraine and Uzbekistan, as well as from the OSCE Mission in Kosovo. The event also brought together representatives from the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the Ukrainian charitable foundation "The Right to Protection."