Safeguarding human rights must be a priority, OSCE human rights office says

WARSAW, 22 February 2022 – The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) expresses profound concern at the events unfolding in Eastern Ukraine, and emphasises the need to uphold and safeguard the human rights of all.

In fragile security situations, it is more important than ever that both international humanitarian and human rights law are upheld, when it is often the most vulnerable in our society who suffer first and most severely. It is therefore vital that every effort is made to ensure that the human rights of individuals are protected and that those responsible for violations are held accountable.

The OSCE is founded on the concept that the protection and promotion of human rights is a precondition for security. All 57 countries of the OSCE have acknowledged that “respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, democracy and the rule of law is at the core of the OSCE’s comprehensive concept of security” (Maastricht 2003).

ODIHR calls on all countries of the OSCE to adhere to the commitments, including in the human dimension, to which they have all agreed.