Workshop on understanding and improving hate crime recording and data collection in Berlin

The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), in co-operation with the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA), is organizing a workshop in Berlin on 7 June 2023 as part of its support to OSCE participating States in improving hate crime recoding and data collection.

During the workshop, representatives of Berlin’s Federal Police, Prosecutor’s Office and Germany’s Ministry of the Interior will work alongside ODIHR and FRA experts to review the existing framework for hate crime recoding and data collection, identify gaps, discuss potential solutions and propose improvements. Invited civil society representatives will have the opportunity to share their experiences and challenges when registering hate crimes with the police in Berlin.

Through group work, participants will be able to identify the necessary changes that will allow police and prosecutors to record and collect hate crime data more effectively. The workshop is expected to stimulate discussion on how to adapt good practices in hate crime data collection to the federal context.

Background

Hate crime data collection is the first step in efforts to address hate crime, an integral part of promoting inclusive societies based on tolerance and non-discrimination. Comprehensive, accurate and reliable data, disaggregated by bias motivation, helps strengthen understanding of the nature and prevalence of hate crimes, identify specific needs of hate crime victims and develop targeted responses.

Through its practical tools and tailored assistance programmes, ODIHR supports OSCE participating States in building and strengthening the policies and capacities of national institutions and other structures to collect data on hate crime.