2026 Annual Meeting of ODIHR National Points of Contact on Hate Crime: Launch of ODIHR's 2025 Hate Crime Report

Accurate hate crime data is essential to understanding the experiences of affected communities, identifying patterns of discrimination and developing effective measures to prevent and respond to hate crime. Systematically identifying and recording the bias motivations behind criminal offences helps authorities strengthen investigations, support victims and ensure that hate crimes do not go unrecognized or unaddressed.

On 16 November, the International Day for Tolerance, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) will launch its 2025 Hate Crime Report, providing a comprehensive overview of hate crime data reported by OSCE participating States, alongside information on incidents documented by civil society organizations.

The report will be launched during the 19th Annual Meeting of ODIHR's National Points of Contact on Hate Crimes, taking place in Warsaw on 16 and 17 November 2026. Bringing together national experts and practitioners from across the OSCE region, the meeting will provide an opportunity to discuss the report's findings, exchange good practices and identify ways to strengthen national responses to hate crime.

The meeting will focus on improving hate crime data collection and strengthening institutional responses, with particular attention to the challenges faced by victims and affected communities.

Participants will discuss:

•⁠  ⁠Key findings of ODIHR's 2025 Hate Crime Report, including official data and incidents documented by civil society organizations
•⁠  ⁠National priorities for addressing hate crime and opportunities for further ODIHR support
•⁠  ⁠Improving the identification and recording of bias motivations, drawing on ODIHR's practical guidance on anti-Christian, anti-Semitic and anti-Muslim hate crimes
•⁠  ⁠Strengthening co-operation between law enforcement, prosecutors and other institutions involved in responding to hate crime
•⁠  ⁠Recognizing the diverse experiences and needs of hate crime victims, including through an intersectional approach and appropriate victim support
•⁠  ⁠Addressing barriers to reporting and building trust between affected communities and criminal justice institutions

Discussions will also draw on new research by the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights on hate crime data collection and introduce ODIHR's updated training materials.

Through expert presentations, interactive sessions and exchanges of national experiences, the meeting will help identify practical steps to improve hate crime recording, strengthen criminal justice responses and enhance support for victims.

The meeting will bring together National Points of Contact on Hate Crimes from OSCE participating States, national experts and practitioners, and representatives of international organizations working to prevent and address hate crime.

National Points of Contact play a key role in facilitating the exchange of information between ODIHR and national authorities, contributing to ODIHR's annual hate crime reporting and supporting national efforts to implement OSCE commitments.

Participation is by invitation only.

ODIHR's 2025 Hate Crime Report will be available from 16 November 2026 on: hatecrime.osce.org

For questions about the event, please write to Gianluca Spinato, ODIHR Hate Crime Officer at Gianluca.Spinato@odihr.pl.