ODIHR, Bosnia and Herzegovina sign agreement on combating hate crime

SARAJEVO, 1 September 2008 - The OSCE's human-rights body, the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), signed a memorandum of agreement today with Bosnia and Herzegovina's Ministry of Security. The agreement outlines a framework for ODIHR to provide training and other assistance to Bosnian police on how to recognize and combat hate-motivated crimes.

"In taking this step, the government of Bosnia and Herzegovina has not only made it clear that hate-motivated crime is unacceptable in one country, it is also providing an example to other countries in the OSCE region," said Toralv Nordbo, ODIHR's First Deputy Director.

ODIHR has been providing training to police forces on combating hate crime since 2005. Currently under way in seven different participating States, the training programme teaches police officers to recognize, respond to, record, and report on hate crimes in a variety of circumstances. In addition, officers are taught how to engage with communities that have been victimized by hate-motivated crime.

Several of the countries that have taken part in this programme have made hate-crime training a part of the regular curriculum in their police academies.