EUROPEAN COURT OF HUMAN RIGHTS IN ACTION / Alla Tymofeyeva (ed.)

field, including inter alia the International Covenants on Human Rights, by which they may be bound.” Principle VIII emphasizes the equality of rights and self-determination of peoples. The Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) is the principle body for promoting human rights within the OSCE. It is based in Warsaw (Poland) and was created in 1990 as the Office for Free Elections; it changed to its current name in 1992. Freedom of religion or belief, anti-terrorism, and rights listed in the so-called Moscow Mechanism are some of the priority areas for the ODIHR. The ODIHR also promotes the rule of law, prevention from torture, freedom of movement, gender equality and spreading democracy throughout South Eastern Europe. The Contact Point for Roma and Sinti Issues (CPRSI) falls under the jurisdiction of the ODIHR. It was established in 1994 in Warsaw. The Contact Point helps the Roma and Sinti (“Gypsy”) populations of Europe, which number approximately 15 million, integrate into the societies in which they live while maintaining their own identities. The CPRSI facilitates dialogue between OSCE institutions, Roma and Sinti groups, and national governments. The High Commissioner of National Minorities (HCNM) was established in 1992 following the end of the Cold War and the breakup of the Soviet Union (USSR) when there was a great need to protect ethnic minorities. The HCNM primarily addresses minority issues before they evolve into serious problems. The HCNM writes recommendations to governments and also discusses these recommendations with the Permanent Council - the main decision- making body of the OSCE - from which the Commissioner receives the most political support. The Commissioner maintains confidentiality with member states, but has discretion over what information to share with the Permanent Council. Moreover, the Representative on Freedom of the Media was established in December 1997 to “address serious problems caused by, inter alia , obstruction of media activities and unfavourable working conditions for journalists.” Unlike the High Commissioner on National Minorities, the Representative on Freedom of the Media is not a mediator. Instead, the Representative serves as an advocate promoting compliance with OSCE principles on freedom of expression and the media. The Representative gives early warnings on violations, while concentrating on issues of serious non-compliance. In the case of non-compliance, the Representative contacts the state involved, tries to discern the facts of the situation, and attempts to resolve the issue. The Representative responds as quickly as possible to the gravest violations of freedom of the media, including hazardous working conditions or an inability to report freely. 2.2 European Union The European Union (EU) is a union of democratic European countries. Its member states have set up common institutions to which they delegate some of their sovereignty so that decisions on specific matters of joint interest can be made democratically at the European level. Decisions and actions are based on EU treaties, which were signed by all member states. Heads of member states meet at least twice a year at the European Council to determine the agenda for the European Union. The European Union is based on a strong commitment to promoting and protecting human rights, democracy and the rule of law worldwide. Human rights are at the heart of EU relations with other countries and regions. EU policy includes: 1) promoting the rights of women, children, minorities and displaced persons; 2) opposing the death penalty, torture, human trafficking and discrimination; 3) defending civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights; 4) defending human rights through active partnership with partner countries, international and regional organisations, and groups and associations at all levels of society and 5) inclusion of human rights clauses in all agreements on trade or cooperation with non-EU countries. The main EU human rights treaty is the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union . It was first drafted in June 1999 with the goal of including all of the rights pertaining to

EUROPEAN COURT OF HUMAN RIGHTS IN ACTION

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