Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights
Encyclopedia
The Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) is the principal institution of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) dealing with the "human dimension" of security. The office, originally named Office for Free Elections, was created in 1990 by the Charter of Paris and established in 1991. The name of the office was changed in 1992 to reflect the broadened mandate it received at the 1992 Helsinki Summit.

The ODIHR, based in Warsaw
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...

 (Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...

) is active throughout the 56 participating States of the OSCE. It assists governments to live up to their commitments as participating States of the OSCE in the areas of elections, human rights, democracy, rule of law, and tolerance and non-discrimination. The office also hosts the organisation's Contact Point for Roma and Sinti Issues
Contact Point for Roma and Sinti Issues
The Contact Point for Roma and Sinti Issues is the main structure within the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe assisting governments in implementing their commitments relating to the rights of Roma and Sinti populations...

.

The ODIHR is best known for its role in observing elections
Election monitoring
Election monitoring is the observation of an election by one or more independent parties, typically from another country or a non-governmental organization , primarily to assess the conduct of an election process on the basis of national legislation and international standards. There are national...

. It has observed over 150 elections across the OSCE region and has deployed some 35,000 observers.

The office organises the annual OSCE Human Dimension Implementation Meeting
Human Dimension Implementation Meeting
The Human Dimension Implementation Meeting is a human rights and democracy conference held by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe on an annual basis in Warsaw ....

 in Warsaw, Europe's largest human rights conference.

The ODIHR's Director is Ambassador Janez Lenarčič
Janez Lenarčič
Janez Lenarčič is a Slovenian diplomat and the current Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights.He began his diplomatic career in 1992 with the Foreign Ministry...

 (Slovenia
Slovenia
Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...

). The office has a staff of close to 150.

ODIHR Directors

  • Janez Lenarčič
    Janez Lenarčič
    Janez Lenarčič is a Slovenian diplomat and the current Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights.He began his diplomatic career in 1992 with the Foreign Ministry...

    (Slovenia): 2008-
  • Christian Strohal (Austria): 2003-2008
  • Gérard Stoudmann (Switzerland): 1997-2003
  • Audrey Glover (United Kingdom): 1994-1997
  • Luchino Cortese (Italy): 1991-1997
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