ODIHR can provide support to NHRIs in the OSCE participating States, depending on specific needs.

Based in Warsaw, Poland, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) is the human rights institution of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), the world’s largest regional security organization. All OSCE States have recognized that lasting security can only be achieved through respect for human rights and strong democratic institutions. This is why they have committed to a comprehensive catalogue of human rights and democracy standards, which form the basis of what the OSCE calls the human dimension of security.  

ODIHR is mandated to assist the 57 participating States of the OSCE in strengthening their democratic institutions, upholding the rule of law, and increasing respect for human rights throughout the diverse societies of the region. Among its many activities, the Office observes elections, monitors respect for human rights and rule of law, and provides expert advice and support throughout the OSCE area on issues ranging from strengthening gender equality to improving judicial processes.  

In 1990, participating States pledged to “…facilitate the establishment and strengthening of independent national institutions in the area of human rights and the rule of law…” (Copenhagen Document, 1990). Based on this commitment, ODIHR works with and supports the work of NHRIs in the OSCE region through various means, for example, by providing capacity building and expertise; organizing expert meetings; and providing legal reviews on national legislation.

• Public support: Depending on the situation, ODIHR may decide to publish a statement or to raise the matter with the wider public via its social media channels. Joint statements are sometimes an option. 
• Private and diplomatic engagement: ODIHR raises issues related to NHRIs and threats against them on a regular basis when engaging with OSCE participating States, other inter-governmental organizations, civil society, NHRI networks, and other relevant stakeholders. ODIHR may also send letters of concern or inquiry to the participating States concerned; such communications are not public.
• Legal reviews: NHRIs can request ODIHR to provide legal analyses of draft and existing legislation on any human dimension topic, including NHRI legislation, for an assessment of compliance with OSCE human dimension commitments and international human rights standards. More specifically, ODIHR has provided guidance to align NHRI legislation with the UN Paris Principles. ODIHR legal reviews also include examples of good practices from other OSCE participating States and provide concrete recommendations for improvement. Upon request, ODIHR may also prepare a note outlining or clarifying specific legal issues, for example on ‘foreign agents’-type of legislation, or provide a comparative overview of good legislative practices in a specific legal area. In urgent situations, ODIHR may expedite the preparation of its legal reviews. On some topics, ODIHR prepares joint legal opinions with the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe. 
  All ODIHR legal opinions are published on the ODIHR website and in its online legislative database (legislationline.org). 
  The NHRI can request legal reviews by official letter to the ODIHR Director at office@odihr.pl. The request should contain: a clear identification of the existing or draft law(s) to be reviewed; a mention of the timeline within which the legal review would be needed; and an attachment of the laws or draft laws to be reviewed, ideally in English.
  Further information on how to request legal reviews is available here or can be obtained from ODIHR’s Focal Point for NHRIs at NHRIs@odihr.pl. 
• Policy and expert advice, recommendations and capacity building: ODIHR’s guidance tool “Strengthening the Resilience of National Human Rights Institutions and Responding to threats” draws on the experience of NHRIs around the world to explain how both leaders and staff can build and maintain long-term resilience and prepare themselves to respond to threats. It outlines 12 factors that contribute to the resilience of an NHRI and gives advice on strengthening resilience in practice. The guide also provides checklists for resilience management planning and for developing an action plan for threat response. 
  Based on this guidance tool, ODIHR has also developed step-by-step guides for facilitators within NHRIs on resilience assessment, resilience building, risk assessment and risk management. Conducting these self-assessments and developing resilience building and risk management plans should enable an NHRI to sustain its operations while facing threats. ODIHR organizes online webinars with experts in these fields on how to conduct these assessments, offering a space for NHRIs to exchange experience and information on their resilience processes.
  ODIHR continues to work on these topics and remains available to share tools and expert advice to NHRIs upon request. 

ODIHR supports the work of NHRIs from OSCE participating States through a wide variety of means, such as expert advice, policy guidance and recommendations; legal opinions; capacity building and training; and by engaging with NHRIs during monitoring and country visits. 

Capacity building  

Jointly with ENNHRI, ODIHR annually organizes the NHRI Academy, a unique capacity building event for NHRIs from across the OSCE region. Beyond the annual NHRI Academy, ODIHR also provides ad hoc capacity-building support to NHRIs, directly addressing their needs, as well as training on other topics related to the work of NHRIs. For example, ODIHR organises training courses for human rights defenders and NHRI representatives on independent monitoring of freedom of peaceful assembly; independent detention monitoring; and mainstreaming gender in the oversight of the security sector including in preventing and addressing sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV). 

Monitoring  

ODIHR monitors the situation of NHRIs in OSCE participating States by keeping abreast of developments, engaging with partners, meeting NHRIs and organizing peer-exchange events. In addition, in 2021, ODIHR conducted the first ever OSCE-wide mapping of threats against NHRIs. 

In-country missions  

As part of its monitoring work on the situation of human rights defenders, and based on the standards elaborated in the ODIHR Guidelines on the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, ODIHR conducts country-specific assessments on the implementation of those standards by participating States. NHRIs are some of the key interlocutors and contributors to this work. See for example the “Situation of Human Rights Defenders in Selected OSCE Participating States”, published in 2021 and including visits to the Czech Republic, Georgia, Italy, Mongolia and Montenegro. Another example is the country report on Bosnia and Herzegovina, published in 2024.  

ODIHR also regularly conducts freedom of peaceful assembly monitoring missions in OSCE participating States, in which ODIHR directly observes assemblies and meets with law enforcement, organizers, NHRIs and civil society in the framework of the monitoring visit. ODIHR publishes reports of its findings that can be useful in other countries, for example the Office’s reports on monitoring freedom of peaceful assembly. 

Expert advice and tools 

ODIHR provides expert advice to NHRIs through various means, such as organizing conferences, meetings, and seminars to facilitate the sharing of experience among NHRIs. ODIHR also develops publications and other knowledge-based products, which can prove useful for the work of NHRIs. ODIHR’s NHRI-related publications are: 

• OSCE/ODIHR, Strengthening the Resilience of National Human Rights Institutions and Responding to Threats – Guidance Tool, 2022 (Warsaw); 
• OSCE/ODIHR, National Human Rights Institutions in a Public Emergency: A Reference Tool, 2020 (Warsaw); 
• OSCE/ODIHR, Handbook for National Human Rights Institutions on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality, 2012 (Warsaw). 

ODIHR’s detention monitoring-related publications: 

• OSCE/ODIHR, Quick Guide on Preventing and Addressing Sexual and Gender-Based Violence in Places of Deprivation of Liberty, 2024 (Warsaw); 
• OSCE/ODIHR, Introduction to the Nelson Mandela Rules International Training Programme, Trainer’s Manual, 2023 (Warsaw); 
• OSCE/ODIHR, Protecting Human Rights in Prisons while Preventing Radicalization Leading to Terrorism or Violence: A Guide for Detention Monitors, 2021 (Warsaw); 
• OSCE/ODIHR, Integrating the Issue of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence in Detention Monitoring: A Guidance Note for Oversight Mechanisms, 2021 (Warsaw); 
• OSCE/ODIHR, ODIHR guidance: Monitoring Places of Detention through the COVID-19 pandemic, 2020 (Warsaw); 
• OSCE/ODIHR, Preventing and Addressing Sexual and Gender-based Violence in Places of Deprivation of Liberty: Standards, Approaches and Examples from the OSCE Region, 2019 (Warsaw); 
• OSCE/ODIHR, Guidance Document on the Nelson Mandela Rules: Implementing the United Nations Revised Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners, 2018 (Warsaw). 

Legislative assistance: 

• OSCE/ODIHR, Requesting Legislative Assistance from ODIHR; 
• OSCE/ODIHR, Guidelines on Democratic Lawmaking for Better Laws, 2024 (Warsaw); 
• OSCE/ODIHR, Legislative Guidelines (the rights to freedom of religion or belief; freedom of peaceful assembly; freedom of association and political party regulation). 
• All ODIHR legal reviews and lawmaking assessments are available at www.legislationline.org.  

Human Rights Defenders: 

• OSCE/ODIHR, The Situation of Human Rights Defenders in Bosnia and Herzegovina: Good Practices and Protection Gaps, 2024 (Warsaw); 
• OSCE/ODIHR, Starlight Stadium (educational game on human rights monitoring methodology), 2024; 
• OSCE/ODIHR, E-course on Trauma-Informed Interviewing: Skills and Techniques for Monitors, 2023; 
• OSCE/ODIHR, The Situation of Human Rights Defenders in Selected OSCE Participating States, 2021 (Warsaw); 
• OSCE/ODIHR, “The Responsibility of States”: Protection of Human Rights Defenders in the OSCE Region (2014–2016), 2017 (Warsaw); 
• OSCE/ODIHR, ODIHR Guidelines on the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, 2014 (Warsaw); 

Freedom of Peaceful Assembly: 

• OSCE/ODIHR, The Right to Monitor Assemblies in the OSCE Region: Experiences from the Field, 2024 (Warsaw); 
• OSCE/ODIHR, E-course on Independent Monitoring of Freedom of Peaceful Assembly, 2024; 
• OSCE/ODIHR, 6th Report on Monitoring of Freedom of Peaceful Assembly in Selected OSCE Participating States, 2025 (Warsaw); 
• OSCE/ODIHR, Guide on Law Enforcement Equipment Most Commonly Used in the Policing of Assemblies, 2021 (Warsaw); 
• OSCE/ODIHR, Handbook on Monitoring Freedom of Peaceful Assembly: Second Edition, 2020 (Warsaw).