Improving support to the victims of hate crimes at the heart of OSCE efforts in South-East Europe

Identifying best practices in providing support to the victims of hate crimes in South-East Europe was at the centre of a regional conference held on 23 November, organized by the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH). This event was dedicated to developing tangible domestic initiatives, and helping prevent potential cross-border spill over of hate crimes based on ethnicity or religion.

The conference brought together government and judicial officials, civil society representatives, and social workers from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia. The event included representatives from the OSCE field missions in these countries, as well as from the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights. Participants from Kosovo also attended.

Participants examined existing models to support victims of hate crimes in South-East Europe, identifying positive aspects, existing gaps, and corrective follow-up activities.

“Hate crimes in South-East Europe have many common features and patterns, one being the adverse position of the victims of hate crimes and a lack of institutional support. Ensuring respectful treatment, support and protection for the victims and their communities is an essential and often overlooked component of comprehensive hate crimes response,” said Jasna Dobricik, Head of the Human Dimension Department of the OSCE Mission to BiH.

“The goal of this conference is to help bridge the gap in support to the victims and build on available structures and resources. As professionals in different areas, we need to open this discussion and keep this issue alive and relevant for the benefit of societies in the region,” she added

The OSCE has been facilitating regional co-operation and co-ordination on hate crimes issues since 2012 to help reduce potential threats to post-conflict stability in the region.