ODIHR event highlights importance of data, partnerships and comprehensive approach in countering hate crimes

Using data to identify gaps and challenges in addressing hate crimes and adopting a comprehensive approach to countering these crimes were at the centre of discussions at an event organized by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) on 15 September 2017, during the annual Human Dimension Implementation Meeting (HDIM) in Warsaw.

“Collecting and reporting more and better data is the most effective way for ODIHR and governments to identify precise needs in different countries and different communities for countering hate crime,” said Cristina Finch, Head of the ODIHR Tolerance and Non-Discrimination department. “With this information, we can support the efforts of OSCE participating States to address these crimes, through targeted capacity-building programmes.”

The discussion also focused on the work being done by the Office and its partners in Bulgaria, Greece, Italy and Poland, within the framework of ODIHR’s Building a Comprehensive Criminal Justice Response to Hate Crime project.

“Our work with local actors – governments, prosecutors, police officials and civil society groups – focuses on developing more concrete tools criminal justice systems in these countries can use to effectively address hate crime,” said Tome Shekerdjiev, ODIHR Project Manager. “These tools could then be applied in other states, while taking into account their unique realities.”

Jacek Mazurczak, Research Expert at the Office of the Commissioner for Human Rights of Poland, said: “Within this project, an innovative methodology for mapping hate crimes in Poland will be designed and tested, based on a victimization survey focusing on vulnerable communities. This will give us a more detailed understanding of the phenomenon of hate crime in the country, while allowing other countries to benefit from this information as well.”

As part of the event, ODIHR shared preliminary results of its reporting on hate crimes in the OSCE area for 2016. ODIHR publishes its hate crime data annually on 16 November, the International Day for Tolerance.