The Human Dimension Implementation Meeting (HDIM) of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) participating States is Europe's largest annual human rights and democracy conference. It has been organized every year for the last twenty years by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) as a platform for 57 OSCE participating States, Partners for Co-operation, OSCE structures, NGOs from civil society, international organizations and other relevant actors. These came together to take stock of the implementation of the OSCE human dimension commitments, discuss associated challenges, share good practices and make recommendations for further improvement.
Each year, the HDIM includes a Working Session on a fundamental human right, the right to freedom of religion in the OSCE region. The religious freedom working session occurred on 27 September this year. Over 200 OSCE NGOs attended, including the Church of Scientology International Human Rights Office.
Some 1,700 government representatives, human rights activists and experts gathered in Warsaw for the two-week conference, during which they reviewed the human rights records of governments in implementing their human rights obligations and commitments, including the right to freedom of religion.
Michael Georg Link, Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, emphasized the importance of the commitment of participating States to human rights.
“Since Moscow in 1991, when OSCE participating States declared that the human dimension commitments are matters of direct and legitimate concern to all, ODIHR has held this meeting to review their implementation,” Director Link said. “HDIM is a unique platform to address the implementation gaps in relation to those commitments.”
The Church of Scientology International (CSI) Human Rights Office is an OSCE NGO. CSI representatives have attended the HDIM Religious Freedom Working Sessions for over twenty years. These sessions provide an important opportunity for hundreds of religious NGOs to testify on the state of religious freedom in each of the 57 countries that comprise the OSCE.
