16. Document of the Fourteenth Meeting of the Ministerial Council, Brussels (2006)

(Adopted by the OSCE Ministerial Council, 4- 5 December 2006)

BRUSSELS DECLARATION ON CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEMS
(MC.DOC/4/06 of 5 December 2006)

We, members of the Ministerial Council, reaffirm the commitments related to the administration of criminal justice, especially those contained in the Helsinki Final Act (1975), the Vienna Final Document (1989), the Copenhagen Document (1990), the Charter of Paris for a New Europe (1990), the Moscow Document (1991), the Budapest Document (1994), and the Charter for European Security (1999).

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We consider that:

— Prosecutors should be individuals of integrity and ability, with appropriate training and qualifications;

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— Prosecutors should, in accordance with the law, perform their duties fairly, consistently and expeditiously, and respect and protect human dignity and uphold human rights, thus contributing to ensuring due process and the smooth functioning of the criminal justice system.

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DECISION No. 13/06
COMBATING INTOLERANCE AND DISCRIMINATION
AND PROMOTING MUTUAL RESPECT AND UNDERSTANDING
(MC.DEC/13/06 of 5 December 2006)

The Ministerial Council,

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4. Commits to raise awareness of the value of cultural and religious diversity as a source of mutual enrichment of societies and to recognize the importance of integration with respect for cultural and religious diversity as a key element to promote mutual respect and understanding;

5. Calls upon the participating States to address the root causes of intolerance and discrimination by encouraging the development of comprehensive domestic education policies and strategies as well as through increased awareness-raising measures that:

— Promote a greater understanding of and respect for different cultures, ethnicities, religions or beliefs;
— Aim to prevent intolerance and discrimination, including against Christians, Jews, Muslims and members of other religions;
— Promote remembrance and education about the tragedy of the Holocaust, as well as other genocides, recognized as such in accordance with the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, and crimes against humanity;

6. Acknowledges the important contribution youth can make to the fight against intolerance and discrimination and encourages the continuation and further development of good practice activities such as human rights education at an early age throughout the OSCE region [...].

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7. Decides to promote capacity-building of law enforcement authorities through training and the development of guidelines on the most effective and appropriate way to respond to bias-motivated crime, to increase a positive interaction between police and victims and to encourage reporting by victims of hate crime, i.e., training for front-line officers, implementation of outreach programmes to improve relations between police and the public and training in providing referrals for victim assistance and protection;

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DECISION No. 14/06
ENHANCING EFFORTS TO COMBAT TRAFFICKING IN
HUMAN BEINGS, INCLUDING FOR LABOUR EXPLOITATION,
THROUGH A COMPREHENSIVE AND PROACTIVE APPROACH
(MC.DEC/14/06 of 5 December 2006)

The Ministerial Council,

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6. Encourages the participating States to combat trafficking in human beings for labour exploitation in a more proactive manner, including by:

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(c) Conducting training programmes for relevant officials, as well as other persons likely to come into contact with presumed trafficking victims, such as health workers, social workers, labour inspectors, and others, in order to improve their ability to identify trafficking victims and refer them to assistance and protection services;

(d) Ensuring that information campaigns to raise awareness of trafficking do not contribute to further stigmatizing vulnerable groups which may lead to greater vulnerability to human rights abuses;

(e) Promoting outreach strategies, including in co-operation with relevant NGOs, to provide information on trafficking in human beings for labour exploitation to migrant communities and to persons working in low wage labour and particularly vulnerable sectors such as agriculture, construction, garment or restaurant industries, or as domestic servants, in order to improve victims’ access to assistance and justice and encourage persons with information on possible trafficking situations to refer victims to such assistance and to report to appropriate authorities for investigation when there are reasonable grounds to believe that a crime has occurred;

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DECISION No. 15/06
COMBATING SEXUAL EXPLOITATION OF CHILDREN
(MC.DEC/15/06 of 5 December 2006)

The Ministerial Council,

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11. Recommends that the participating States establish training programmes concerning sexual exploitation of children for personnel, including those working in the areas of justice, policing, tourism, transport, social work, health care, civil society, religious organizations, and education;

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