ODIHR helps participating States design and draft legislation that effectively addresses hate crimes. To that end, ODIHR has developed a practical guide assisting law makers in fulfillment of this role. On the request of the participating States, ODIHR also reviews and comments on draft versions of hate crime legislation.

ODIHR supports government officials in designing and developing monitoring mechanisms and data collection on hate crime. The lack of accurate, comprehensive data on hate crimes undermines the ability of states to understand fully and to deal effectively with the problem. Participating States, Non-governmental organizations, the OSCE and other international organizations all have important roles to play – individually and collaboratively – in developing activities and projects aimed at countering hate crimes. Many initiatives that could serve as models or inspiration for other participating States or organizations are already underway around the OSCE region.

Training against Hate Crimes for Law Enforcement (TAHCLE) is a programme designed to improve police skills in recognizing, understanding and investigating hate crimes, interacting effectively with victim communities, and building public confidence and co-operation with other law-enforcement agencies.

ODIHR provides training that builds the capacity of participating States’ criminal justice systems. Prosecutors and Hate Crimes Training (PAHCT) is designed to improve the skills of prosecutors in understanding, investigating and prosecuting hate crimes. In doing so, it helps prevent hate crime and build constructive ties with marginalized groups. The programmed is tailored to the needs and experiences of each country in which it is used. PAHCT is short, compact and flexible. It is designed to be integrated into existing training efforts.

ODIHR assists participating States and civil society in creating the structures, collaboration mechanisms and tools essential to ensure that victims of hate crimes are protected, have full access to justice and receive the specialist support they need.

Civil society plays a crucial role in monitoring and reporting hate crimes. Data provided by NGOs form an important part of ODIHR’s hate crime data collection and offer indispensable context to participating States’ reporting on hate crimes. ODIHR helps raise awareness of hate crimes among civil society and international organizations. It provides information about the characteristics of hate crimes and their impact on the stability and security of the community. ODIHR also supports civil society efforts to monitor and report hate crimes, NGOs outreach efforts in their communities and foster relationships between community groups and law enforcement so that victims feel confident to report crimes. ODIHR also encourages civil society advocacy for better hate crime laws.

Educators play a fundamental role in countering intolerance and discrimination. ODIHR works to support participating States that have committed themselves to promoting educational programmes that counter intolerance and promote mutual respect and understanding. ODIHR, together with the Council of Europe and UNESCO, has developed guidelines for educators to counter intolerance and discrimination against Muslims. As well, in co-operation with national experts, ODIHR and the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam have developed teaching materials to combat anti-Semitism. ODIHR continues to develop educational tools and strategies to counter the biases that can lead to hate crime.

ODIHR’s Turning Words into Action to Address Intolerance (WIA) project contributes to strengthening the capacity of OSCE participating States and civil society to prevent and respond to various forms of intolerance and discrimination. The project’s key areas include addressing the security needs of minority communities, countering intolerance through education, and fostering coalition building among civil society organizations.