As a member of the Swedish OSCE (Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe) network, Operation 1325 represented the organisation at a two-day conference in Vienna. The Supplementary Human Dimension Meeting was organised by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and is one of three conferences held annually in the framework of the OSCE Human Dimension.
Nearly 220 individuals registered for the conference, and both civil society representatives and delegates from the member states attended the meeting, which was broadcasted live. The conference aimed to discuss civil society perspectives on humanitarian law and human rights in times of crisis and conflict, as well as threats to human rights defenders and the situation of human rights defenders in exile and in displacement.
Civil society had the opportunity to inform about their work and share suggestions and recommendations to both delegates and other civil society organisations. The meetings were characterised by tensions around the ongoing conflicts in the OSCE region, such as the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan, but also Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which was high on the agenda during the conference side event.
Extra focus were given to the civil society’s experience and role in ensuring just legal processes, presence in refugee crises and in documenting human rights violations in conflicts. Several civil society representatives emphasised the role of the OSCE in defending the democratic space of civil society as it is increasingly restricted by, among other things, laws that prevent civil society activity. New forms of threats such as disinformation on social media and the use of artificial intelligence to manipulate images and videos were also discussed, as well as the need for tools to accurately recognise fake content.
Another recurring theme was the need for support from international donors in contexts where the democratic space for civil society is limited and support from national government donors is lacking. Speakers also reiterated the need for resources for cooperation and exchange of experiences between civil society organisations.
We took the opportunity to raise the issue of the changes in Swedish civil society funding and the importance of the presence of non-state actors in sensitive conflict contexts – particularly important is the support from civil society for conflict-related sexual violence and for women’s engagement in civil society organisations.
Emelie Hultén, member of the board of Operation 1325
