Defending ODIHR’s independence and the OSCE human dimension: UK statement to the OSCE, October 2026
Ambassador Neil Holland, reaffirmed the UK's unwavering political and financial support for ODIHR and called on participating States to protect its independence. The UK urges stronger action on human rights violations, democratic backsliding, election observation, political prisoners and reprisals against civil society.
Thank you, Chair. Welcome back to Permanent Council, Director Telalian.
Firstly, the UK’s support for ODIHR remains unwavering. Participating States have mandated ODIHR to monitor implementation of Human Dimension commitments. Rest assured of continued UK support, including additional financial support this financial year.
ODIHR can only deliver its mandate if participating States protect its independence and provide adequate and predictable resources. The UK urges participating States to ensure that the autonomous institutions and field missions are resourced to deliver effective programmes and vital support for participating States over the longer term.
As your report illustrates, ODIHR’s work has never been more vital. Conflict, backsliding and authoritarianism present acute threats to the security of our region.
We urge ODIHR to continue its work documenting Russian violations of international humanitarian and international human rights law in the temporarily occupied areas of Ukraine. As a country which earlier this year joined forty other members of this Council to invoke the Moscow Mechanism in respect of Russian indoctrination of Ukrainian children, we will continue to hold Russia to account and to press for the return of Ukrainian children and detained civilians being held by Russia. The price they pay for Russia’s war is unacceptable. At the same time, ODIHR has an important role to play in supporting Ukraine’s democratic future, including through its expertise on elections, when Ukraine judges the conditions are right.
We call on Belarus to release all political prisoners immediately and unconditionally, and to cease transnational repression of civil society in exile. We urge Georgia to implement the 2026 Moscow Mechanism recommendations, noting again that political pluralism is a cornerstone of a democratic society and attempts to eliminate opposition actors through legal or administrative means raise serious concerns regarding Georgia’s compliance with its OSCE commitments.
Across the OSCE region, we call on all participating States to redouble their efforts to uphold our shared human dimension commitments, including in the field of election observation, rule of law, democratisation and non-discrimination. The UK strongly supports ODIHR’s independent, professional election observation, and encourages participating States to invite ODIHR in good time, facilitate observation in accordance with its established methodology, and implement ODIHR recommendations.
Finally, the success of this month’s Warsaw Human Dimension Conference demonstrated again the indispensable role of civil society in the OSCE. We are therefore deeply concerned by attempted reprisals against participants. No-one should face intimidation or retaliation for engaging with this organisation. The UK will continue to call for a return to mandated Human Dimension Implementation meetings and condemns Russia’s attempts to undermine the OSCE Human Dimension.
Mr Chair. As UN Special Rapporteur Katzarova reminded us in Warsaw, “The 1975 Helsinki Final Act did something radical – it put the human being inside the definition of security”. More than 50 years later, the UK stands by that definition, and those who fight to keep the Helsinki spirit alive across our region.
Thank you.