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In the period between 23 and 24 of April 2023, OSCE organized the Supplementary Human Dimension Meeting II. The meeting was organized on the topic of  Torture and Other Grave Breaches of International Humanitarian Law and Gross Violations of International Human Rights Law.

The meeting is organized by the OSCE Chairpersonship of North Macedonia, OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights.

Supplementary Human Dimension Meetings provide a platform for an exchange of views among OSCE participating States, OSCE institutions and other executive structures and international organizations, civil society and other stakeholders to discuss implementation of OSCE human dimension commitments within selected topics.

The second Supplementary Human Dimension Meeting of 2023 provided a forum for an exchange of views on combating torture and other grave breaches of international humanitarian law and gross violations of international human rights law.

The first session looked at the specific obligations for States in connection with grave breaches of international humanitarian law and discussed the link between grave breaches of IHL and war crimes. It examined the measures participating States should take to fulfil their IHL obligations, and how international organizations such as the OSCE contribute to ensuring accountability for grave breaches and respect for IHL.

The second session examined the importance of investigating and documenting allegations of torture to ensure perpetrators are held accountable and victims obtain redress. Participants discused the main challenges in documenting torture in situations of armed conflict, how to collect evidence while ensuring that victims are kept safe and not re-traumatized, and how co-operation among participating States, international organizations and civil society can be strengthened.

While there are no formal definitions of what constitutes “gross violations” of IHRL, the term has been generally understood to encompass violations that affect the most basic human rights, particularly the right to life and the right to physical and moral integrity. The third session discussed measures States can take to prevent gross violations of IHRL including in times of crisis, political instability and national emergencies, what redress is available, and the role national institutions, international organizations and civil society can play in responding to gross violations of IHRL in times of crisis.

The Promo-LEX Programme Director and Lawyer, Vadim Vieru, addressed during the panel discussion the issues related to the information of the victims of the war crimes among refugees and the need to strengthen the efforts of all the OSCE members on the war crime investigation and prosecution.

The Supplementary Human Dimension Meeting bring together representatives of 57 OSCE participating States, OSCE institutions and structures, international organizations, civil society, media and other stakeholders with relevant experience in the topic. The Partners for Co-operation are invited to attend and contribute with respect to their co-operation and links with the OSCE in the field.