Addressing hate crime as a regional security threat: an overview of the ODIHR Law Enforcement Officer Programme

Increasingly, organised hate groups, including neo-Nazis and racist skinheads, are becoming more advanced in the ways they organise and operate. Through the internet, organised hate groups have been able to propagate their ideologies and attract an international network of supporters. The need for an increased law enforcement response to hate crime has been acknowledged by all 56 participating States of the OSCE and through their adoption of various decisions on tolerance and non-discrimination, OSCE participating States made specific commitments to establish training programmes for law enforcement and judicial officials on enforcement of legislation relating to hate crimes. This article provides an overview of the rationale and process for developing an OSCE-wide training programme for law enforcement officers on hate crime and also explains the necessity of increased regional co-operation among law enforcement in investigating and responding to hate crimes throughout the OSCE area.