The OSCE participating States committed themselves to protect and respect human rights in the fight against terrorism as early as the Madrid Meeting in 1983. This approach reflects the OSCE comprehensive and cross-dimensional concept of security, which recognizes that security goes beyond politico-military issues to fully encompass economic, environmental and human rights issues. Efforts to counter security threats should, therefore, be undertaken in all three OSCE dimensions of security: the politico-military dimension, th economic and environmental dimension, and the human dimension.

The OSCE views security as anchored in the respect for human rights, democracy and the rule of law, and relates the maintenance of peace to the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms. Similarly, the 2006 United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy places respect for human rights and the rule of law at the very core of any counter-terrorism measures. In the 2012 OSCE Consolidated Framework for the fight against terrorism, the OSCE participating States strongly reaffirmed that such an approach is wellsuited to address challenges posed by terrorism and ensure the respect for the rule of law, human rights and fundamental freedoms.

The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) is the principal OSCE institution within the human dimension and assists the 57 OSCE participating States in fulfilling their human dimension commitments. The Strategic Police Matters Unit of the Transnational Threats Department
in the OSCE Secretariat assists participating States in police development, reform of criminal justice systems, law enforcement co-operation and efforts to combat organized crime in line with the OSCE Strategic Framework for Police-Related Activities and the OSCE Concept for Combating the Threat of
Illicit Drugs and the Diversion of Chemical Precursors.