130. Underlines that freedom of expression, including political satire or ideas deemed as
shocking or offensive, must be fully observed in line with international obligations of
participating States;
131. Recalls the joint recommendations of the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media,
the UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Opinion and Expression, and the Organization
of American States Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression, that the
criminalization of defamation should be abolished, public bodies should not be able to
bring defamation actions, truth should always be available as a defence to a charge of
defamation, and politicians and public officials should have to tolerate a greater degree
of criticism;
132. Deplores attempts by some governments to suppress dissent and to control public
communications through measures such as repressive rules regarding the establishment
and operation of media outlets and/or websites; interference in the operations of public
and private media outlets, politically motivated prosecutions of journalists; unduly
restrictive laws on what content may not be disseminated; technical controls over digital
technologies such as blocking, filtering, jamming and closing down digital spaces;
133. Emphasizes that academic freedom, and the respect for the right to freedom of expression,
assembly, association and movement which it requires, is an essential basis for the
sharing of opinions, ideas and knowledge envisaged by the Helsinki Final Act to promote
mutual understanding and benefit all peoples, including future generations, and must
therefore be better protected from politically motivated interference, restrictions or
retaliation;
134. Calls upon all participating States to grant unimpeded access to international human
rights monitoring mechanisms and missions, including in particular to areas under the
military control of participating States or of their proxies;
135. Calls on the OSCE Ministerial Council to agree to multi-year field mission mandates that
guarantee their ability to carry out meaningful work in the human dimension;
136. Urges the OSCE Ministerial Council to expend every possible effort to facilitate the
prompt re-establishment of field missions that are currently closed and renew the mandate
of existing missions, where necessary;
137. Implores participating States to provide accommodation for refugees and migrants that
include sleeping quarters for women and children that can be locked from the inside;
separate, well-lit, guarded bathroom facilities designated for women and children only;
and female interpreters, guards, and social workers whom the women and children can
approach with reports of trafficking;
138. Calls on participating States to seek durable solutions for the safe and voluntary return,
local integration or integration elsewhere in the home countries of displaced persons and
to guarantee the protection of their rights under the provisions of relevant OSCE and
Council of Europe instruments and in line with the 1998 United Nations Guiding
Principles on Internal Displacement;
16
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