conflict and to give greater priority to the human rights and fundamental freedoms of the individual; 25. Encourages the States in the region to redouble their efforts to address the most burning issues that directly affect people’s lives, including corruption and the absence of an independent professional judiciary and of quality and politically independent media, and to strengthen faith in the reliability of electoral processes and the functioning of democratic institutions; 26. Urges the Governments of OSCE participating States to give increased attention to the situation in the Western Balkans and to assist in any possible way all efforts to reverse current negative trends, following up on longstanding foreign policy commitments which the region views as beneficial in sustaining its reform and democratization agenda; 27. Encourages the States and societies of the region to further improve the reconciliation processes and dialogue through the full implementation of all OSCE commitments, in particular the human dimension principles of the OSCE Copenhagen Document, in order to overcome persisting ethnic and religious divisions; 28. Calls on the international community to give special attention to the unfulfilled promises regarding the return of refugees and displaced persons, including by raising awareness of international obligations and commitments; 29. Asks the OSCE, including its executive structures, institutions and field operations, to maintain their welcome high engagement in the Western Balkans in order to strengthen their assistance to the states in the region; 30. Offers the continued assistance of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly and its Special Representative on South East Europe in addressing the challenges in the region; 31. Deplores the loss of life caused by terrorist attacks, and calls for renewed commitment among OSCE participating States and Partners for Co-operation to strengthen efforts to counter radicalization and violent extremism, develop measures aimed at blocking the funding of terrorist organizations, and prevent terrorists from carrying out their crimes, including by improving legal frameworks and law enforcement methods, strengthening the security of international transportation, and by tracking the movements of terrorists within countries and across borders; 32. Urges participating States to criminalize, in national legislation, any assistance to terrorists, to identify and crack down on individuals and legal entities engaged in economic activities with terrorists, above all ISIL/DAESH, and to work to achieve universal implementation of Security Council resolutions 2199 and 2253; 33. Encourages participating States and Mediterranean Partner States to build upon the 2016 OSCE Mediterranean Conference “Youth North and South of the Mediterranean: Facing Security Challenges and Enhancing Opportunities” by pursuing initiatives that incorporate youth and civil society into counter-violent extremism programmes and focus on addressing the needs and aspirations of young people in the Mediterranean region; 4