At its 101st Plenary Session, taking place on the 12th-13th December in Venice, the Venice Commission and the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights on Freedom of Association (OSCE ODIHR) adopted the Joint Guidelines on Freedom of Association. The Guidelines on Freedom of Association have been developed to further the goal of implementing the right to freedom of association. The added value of this document is that it incorporates the long-standing and in-depth expertise of the OSCE/ODIHR and the Council of Europe’s Commission for Democracy through Law (Venice Commission) in providing legislative assistance in matters pertaining to the right to freedom of association. These Guidelines are also intended for use primarily by legislators, but also to serve public authorities, the judiciary, legal practitioners and others concerned with the exercise of the right to freedom of association, including associations and their members. In addition, the present Guidelines serve as an “umbrella” document in relation to already existing OSCE/ODIHR-Venice Commission guidelines addressing political parties and religious organizations, as well as for the general public. More information is available here.
[Council of Europe]