not to damage vital civilian infrastructure (such as water pipelines or strategic sites) in another participating State;

146. Recognizes with regret the devastating impact that conflict has on populationslong after open hostilities have ended, and urges increased diplomatic efforts tofind lasting peaceful solutions to protracted conflicts in the OSCE area;

147. Condemns the humanitarian and human rights situation which has deterioratedin Russian-occupied regions of Georgia – Abkhazia and the Tskhinvaliregion/South Ossetia – as a result of the violations of fundamental freedoms andhuman rights of people living there, various forms of discrimination against ethnicGeorgians, and the obliteration and alteration of Georgian features fromGeorgian cultural heritage monuments in both regions, as a direct consequenceof the Russian Federation’s ongoing occupation and “russification” policy;

148. Calls upon participating States to prioritize a burden-sharing approach towardsasylum-seekers, placing the well-being of vulnerable people at the centre ofpolicy responses, regardless of the origins of the migrants;

149. Recognizes the particular risks faced by vulnerable groups, in particular womenand children, of falling victim to human trafficking, and calls upon all participatingStates to review and, where relevant, implement the recommendations of theOSCE Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking inHuman Beings;

150. Calls upon the parliaments of OSCE participating States to fully exerciseparliamentary oversight over government action to prevent and combat humantrafficking and to contribute to efforts to raise public awareness of those criminalactivities;

151. Affirms the right of all persons to seek asylum, and condemns the increase in“pushbacks” of asylum seekers in several participating States as a breach of lawand of their basic human rights;

152. Stresses that the provision of life-saving aid must never be criminalized,applauds the invaluable work carried out by non-governmental organizations andfaith-based initiatives to provide humanitarian support to migrants and refugees,and calls on all participating States to ensure that their legal frameworks facilitateand protect the provision of such support by individuals and groups;

153. Reaffirms that non-governmental organizations are an important organizingmechanism for civil society, and should be able to function with only the minimalamount of regulation required by law to serve their purposes;

154. Condemns efforts by governments in some participating States to effectively shutdown the space for independent non-governmental organizations and civilsociety work, notably through the increasing use of administrative, legislative andlegal tools, including the application of overly burdensome registration andtaxation regulations, excessive requirements for physical offices, application ofinappropriate disparaging labels such as “foreign agents”, and spuriousprosecution efforts;

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