The Mechanism, adopted at the Conference on the Human Dimension in 1991 in Moscow, allows for an investigation to be launched without consensus and independently of the OSCE Chairmanship, institutions and decision-making bodies if one State, supported by at least nine others, “considers that a particularly serious threat to the fulfilment of the provisions of the OSCE human dimension has arisen in another participating State”. It provides the option of sending missions of experts to assist participating States in the resolution of a particular question or problem relating to the human dimension. If the state concerned refuses entry to the mission, it can work from abroad and prepare a report based on information from other relevant sources.