Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe

The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) is a group of countries that work together to keep things safe and fair. It includes nations from Europe, North America, and Asia. The OSCE cares about important things like stopping the build-up of weapons, supporting human rights, making sure people can share ideas freely, and having honest votes in free and fair elections.

The OSCE started in 1975 during a time when the world was divided, called the Cold War. It helped countries from the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc talk and solve problems together. Today, it has 57 countries working as partners.

The OSCE helps stop problems before they become big. It tries to warn about trouble early, prevent fights, manage crises when they happen, and help fix things after a conflict. The group has offices in many places, with its main office in Vienna, Austria, and works with the United Nations too.

History

The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) began with talks in 1975 called the Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe (CSCE). These talks started in 1972 in Espoo, hosted by Finland, to help reduce tensions between countries during the Cold War. The main goal was to improve relations and cooperation between Eastern and Western Europe.

The CSCE became the OSCE in 1995. Today, the OSCE works to support fair elections, human rights, and peaceful solutions to conflicts. It has offices in many countries and sends observers to watch over elections to make sure they are fair and open. The OSCE also helps countries work together to solve problems and build stronger democracies.

OSCE Parliamentary Assembly

Main article: Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe

In 2004, the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly sent election observers to the U.S. presidential elections. The group's leader at that time was a U.S. Congressman who had faced serious accusations in the past. This led to some people saying the group wasn't fair.

Later, in 2010, some members said the group didn't share information clearly or follow democratic rules well. One person who worked with the group for many years faced a challenge, and some thought the rules for choosing leaders were not fair.

Synopsis and list of members

Languages

The OSCE uses six official languages: English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, and Russian.

Participating states

Partners for co-operation

Asia

• Japan (1992–present)
• South Korea (1994–present)
• Thailand (2000–present)
• Afghanistan (2003–2021)

Oceania

• Australia (2009–present)

Legal status

The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) works in a special way. Instead of having a formal agreement that each country must follow, its main charter is a political promise made by leaders of all member countries. This promise helps build security and teamwork in Europe. Because it is not a strict law, the OSCE can change and grow over time without arguments about how well countries follow the rules.

When countries agree to these promises, they also agree that how people are treated inside their borders is important to the rest of the world. This helped support democracy in places like the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, which played a part in ending the Cold War. Because the OSCE’s charter isn’t a legal contract, it doesn’t have its own legal status. The country where its main office is located, Austria, gave the OSCE legal rights so it could make agreements about its work in Vienna.

Structure and institutions

Leaders of countries meet during summits to guide the OSCE, but these summits are held only when needed. The last one was in Astana, Kazakhstan, in December 2010. Important decisions are made each year at the OSCE Ministerial Council and weekly by ambassadors in Vienna.

The OSCE has offices in several cities, including Vienna, Austria, Copenhagen, Geneva, The Hague, Prague, and Warsaw. It employs thousands of people to help with its work.

The OSCE has a Parliamentary Assembly with members from many countries. This group works on important issues like politics, the environment, and human rights. It also helps make sure elections are fair.

One of the oldest parts of the OSCE is the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, based in Warsaw, Poland. It watches over elections and helps with human rights and fairness.

List

• Court of Conciliation and Arbitration
• High Commissioner on National Minorities
• Minsk Group
• Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights
• Parliamentary Assembly
• Representative on Freedom of the Media
• Secretariat

Field operations

Most of the OSCE's work happens in countries that were once part of Yugoslavia and the Soviet Union.

Active

The following field missions are currently active:

Discontinued

The following field missions have been completed, closed or discontinued:

Chairmanship

The OSCE chairmanship changes every year. Each year, a different country takes this role. The foreign minister of that country becomes the chairman-in-office, the main leader of the OSCE.

The chairman-in-office has important jobs. They help organize the work of OSCE institutions, represent the OSCE to others, and watch over activities to prevent conflicts, manage crises, and help after conflicts end.

The chairman-in-office gets help from the previous and next chairmen-in-office. Together, they are called the OSCE Troika. The chairman-in-office can also choose special helpers who are experts in important areas.

In 2022, Poland was the chair, with Zbigniew Rau as chairman-in-office. In 2023, North Macedonia took the chair, with Bujar Osmani serving as chairman-in-office.

Chairmanship history

The OSCE chairmanship is held by a member state each calendar year. The country's foreign minister acts as chairman-in-office. Below is a table showing the chairmen since 1991. Estonia was planned to hold the chairmanship in 2024, but this did not happen after objections from Russia and Belarus.

Secretary General

The Secretary General helps run the OSCE every day. When needed, they can stand in for the chairman-in-office. This job started in 1992, and many people have served as Secretary General since then.

Summits of heads of state and government

Ministerial Council Meetings (ordinary)

Fiscal history

Since 1993, the OSCE has kept track of its yearly budget in millions of euro.

Relations with the United Nations

The OSCE sees itself as a regional group under Chapter VIII of the United Nations Charter and has observer status in the United Nations General Assembly. The Chairman-in-Office regularly updates the United Nations Security Council with information.

The three dimensions

The OSCE works in three main areas to help keep countries safe and fair.

The first area is about politics and the military. The OSCE helps countries talk to each other and work together to prevent fights. It also helps make sure that weapons are used safely and that borders are managed well. This includes stopping the spread of unwanted weapons and helping countries rebuild after conflicts.

The second area is about the economy and the environment. The OSCE watches over economic and environmental issues that could cause problems. It helps countries make good laws and policies to keep their economies and environments safe.

The third area is about people and their rights. The OSCE helps make sure that everyone’s rights are respected, including the right to vote, the right to speak freely, and the right to live without fear. It also works to stop bad things like forcing people into jobs they don’t want or taking people away to be sold. The OSCE supports education, helps countries hold fair elections, and works to make sure that everyone, no matter who they are, is treated equally.

OSCE Democracy Defender Award

The OSCE Democracy Defender Award gives recognition to individuals or groups who work hard to support democracy and protect human rights. This award follows the ideas shared in the Helsinki Final Act and other important OSCE agreements. It started in 2016, thanks to ambassadors from 8 countries, and later got support from many more OSCE members.