The organization for security and co-operation in europe (osce)
- Country: Austria
- City: Vienna
- Type: Multilateral
- Scale: International
- Category: Strategic-level policy formulation
Description
Secuirty-focused intergovernmental organisaiton. The OSCE has a comprehensive approach to security that encompasses politico-military, economic and environmental, and human aspects. It therefore addresses a wide range of security-related concerns, including arms control, confidence- and security-building measures, human rights, national minorities, democratization, policing strategies, counter-terrorism and economic and environmental activities. All 57 participating States enjoy equal status, and decisions are taken by consensus on a politically, but not legally binding basis. The Organization works with government officials, counter-terrorism practitioners, researchers and civil society to build up strategies, policies and good practices to prevent and counter terrorist radicalization, while upholding human rights and the rule of law. Requirements for proactive criminal justice measures and efforts to address conditions conducive to terrorism are explored, with a focus on community-based preventive measures, such as youth and women’s engagement and what role community policing can play.
Coordination Patterns
The Ministerial Council is the central decision-making and governing body of the OSCE. The meeting, held annually, provides the Foreign Ministers of the 57 OSCE participating States an opportunity to review and assess the Organization’s activities and strengthen the dialogue on security issues in the OSCE area. Relevant activities are implemented by OSCE executive structures within their mandates, including the Secretariat, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Humans Rights, the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media and OSCE field operations.
Role of the EU
All EU member states are participating States of the OSCE. The two entities collaborate on a range of issues, and the scope of their co-operation has both broadened and deepened, following development of the EU Common Foreign and Security Policy, and the launch of the first EU crisis management operations under the European Security and Defence Policy.
At both the political and working level, relations between the OSCE and the European Union are maintained through:
-Consultations between the OSCE Troika, including the OSCE Secretary General, and the EU at both the ministerial and ambassadorial/Political Security Committee levels.
-Cross representation at relevant meetings.
-Contacts between the Secretary General and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and other high-level EU officials. Annual staff-level talks on topical issues that are on each organization's agenda.
Co-operation is particularly close in the field, where Heads of OSCE field operations regularly liaise and co-ordinate with relevant EU representatives in the host country. EU representatives on the ground are frequently invited to address the OSCE Permanent Council. The European Union and its member states today are a major source of extra-budgetary funding of OSCE activities in the field.
Relevance for the EU
Together with an increased engagement of the EU in OSCE participating States through the signing of stabilization and association or partnership and co-operation agreements in regions such as the Balkans, the South Caucasus and Eastern Europe. Today, co-operation includes:
-Judicial and police reform, public administration, anti-corruption measures
-Democratization, institution-building and -human rights
-Media development
-Small and medium-sized enterprise development
-Border management and combating human trafficking
-Elections