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Who We Are

Who we are

With 57 participating States in North America, Europe and Asia, the OSCE – the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe – is the world’s largest regional security organization. The OSCE works for stability, peace and democracy for more than a billion people, through political dialogue about shared values and through practical work that aims to make a lasting difference.

The OSCE is a forum for political dialogue on a wide range of security issues and a platform for joint action to improve the lives of individuals and communities. The organization uses a comprehensive approach to security that encompasses the politico-military, economic and environmental, and human dimensions. Through this approach, and with its inclusive membership, the OSCE helps bridge differences and build trust between states by co-operating on conflict prevention, crisis management and post-conflict rehabilitation.

With its Institutions, expert units and network of field operations, the OSCE addresses issues that have an impact on our common security, including arms control, terrorism, good governance, energy security, human trafficking, democratization, media freedom and national minorities.

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Participating States
The Organization comprises 57 participating States that span the globe, encompassing three continents - North America, Europe and Asia - and more than a billion people.
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Partners for Co-operation
Security in the OSCE area is inseparably linked to that of neighboring regions and can be strengthened through dialogue and the sharing of norms, commitments and expertise. The OSCE maintains privileged relations with 11 Asian and Mediterranean Partners for Co-operation to better address shared security challenges.
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Summits
At OSCE Summits, the Heads of State or Government of the OSCE participating States set the Organization’s priorities and provide orientation for several years.
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Ministerial Councils
The Ministerial Council is composed of the Ministers for Foreign Affairs of the OSCE participating States and is the central decision-making and governing body of the Organization. Summit meetings at the level of Heads of State or Government are the highest decision-making body of the OSCE.
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Permanent Council
The Permanent Council is the principal decision-making body for regular political consultations and for governing the day-to-day operational work of the OSCE between the meetings of the Ministerial Council. It implements, within its area of competence, tasks defined and decisions taken by OSCE Summits and the Ministerial Council.
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Forum for Security Co-operation
The Forum works to increase military security and stability in Europe and covers some of the most fundamental politico-military agreements of the OSCE participating States. It helps implement landmark confidence and security-building measures to regulate the exchange of military information and mutual verification between states, as well as the Code of Conduct, a key document ensuring the democratic control of security forces. The Forum also develops norms and provides practical assistance to address the proliferation of illicit small arms and light weapons; deals with non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction; and oversees the regular contact, co-operation, and sharing of military information among the participating States.
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Leadership
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OSCE-related bodies
While not initiatives of the Organization, several bodies are directly related to the OSCE. The Open Skies Consultative Commission is the implementing body of the Open Skies Treaty, which in 2002 established a regime of unarmed aerial observation flights over the territory of its 34 signatories. The Commission regularly meets at the OSCE in Vienna and maintains several informal working groups of experts that deal with technical issues related to the Treaty. Another body is the Joint Consultative Group, which is based in Vienna and deals with questions related to the compliance of states with the provisions of the 1990 Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe.
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Funding and budget
The OSCE is funded by contributions from its 57 participating States.
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History
The OSCE traces its origins to the détente phase of the early 1970s, when the Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe (CSCE) was created to serve as a multilateral forum for dialogue and negotiation between East and West.
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