Dr. Alice Ackermann OSCE/Conflict Prevention Centre, Vienna

INTRODUCTORY COMMENTS

The OSCE is...o A regional security arrangement

o broad membership - 56 participating States o norms and value-based organizationo comprehensive and co-operative Security

- three dimensions of security o political decisions, not legally bindingo consensus - equal sovereign stateso extensive field presence - 19 operations in 17

countries

56 participating States…

4

…from Vancouver to Vladivostok

missionNW

IS

IR

UK

SDFI

ES

F

EP

LV

NL

B

DK

D

CH

I

RUS

BL

UKR

PL

CZ

SK

HA

RO

MO

L

CRBH

SERBUL

ALB

GRE

TUR

GEO

AR

AZ

KAZ

SL

UZB

TKM

KGZ

TAD

LI

Zagreb Zagreb

Bosnia and HerzegovinaBosnia and Herzegovina

KosovoKosovo

GeorgiaGeorgia

MoldovaMoldova

Project Co-ordinator in UkraineProject Co-ordinator in Ukraine

DushanbeDushanbe

SkopjeSkopje AlbaniaAlbania

MISSIONS MISSIONS

ViennaVienna

Other OSCE Field ACTIVITIESOther OSCE Field ACTIVITIES

Office in MinskOffice in MinskProject Project Co-ordinator in Co-ordinator in

UzbekistanUzbekistan

AstanaAstanaBishkekBishkek

AshgabadAshgabad

The Conflict in the Area Dealt The Conflict in the Area Dealt by the OSCE Minsk Conferenceby the OSCE Minsk Conference

OSCE Field ActivitiesOSCE Field Activities OSCE Field ActivitiesOSCE Field Activities

YerevanYerevan BakuBaku

SerbiaSerbiaThe boundaries and names shown on

this map do not imply official endorsement or

acceptance by the OSCE

Revised July 2006

MON

MontenegroMontenegro

Major OSCE Focus

o One of the major focus of the OSCE is:

early warningconflict preventioncrisis managementpost-conflict rehabilitation

• Addressing the conflict cycle

Early warningEarly warning

Conflictprevention

Conflictprevention

Crisis management

Crisis management

Post-conflict rehabilitationPost-conflict rehabilitation

ADDRESSING A WIDE-RANGE OF POLITICAL AND SECURITY-

RELATED CONCERNS• Arms Control• Confidence-building Measures• Human Rights• National Minorities• Democratization• Rule of Law• Civil Society Development• Border Management and Security• Anti-Trafficking• Police Training• Tolerance Building• Counter-Terrorism• Economic and Environmental Issues

Types of Crisis/Conflict Situations Addressed by OSCE

• Political Crises

• Protracted Conflicts

• Crisis Situations in the context of post-conflict reconstruction

• Other security challenges (e.g. violent extremism; trafficking)

A Unique Toolbox for Crisis/Conflict Management

o Long-standing history of crisis/conflict management activities

o Structures and Mechanisms

o Political Dialogue and Good Offices (CiO, Personal/Special Envoys, SG, D/CPC; Permanent Council)

o Support for political negotiations o Institutions (e.g. HCNM; RFOM; ODIHR; OSCE Parliamentary

Assembly)o Field Operations

o Special body of “Existing OSCE Mechanisms and Procedures “

o Co-operation with other Actors

Co-operation with the European Union

o OSCE-EU co-operation well- developed—”natural born partners” (Solana)

o Almost half of OSCE participating States are EU members

o EU covers more than 70% of OSCE’s core budget

o OSCE and EU share well-established and extensive mechanisms for co-operation

o HQ level-Staff meetings; o Ambassadorial and Ministerial EU-OSCE Troika meetings; o Field level: European Commission delegations; EU Special

Representatives; co-operation on project level activities;

o ENP: continues to provide opportunity to bring EU-OSCE closer together in a number of regions (Eastern Europe and Southern Caucasus)

The OSCE’s Perspective on ENP and its Crisis Management/Conflict Management

Capabilities

ENP as Efficient Tool for Conflict Management from OSCE Perspective

o In general, from OSCE perspective ENP functions as efficient tool for conflict/crisis management as well as conflict prevention

o In particular, ENP seen as a much needed tool that complements existing OSCE efforts

o Complementarities:o ENP is complementary to the OSCE’s broader efforts in addressing all three dimensions of

security

o ENP focus is similar to that of the OSCE: stability, promoting and supporting long-term reform processes, addressing security-related problems

o Democratization and consolidation of democratic gainso Rule of Law o Human Rights and Fundamental Freedomso Economic Development and Reformso Enhancing Border management and securityo Fighting illicit trafficking (drugs, human beings)

o Complementarity takes place mostly on level of OSCE field presences ENP provides a link between OSCE-EU on field level

ENP Commitment to Support Peaceful Resolution of Conflicts

o From OSCE perspective, ENP commitment to support peaceful resolution of conflicts important

o ENP Action Plans for Armenia and for Moldova, for example, entail support to the settlement and peaceful resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the Transniestria conflicts

o ENP allows EU to increase its political support to OSCE-established and OSCE-led conflict settlement frameworks (e.g. Minsk Group and the 5+2)

o ENP can provide a potential economic boost and might be used as an important leverage/carrot for advancements in negotiations

o ENP can contribute also to the people-to-people level to the peaceful resolution of conflicts (e.g. 2007 visit of a delegation of Armenian and Azerbaijan intellectuals to each others capitals)

Recognizing and Managing the Limitationso ENP is excellent example for the enhancement of EU-OSCE co-operation

o There are some limits as to ENP’s crisis management efforts

o ENP focuses on long-term reform o ENP allows for less engagement in immediate crisis management o ENP allows for less engagement in managing re-occurring crisis

situations

o OSCE-EU face similar limitations when it comes to resolve crisis and conflict situations, particularly in the case of protracted conflicts-> Need for political will on part of political leaders

o Prevention, management, and resolution of crisis and conflict situations need to be viewed from a long-term view—not processes that yield instant results but require sustained commitment