Reflections on OSCE Chairmanships

Ukraine's challenging year28.02.2013

Hanna SmithAleksanteri Instituutti, Helsingin yliopisto

Different fuctions of the OSCE since the early 1990s

All activities are based on the three founding dimension baskets; The politico-military dimension, the economic and environmental dimension and the human dimension. But what are the concrete aspects?

Negotiating function + agreements/treaties(Norm-setting)

Presence in the field (Missions)

Election monitoring (Norm-observer)

Promotion of dialogue (place to air ideas and views) 2

Permanent topics of action and talks

Transdniestrian settlement

the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict (Minsk group)

In Georgia: South-Ossetia and Abkhazia (Geneva Discussions)

Human dimension (role of NGOs), continuous creator of tension

Promotion of own regional context

Security threats crossing borders3

Chairmanships comparison

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Chairmanships - results

Success: Moving the agenda forward

Failure: No more then rhetoric

Success: Bringing different actors together

Failure: Rift between Russia and the West

Success: Completing a process (treaty, joint statement, agreement)

Failure: No solution to longstanding conflicts

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