Publikationen

Handbook offered by the Slovenian Chairmanship together with a pilot project to introduce human rights education in schools

In this issue in German: Message from the President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev; OSCE Summits in changing times; Vienna Document; Transnational threats; OSCE engagement with Afghanistan; Anniversaries.

The OSCE Annual Report provides an overview of the Organization's activities in its field operations and institutions as well as co-operation with other international organizations.

The Annual Report on OSCE activities provides an overview of the Organization's activities in its field operations and institutions as well as its co-operation with other international organizations

The Annual Report on OSCE activities provides an overview of the Organization's activities in its field operations and institutions as well as its co-operation with other international organizations

In this issue: The OSCE and its partners; Ban Ki-moon, Anders Fogh Rasmussen and Thorbjorn Jagland on co-operating with the OSCE; Interview with OSCE Secretary General Marc Perrin de Brichambaut; 20 years of the Copenhagen Document.

"A shared vision binds together the multi-faceted diversity of the OSCE and its activities. This vision is of a territory, stretching across 56 countries, that is united and at peace. It is a vision that is founded on a Decalogue of principles and shared values starting, as the Helsinki Final Act declared, with the need to promote the "inherent dignity of the human being". This singular vision, born in Helsinki, still inspires the work of the OSCE in all its aspects. The Finnish Chairmanship paid fitting tribute to this vision. The determination of the Chairman-in-Office and his team throughout this particularly challenging year was remarkable. The crisis in Georgia in August was shocking. The war was also a reminder of our core mandate: to build a space of co-operative security and to work toward overcoming our- often serious- differences by peaceful means". Extract from the Secretary General's message.

The Annual Report on OSCE activities provides an overview of the Organization's activities in its field operations and institutions as well as its co-operation with other international organizations

The OSCE in 2003 adapted itself to new security risks and challenges and refined its instruments to meet new challenges ahead. During the year the OSCE had to demonstrate its ability to respond effectively to the demands of an ever-changing security environment. The Institutions and Missions of the OSCE demonstrated their ability to make a difference on the ground through the numerous activities they developed. In many cases the OSCE co-operated in 2003 with other international organisations that deal with European security, human rights and economic issues. In view of the broad spectrum and complex nature of security and other issues, and in line with its Platform for Co-operative Security, co-operation with other organisations and institutions was promoted, as it makes the performance of the OSCE more effective and more efficient.

The OSCE's agenda in 2004 was largely set by the decisions taken at the Maastricht Ministerial Council in December 2003, particularly the OSCE Strategy to Address Threats to Security and Stability in the Twenty-First Century and the OSCE Strategy Document for the Economic and Environmental Dimension. In light of these decisions, the Bulgarian Chairmanship decided that implementation should be the main theme for the year. A major topic in 2004 was reform of the OSCE. The Chairmanship also put tolerance and non-discrimination high on its agenda, holding key events on combating anti-Semitism, racism, and xenophobia, and tackling hate speech on the Internet. Intensifying the co-operation between the OSCE and other international organizations engaged in maintaining security and stability in the OSCE area featured prominently in the activities of the Bulgarian Chairmanship. With the Organization's first mission outside its area- the Election Support Team to Afghanistan- the OSCE broke new ground under the Bulgarian Chairmanship. Mongolia was welcomed as the OSCE's newest Partner for Co-operation.