OSCE: Now more than ever

Summary: The expansion of NATO has raised issues of fundamental importance for the future of European security architecture, including the question of the role and the value of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe. The author argues that NATO expansion, rather than marginalising the OSCE, actually makes it more important than ever. Whereas NATO remains an essentially military alliance, the OSCE in both its charter and purposes, is a political organisation focused on the crucial tasks of preventive diplomacy, conflict resolution and democracy building. The OSCE's comprehensive approach to security makes it a unique complementary body which can serve to ease the burdens of NA TO expansion by offering a far wider range of countries a place at the European security table. In order to maximise the potential of the OSCE, the United States must live up to the spirit of its commitments and pursue a more proactive and meaningful involvement. © 1998, Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.

Duke Scholars

Author Eric J Mlyn Sanford School of Public Policy