Ireland's Chairmanship of the OSCE—A Mid-Term Review

Abstract

This article reviews the first two-thirds of Ireland's chairmanship of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). It first examines the Cold War origins of the OSCE and its more recent evolution. The article then charts Ireland's path to becoming chairman-in-office (CiO) for the first time in 2012 and identifies the major themes, initiatives and actions of the Irish chairmanship. Reflecting the priorities of the Irish CiO, and the OSCE as a body, this article focuses on the sphere of conflict prevention and resolution. Particular attention is given to the post-Soviet protracted conflicts in the South Caucasus and between Moldova and Transnistria. In the concluding section, an overview of the present capacity and future potential of the OSCE is provided. The central argument in this section is that the OSCE remains a convenient substitute for the involvement of great powers and absolves these great powers from acting in their own name. As the OSCE is composed of civil servants, has no hierarchy, works by consensus and gives an institutionalised veto to every member, responsibility for deadlock rests with the political masters of the member states and not with the OSCE as an entity.