International organisations
ORGANIZATION FOR SECURITY AND COOPERATION IN EUROPE
The OSCE is one of the largest regional political organizations dealing with the security issues. As of today it encompasses 57 participating states from Europe, Central Asia and North America.
OSCE approaches to security are multidimensional and comprehensive. The activity of the organization proceeds in 3 dimensions, so-called "baskets" - politico-military/security, economic-environmental and human, which are the pillars of the OSCE comprehensive and indivisible security concept.
From this perspective, the respect and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms, as well as cooperation in the fields of economic and environmental protection, are important for the establishment of security, peace and stability, and can have both a preventive function and contribute to the solution of military-political problems. Early warning, conflict prevention, crisis management and post-conflict rehabilitation are among the priorities of the Organization. Decisions of the OSCE have politically binding character and are adopted by the rule of consensus.
The OSCE decision-making bodies are:
- Summit
- Ministerial Council
- Permanent Council
- Forum for Security Co-operation
In order to lead, coordinate and execute all other duties necessary for the management of the Organization, The OSCE is chaired by a participating country for one year. In 2023 the current OSCE CiO is North Macedonia. It is supported by the former and next Chairmanships, which together with the chairing country form an OSCE Troika – currently Poland, North Macedonia and Finland. The OSCE Secretariat provides operational support to the Organization; it assists the CiO and the participating States in their activities. The Secretariat is headed by the Secretary General and located in Vienna.
The OSCE institutions are:
- Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR)
- High Commissioner on National Minorities
- Representative on Freedom of the Media
The Parliamentary Assembly of the OSCE is the platform of inter-parliamentary relations and cooperation.
In the Parliamentary Assembly of the OSCE Armenia is represented by the parliamentary delegation of the National Assembly.
The OSCE has established a web of field missions with the aim of organizing its activities more efficiently and better coordinating with the participating States, as well as for raising awareness on the goals and principles of the Organization.
The negotiation process on the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is mediated by the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs (Russia, USA, France).
In 1995, the OSCE Chairman-in-Office appointed a Personal Representative of the CiO with the mandate to represent the OSCE Chairmanship in issues related to Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Ambassador Andrzej Kasprzyk of Poland was appointed Personal Representative in January 1997, after having been Acting Personal Representative since July 1996.
Armenia - OSCE Cooperation
Armenia has acceded to the OSCE since January 30, 1992.
Since 11 January 2019 the head of the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Armenia to the OSCE is Armen Papikyan, the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Armenia to the Republic of Austria.
On 31 August 2017 the OSCE Office in Yerevan discontinued its operations after Azerbaijan vetoed the decision on the extension of its mandate. After the closure of the OSCE Yerevan Office, as a result of the negotiations between the Armenia and the OSCE Secretariat, an agreement was reached to continue the programmatic cooperation with the Organization.
It entails number of projects across all three dimensions: military-political, economic-environmental and human dimensions.
Main Documents:
- Helsinki Final Act - 1975
- Charter of Paris for New Europe - 1990
- Helsinki Document - 1992
- Budapest Summit Document - 1994
- Charter for European Security - 1999
- Astana Commemorative Declaration – 2010
Useful Links
http://www.osce.mfa.am/
OSCE/ODIHR
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia is a national coordinator responsible for data collection on hate crimes and preparation of relevant annual summary report for the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (OSCE/ODIHR), The reports are submitted to the Organization on annual basis (see: https://hatecrime.osce.org/armenia).
Armenia - OSCE/ODIHR cooperation is also active in sending and receiving observation missions during elections.
ODIHR conducts training programs for state, law enforcement agencies, as well as for NGOs of Armenia on human rights protection, promotion and monitoring.
Updated on 22.02.2023