OSCE Office in Baku

Background

The OSCE Office in Baku, Azerbaijan, was established by the OSCE Permanent Council Decision No. 318 on 16 November 1999. The Office launched its operations on 17 July 2000 based on its mandate and a Memorandum of Understanding signed between the OSCE and the Government of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

Tasks

The Office possesses a broad mandate, which covers major areas of concern in all OSCE dimensions including the human, political, economic and environmental aspects of security and stability. The OSCE Office in Baku must not be identified with the "Minsk Group" Office, which represents the OSCE Chairman-in-Office in issues related to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

Following its mandate the Office promotes the implementation of the OSCE principles and commitments, co-operates with the Government of Azerbaijan within the OSCE framework, co-ordinates activities with the Chairman-in-Office and other OSCE institutions, establishes and maintains contacts with local authorities, political parties, non-governmental organizations, mass media, universities and research institutes.

Priorities

The office assists the Government of Azerbaijan in the following areas:

• Implementation of the commitments undertaken by Azerbaijan after its accession into the Council of Europe;
• Carrying-out of legislative reforms in the fields of elections, mass media, civil society;
• Rapprochement of the positions of the country's governmental and non-governmental institutions;
• Training of police and penitentiary officers;
• Raising freedom and responsibility of mass media;
• Gender and youth issues.

Further information on mandates, staffing levels and budgets can be found in the annual Survey of OSCE Field Operations.