Secretariat - External Co-operation

Dialogue and co-operation with OSCE partner States and with other international, regional and sub-regional organizations, institutions and initiatives is a vital aspect of the OSCE's work.

Within the Secretariat, the Section for External Co-operation is part of the Office of the Secretary General, and is the main point of liaison with the OSCE's external partners.

Partner States: Mediterranean and Asian Partners for Co-operation

The OSCE has partnerships with eleven States. Mediterranean Partners for Co-operation currently include Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Morocco and Tunisia. The Asian Partners for Co-operation are Afghanistan, Japan, the Republic of Korea, and Thailand. In 2009, Australia was granted the status of Partner for Co-operation and invited to participate in the meetings of the Contact Group with the Asian Partners for Co-operation.

The Section for External Co-operation is responsible for liaising with the OSCE's Mediterranean and Asian Partners for Co-operation. It acts in an advisory and support role to the OSCE Chairmanship and the respective Chairmanships of the Contact Groups with the Mediterranean and Asian Partners.

It is also responsible for the planning and organization of regular events with the Partners for Co-operation, including the annual Mediterranean Seminar and the annual joint Conference with an Asian Partner. 

Partner organizations and institutions

The OSCE's interaction with other organizations, institutions and initiatives includes political dialogue, co-operation and exchange of information and experiences on a range of thematic and regional issues. With key partner organizations, such as the United Nations, European Union, Council of Europe and NATO, regular patterns of co-operation and co-ordination have been developed, both at the level of headquarters and in the field.

The Section for External Co-operation is responsible for maintaining contacts and organizing bilateral and multilateral meetings at the level of headquarters between the OSCE and other international, regional and sub-regional organizations and initiatives. The aim is to enhance efficiency by building synergy, drawing on the strengths and advantages of each organization.

As a regional arrangement under Chapter VIII of the United Nations Charter, the OSCE serves as a forum for co-operation with regional and sub-regional organizations and initiatives in the OSCE area. Sub-regional co-operation is recognized as an important element in enhancing security across the OSCE area.

As the potential spillover of new security threats between the OSCE area and adjacent regions has become increasingly recognized, co-operation across regions has gained importance. The Section for External Co-operation supports dialogue and co-operation between the OSCE and regional organizations outside the OSCE area. The goal is to share experience in early warning, conflict prevention, crisis management, post-conflict rehabilitation, promotion of human rights and democratic elections. 

NGOs and academic/research institutions

The Section is the point of contact for NGOs and academic/research institutions working on early warning, conflict prevention, crisis management and post conflict rehabilitation issues. The Section seeks especially to exchange information with those academic and research institutions working and publishing on the OSCE.