Forum for Security Co-operation

The Forum for Security Co-operation (FSC) was established in 1992 and receives its mandate from the Helsinki Document 1992. Since its creation, the Forum has agreed on documents and decisions on arms control, disarmament and confidence-building measures.

One of the most important is the Vienna Document, which promotes greater transparency and trust among OSCE participating States through information exchange, verification and notification of military activities. The latest version of the document was adopted in 1999.

The 1994 Code of Conduct on Politico-Military Aspects of Security, another milestone FSC document, deals with democratic control of military and security forces, international humanitarian law and principles governing the use of force, including in civil conflicts.

The Forum has also agreed on a series of other documents to promote non-proliferation; to support and enhance UN efforts to reduce conventional arms transfers and anti-personnel landmines; and to deal with localized crisis situations.

In 2000, the FSC negotiated the Document on Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW), a landmark agreement that aims to combat the destabilizing accumulation and uncontrolled spread of these weapons. In 2003, the Forum published a Handbook of Best Practices on SALW that covers the small arms life cycle and recommends best practices for the control of their manufacturing, storage, trade, marking, tracing and destruction.

To tackle the security threat posed by excess hazardous munitions, in 2003 the Forum produced the OSCE Document on Stockpiles of Conventional Ammunition (SCA). With this, the FSC seeks to address security risks arising from stockpiles of ammunition, explosive material and detonating devices in surplus and/or awaiting destruction in the OSCE area.

As a result of the above-mentioned agreements, participating States share a vast amount of information on politico-military issues of security.