The sixth and most recent Summit of OSCE Heads of State was held in Istanbul from 18-19 November 1999, resulting in the adoption of the Istanbul Summit Declaration and the signing of the Charter for European Security.

"Since we last met (in Lisbon in 1996), we have transformed the OSCE to meet unprecedented challenges," noted the Istanbul Summit Declaration.

"When we met in Lisbon, the first large-scale OSCE field operation had just been established, in Bosnia and Herzegovina. During the three intervening years, we have increased dramatically the number and size of our field operations. Our common institutions have grown in number and in the level of their activities.

Dedication and hard work

"The OSCE has expanded the scale and substance of its efforts. This has greatly strengthened the OSCE's contribution to security and co-operation across the OSCE area. We pay special tribute to the women and men whose dedication and hard work have made the Organization's achievements possible," it added.

In the Charter for European Security signed in Istanbul, the Heads of State declared their "firm commitment to a free, democratic and more integrated OSCE area, where participating States are at peace with each other, and individuals and communities live in freedom, prosperity and security."

In order to implement this commitment, it was decided to take a number of new steps. Under the Charter, the Heads of State agreed to:

• Adopt the Platform for Co-operative Security, in order to strengthen co-operation between the OSCE and other international organizations and institutions;
• Develop the OSCE's role in peacekeeping, better reflecting the Organization's comprehensive approach to security;
• Create Rapid Expert Assistance and Co-operation Teams, enabling the OSCE to respond quickly to demands for assistance and for large civilian field operations;
• Expand the OSCE's ability to carry out police-related activities in order to assist in maintaining the primacy of law;
• Establish an Operations Centre, in order to plan and deploy OSCE field operations;
• Strengthen the consultation process within the OSCE by establishing the Preparatory Committee under the OSCE Permanent Council.

Also in Istanbul, 30 OSCE participating States signed the Agreement on Adaptation of the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE), which amended the 1990 CFE Treaty to better reflect the changes since the end of the Cold War.