Meeting of Structured Dialogue held at both political and expert levels in Vienna

High-level representatives from capitals and military experts of the 57 OSCE participating States gathered in Vienna on 19 and 20 September for a meeting of the Structured Dialogue chaired by the Netherlands. The combined session of the Informal Working Group (IWG) of the Structured Dialogue in the Capitals Format and an Expert-Level Workshop enabled discussions both at the political and expert level and was chaired by Ambassador Jeroen Boender, Permanent Representative of the Netherlands to the OSCE.

In his opening statement, Boender said: “the general climate surrounding the broader topics that we discuss in the Structured Dialogue has not become easier in the last months. These factors only reinforce the significance of what the process aims to achieve. By understanding better each other’s security concerns, we can collectively identify areas for small but substantial steps to reduce risks and contribute to rebuilding trust.”  

Representing the Slovak OSCE Chairmanship 2019, the Chairperson of the Permanent Council and Permanent Representative of Slovakia to the OSCE Radomír Boháč, said: “The spirit of the Hamburg Mandate remains vital. The Structured Dialogue is an open-ended process and an important Confidence & security building measure between States. Yet, it has proven that our dialogue is not an end in itself. Better implementation of commitments, including the Vienna Document, military-to-military exchanges and continued focus on transparency, risk reduction and incident prevention remain important.”

On the first day, high-ranking officials from the capitals discussed ways to reduce risks. They explored the tools and conditions to improve transparency, reduce risks and prevent incidents, and examined hybrid threats with respect to building resilience and awareness in a contemporary threat environment. The representatives of the participating States exchanged views and experiences on combating these types of threats, with a focus on disinformation and cyber/ICT security.

On the second day, military experts from the naval and air forces had an interactive discussion on preventing and managing incidents on and over the high seas. The innovative format of the discussion allowed for targeted discussions revealing national practices of dealing with such incidents with a focus on minimum safe distances, communication and risky manoeuvres. The discussions were opened by keynote speakers Kari Siekkinen, Chief Advisor at the Finnish Transport Safety Agency and Commodore RNLN (Royal Netherlands Navy) Boudewijn G.F.M. Boots, former Commander Standing NATO Maritime Group Two.

Following the meetings, Boender concluded that different perceptions and new technology make the security environment more prone to military incidents. “Many felt that the exchange of national practices, better communication and an understanding of applicable rules could help in better understanding intentions and preventing incidents,” he said.

The OSCE Structured Dialogue on the current and future challenges and risks to security was initiated by OSCE foreign ministers in their Declaration on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the OSCE Arms Control Framework at the OSCE Ministerial Council in Hamburg in December 2016. Addressing these challenges, the participating States aim to strengthen the dialogue on how to overcome existing divergences, find common ground and reverse the negative trends in the European security architecture. The OSCE Structured Dialogue complements the ongoing work of the OSCE on wider issues of co-operation in the politico-military field. 

The Netherlands was appointed IWG chair by the Slovak OSCE Chairmanship. Previous IWG chairmanships were held by Germany (2017) and Belgium (2018).