35th Anniversary of the Charter of Paris for a New Europe

The 1990 Charter of Paris for a New Europe is a landmark agreement that set out a practical path for creating a new era for peace, security, and co-operation in post-Cold War Europe.

Signed by 35 countries, the Charter built on the principles of security and co-operation laid out in the 1975 Helsinki Final Act, emphasizing key commitments and establishing parts of the OSCE’s structure. 

Preserving the past

Recognizing the Charter’s historic significance, the OSCE Documentation Centre in Prague launched the OSCE Living Memory Project.

The Project gathered eye-witness accounts and archival research around the debates, negotiations, and process that led to the Paris Summit and the signing of the Charter. The Project aimed to raise awareness of the Charter and its relevance while also preserving its history for future researchers and academics.  

Interviews with diplomats who played key decision-making roles during the Charter process from 1989 to 1991 were conducted by the Documentation Centre’s team and alumni from the OSCE’s Researchers-in-Residence programme.