Our mandate on democratization

In Paris in 1990, the then-CSCE participating States committed themselves to “build, consolidate and strengthen democracy as the only system of government of our nations”. This forms the basis of the OSCE’s engagement in the area of democratization.

The 1990 CSCECSCE
Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe/OSCE Copenhagen Document further elaborated on the democratic commitments of the participating States, recognizing the importance of “a form of government that is representative in character, in which the executive is accountable to the elected legislature or the electorate.” The States also agreed to “respect the right of individuals and groups to establish, in full freedom, their own political parties or other political organizations and provide such political parties and organizations with the necessary legal guarantees to enable them to compete with each other on a basis of equal treatment before the law and by the authorities.

In the 2010 Astana Declaration, the OSCE States committed to “value the important role played by civil society and free media in helping us to ensure full respect for human rights, fundamental freedoms [and] democracy”.