OSCE participating States make progress in updating Vienna Document to revitalize confidence and security building

A special meeting of the OSCE Forum for Security Co-operation, currently chaired by Kazakhstan, adopted a decision on 30 November 2011 on reissuing a document that encompasses key OSCE confidence- and security-building measures, the Vienna Document.

The reissue marks the first time in twelve years that the Document has been updated. The Vienna Document 2011 establishes the procedure for a regular update of the Vienna Document every five years. 

Other updates focus on, among other matters, the eligibility of air bases for hosting visits, the accuracy of co-ordinates of formations, combat units, air formations and air combat units, and the timing of verification activities and demonstrations of new types of weapon and equipment systems. The participating States are considering a number of other proposals to update the Vienna Document.

The Vienna Document requires participating States to share information on their military forces, equipment and defence planning; provides for inspections and evaluation visits to any participating State that has armed forces; and contains mechanisms to prevent or decrease tensions and to reduce the risk of unusual military situations that could cause tensions.

In 2011, in line with the priorities identified in the Astana Commemorative Declaration signed at the OSCE Summit in December 2010, the Forum for Security Co-operation engaged in intensive discussions to update, revitalize and modernize confidence- and security building measures, and in particular, to update the Vienna Document 1999 to reflect the current politico-military realities.

The OSCE Forum for Security and Co-operation is an OSCE decision-making body that meets weekly in Vienna to discuss arms control, military confidence-building measures and disarmament.