Summit

Since the first summit meeting in Helsinki in 1975, at which the Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe (CSCE) adopted the fundamental document, the Helsinki Final Act, and the 1990 Paris Summit where the States laid the foundations of the institutionalization process that transformed the CSCECSCE
Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe into today’s OSCE, five more OSCE Summits were held: in Helsinki (1992), Budapest (1994), Lisbon (1996), Istanbul (1999) and Astana (2010). At each event, the participating States produced declarations and documents that are important milestones for the Organization.

Any participating State can propose to hold a Summit; there are no general rules that determine how often such meetings are to take place. As with all OSCE decisions, such a decision must be taken by consensus of all participating States. In years without a Summit meeting, the Organization meets on the level of foreign ministers annually as the Ministerial Council, with which then also lies the main decision-making and governing powers of the OSCE. The Summit meetings are not only attended by delegations from the OSCE participating States, but are also open to the Mediterranean and Asian Partners for Co-operation, as well as other international organizations and non-governmental organizations.

The first Helsinki Summit foresaw a process of reviewing the implementation of commitments by participating States. This took place at a number of follow-up meetings, which were also the occasion for the negotiation of new agreements.

Later, this assessment function was taken over by review meetings, which precede Summits and examine progress in the politico-military, economic and environmental, and human dimensions of security. At these Conferences, the States review the entire range of the Organization’s activities and prepare a decision-oriented document to be adopted at the Summit itself. Review conferences are operational and of short duration.