OSCE Magazine reviews ten years of OSCE in Bosnia and Herzegovina

VIENNA, 8 February 2006 - The OSCE's special role under the Dayton Peace Accords in establishing peace, security and stability in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) is the main theme of the January issue of the OSCE Magazine, now available online as well as in print.

To mark the tenth anniversary of the OSCE Mission to BiH, the first three Heads of the Mission - U.S. senior diplomats Robert Frowick, Robert L. Barry and Robert Beecroft -
along with outgoing High Representative Paddy Ashdown and BiH Foreign Minister Mladen Ivanic offer their views on the OSCE's achievements in the country and on the challenges that lie ahead.

Articles by Mission staff members on assisting the returns process and building civil society describe how the OSCE's widespread country presence, local partnerships and multinational staff have contributed significantly to the remarkable post-conflict recovery of BiH over the past decade.

The Magazine leads with Belgium's turn at the helm of the OSCE. In an interview, the new Chairman-in-Office, Foreign Minister Karel De Gucht, emphasizes the Belgian Chairmanship's efforts to serve as an "honest broker" in tackling long-simmering conflicts in the OSCE area, in combating international crime and in promoting the rule of law.

The publication also features Lithuania, which has applied for the OSCE Chairmanship in 2010. In an interview, Foreign Minister Antanas Valionis explains how his country's "special geographical place" and dynamic "good-neighbour" policy are being used to advantage within the OSCE.

Continuing its occasional features on personalities who epitomize the cross-cultural character of the OSCE, the Magazine spotlights illustrator Rimvydas (Ray) Bartkus, who draws inspiration from his Lithuanian-American roots in his provocative work for some of the leading U.S. publications.

Published in English and Russian, the Magazine can be accessed on the OSCE website. Readers can also subscribe to the print version at www.osce.org/publications or at
osce-magazine-at@osce.org