The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Research Paper

The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) - Research Paper Example A look into the history of OSCE over these years proves that the organization has done much more than any other organization could do in uniting the nations, preventing and mitigating conflicts, increasing mutual trust, and promoting economic and human rights conditions in the region. The highest political leader of the organization is the chairman in office. The selection of the chairman in office takes place every year from the member states. As specified in its website, OSCE has two permanent bodies which are responsible for taking important decisions; they are the ‘OSCE Ministerial Council’ and the ‘OSCE Permanent Council’ (OSCE website). The Ministerial Council normally has its meeting once in a year. This council is made of the Foreign Affairs Ministers of all the member states. As Bloed notes, the Permanent Council consists of representatives from each member state; this body conducts its meetings on a weekly basis and discusses the various issues in the region. Also, all immediate decisions are taken by this body (4). There are various offices to implement the decisions of OCSE. They are ‘the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), the High Commissioner on National Minorities (HCNM), and the OCSE Representative on Freedom of Media’ (qtd . ICNL). The secretariat of OCSE has its office in Vienna and it functions under the Secretary General. This secretariat has a number of various units. They range from â€Å"Action against Terrorism Unit, Conflict Prevention Centre, External Cooperation, Gender Section, Office of the Coordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities, office of the Special Representative and Coordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings, Strategic Police Matters Unit, and Training Section†(qtd ICNL, ‘NGO Law Monitor’). The OSCE has its origin associated with the dà ©tente phase of the early 1970s. In fact, there had been an increased interest in