BCSP Director contributed at the OSCE Ministerial Council

Sonja Stojanović Gajić, BCSP Director and a member of the network’s steering committee, kicked off the discussion organized in Kyiv on 4. December 2013, with the question: “What if the OSCE did not exist tomorrow?” She sketched three scenarios for the road map participating States are developing.

“Optimistic scenario is Helsinki+ 40 identifies areas where the OSCE could make a real difference in overcoming mistrust between the Euro-Atlantic and Eurasian communities. Status Quo scenarion is they accept that in the absence of security community, a security regime is better than nothing. The worst case, Radical/Euthanasia scenario is they declare the immanent death of the OSCE in five to ten years – which might provide much-needed impetus for action,” said Stojanovic Gajic.

Wolfgang Zellner, Director of the Centre for OSCE Research and the network’s co-ordinator, said that the OSCE is facing the challenge of diverging threat perceptions and, as we are seeing now in Ukraine, opposing interests. He pointed out that there is little effort to bridge these gaps and that OSCE should do that job.

The OSCE Network of Think Tanks and Academic Institutions is an autonomous, OSCE-related track II initiative. Belgrade Centre for Security Policy is one of the founders of the network, and Its members are research institutions from across the OSCE area, which are engaged in academic research and policy analysis on issues relevant to the OSCE’s security agenda. The network provides expertise, stimulates discussion and raises awareness of the OSCE. It contributes to the ongoing security dialogue within the OSCE framework. The network is open to think tanks and academic institutions that are willing and able to contribute academic expertise and policy analysis on OSCE relevant issues.