An international conference “OSCE Security Community from Vancouver to Vladivostok: reality or illusion?” will be held. The conference will take place on May 31, at 13:00 in “EU House”, Aspazijas Boulevard 28, 2nd floor, conference room.
In 2015 all 57 participating States of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) will commemorate an important date: the 40th anniversary of the signing of the Helsinki Final Act. This anniversary would once again intensify the discussion on efficiency of the OSCE and its role in promoting European security. At its 2010 Astana Summit meeting, the Heads of State and Government of all OSCE participating States embraced the „vision of a free, democratic, common and indivisible Euro-Atlantic and Eurasian security community stretching from Vancouver to Vladivostok.”
This vision is based on the theory of prominent political scientist Karl Deutsch. According to him, the security community could be defined as a group of people who have become integrated to such a point that there is a „real assurance that the members of that community will not fight each other physically, but will settle their disputes in some other way.”
In February 2012 the Carnegy Endowment for International Peace published a report of the Euro-Atlantic Security Initiative (EASI), which was signed by Igor Ivanov, former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia, Wolfgang Ishinger, former Germany’s Ambassador to the United States and the United Kingdom, and Sam Nunn, co-chairman and chief executive officer of the Nuclear Threat Initiative. The report sets two main objectives regarding the OSCE area: to transform and demilitarize strategic relations between the United States/NATO and Russia; to achieve historical reconciliation where old and present enmities prevent normal relations and cooperation.
The conference is organised by Vineta Poriņa, member of Parliament, Head of Latvian delegation of OSCE Parliament Assembly, Inese Vaidere, the member of European Parliament, with support of the EPP Group and the Centre for East European Policy Studies.
The present conference will seek answers to several major questions pertinent to the debate on OSCE security community and Helsinki+40 process. How realistic is it to achieve the above-mentioned objectives in short and medium term? Is Russia and other OSCE countries ready for meaningful historical reconciliation? What is the role of Latvia in this process? Is the OSCE really capable of enhancing security in the contemporary world?
During the conference many political scientists, historians, diplomats, members of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, members of the European Parliament and members of the Parliament of Latvia will discuss the prospects of OSCE security community. The issue will be put in the context of current international developments. Adequate attention will be paid to the existing co-operation between the OSCE, NATO and the European Union, to possible synergies and distribution of functions among international institutions dealing with European security.
The program of the conference is available here.
For those who are interested to participate, please contact the communications manager of CEEPS Ieva Dzelme-Romanovska by e-mail: ieva.dzelme@appc.lv or by phone: +371 29 26 82 81.