Conflict and security in the former Soviet Union. The role of the OSCE

Book abstract:

Released from the disciplines of the bipolar confrontation of the Cold War period, the countries of the former Soviet bloc are looking to assert their individuality and enter the economic competitive climate of 'Western' democracy. That brings with it new tensions, and of a regional type and immediacy that the established peace and security organisations have been unprepared in their response. This work looks at those issues and seeks to explain the way forward for the OSCE as the countries endeavour to establish political, economic and social structures appropriate for their new found freedoms.

The work is organised over eight chapters. The first chapter gives the background and explains the theoretical aspects of conflict and security and the framework for the study. Chapter two discusses the OSCE and its changed operations in the post-cold war situation. It examines the decision making and executive organisms and the new instruments at its disposal for the prevention and settlement of conflicts and the consequent rehabilitation efforts. Focus in chapter three turns to other international organisations such as the UN, NATO, the EU and the Council of Europe, providing comparative analysis of their separate capabilities to deal with post cold war challenges. Even in the post-Soviet era Russia continues to play an important part and this is explored in chapter four, which looks at Russia's relationship with the OSCE and its neighbours. The nature of that involvement and the sources of tensions and other factors leading to conflict are further explored in chapter five. The following chapters six and seven are given over to case-studies of Estonia and Moldova which test out ideas formulated in earlier chapters. Chapter eight provides a conclusion to the study, drawing on the evidence revealed to demonstrate the capacities and constraints of the OSCE's new roles and procedures to offer some clarification of the OSCE's role in the former Soviet space after the end of the Cold War.

The work will interest scholars, students, and policy researchers engaged in the fields of international politics, conflict prevention, management and resolution.

Maria Raquel Freire is Assistant Professor at Universidade Lusiada do Porto, Portugal.