The operational role of the OSCE in South-Eastern Europe: Contributing to regional stability in the Balkans

Book abstract:

At its Istanbul Summit in 1999, the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe adopted a Charter for European Security and the conference subsequent to that summit provides the text and substance of this book.

It is organised in 3 parts; Part 1 addresses 'The Operational Activities of the OSCE in South-Eastern Europe' and has contributions from OSCE Heads of Mission and Ambassadors and Scholars of International Studies. These cover Eastern Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania Kosovo and Macedonia since these represent the missions constituting the South eastern Europe regional dimension.

Part II turns to 'The Development of Regional Stability in South-Eastern Europe' and gives extensive coverage of the Stability Pact for South-Eastern Europe; the lessons drawn from the involvement of international organisations in 'the third Balkan war' and the 1999 'Istanbul Charter for European Security'. In Chapter 12 the argument for 'preventive diplomacy' is deployed and questions raised about the speed with which the international community seeks to establish 'premature democracy' open to abuse by undemocratic forces.

Overall the work provides an in-depth examination of the efforts of an international organisation to contribute to regional stability in the volatile Balkans during the 1990s. It will be essential reading for students and academics in the fields of international relations and conflict resolution and specialists in South-Eastern Europe.

Victor-Yves Ghebali and Daniel Warner are both with The Graduate Institute of International Studies, Geneva, Switzerland.