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Current Challenges to Euro-Atlantic Security: Strategies for Co-operation and Joint Solutions

The OSCE Security Days Conference, the first held outside of Vienna featured Foreign Ministers, Ambassadors, prominent leaders, and global policy makers on the current challenges to Euro-Atlantic security.

Date & Time

Tuesday
Mar. 17, 2015
8:45am – 5:30pm ET

Location

Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center Amphitheater
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Overview

OSCE Security Days Conference, the first held outside of Vienna featured Foreign Ministers, Ambassadors, prominent leaders, and global policy makers on the current challenges to Euro-Atlantic security. This gathering took place against the backdrop of a deteriorating European security environment and produced actionable recommendations on how to resolve ongoing crises and foster common strategies to address future challenges.

The Takeaways:

Ukraine and the Crisis of Euro-Atlantic Security

1. The conflict in Ukraine is not just a challenge to EU-Ukraine-Russia relations; it is a challenge that threatens security norms throughout Europe and the world.

2. The Minsk Agreement has provided a roadmap to peace. Now, both sides must adhere to the deal, OSCE monitors must be able to ensure its implementation, and dialogue must be fostered.

3. This conflict has circumvented every OSCE mechanism that was put in place specifically to protect a member-state’s sovereignty. In the future, the Organization must create new enforcement mechanisms.

4. While the conflict has upset global norms, it has not derailed other initiatives that the U.S. and Russia cooperate on, such as non-proliferation, the war in Syria and Iran’s nuclear program.

5. Looking ahead, members of the OSCE must recommit to the organizations founding principles and rebuild trust amongst its members. The Cold War mentality, that countries operate within “spheres of influence,” must be rejected and the interests of each member-state must be acknowledged, respected, and discussed.

Afghanistan and Central Asia:
Enhancing Stability and Security in the Region

1. While international analysts have been encouraged by Afghanistan’s flourishing democracy, regional powers are wary of the country’s economic, civil and security challenges.

2. Central Asia is ripe for change and increased levels of integration. With a new government in Kabul and parliamentary and presidential elections coming up in Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan, the possibility for cooperation on a number of shared economic and security interests has never been higher.

3. Situated between Central and Southern Asia, Afghanistan has the potential to be a regional economic hub. This opportunity, however, will invite potentially threatening competition from Pakistan, India, Iran, and other regional powers.

4. There is a fear in Afghanistan and across Central Asia, that ISIS and its ideology are gaining traction within the region. The OSCE must work with its regional partners in order to promote cooperation and coordinated policies that promote religious pluralism, inclusivity and counter radical ideologies.

5. In order to protect Afghanistan and Central Asia’s future success, OSCE must focus on strengthening the region’s border communities. This is where trade and people-to-people relations are developed and drug trafficking and militant movements can be stopped.

Confronting the Challenge Within:
Preventing Radicalization that leads to Terrorism

1. Radicalization does not happen in a vacuum. It is up to local communities (educators, family, friends, etc.) to recognize and act when an individual begins to withdrawal from traditional society and become immersed in radical ideologies.

2. Stories of social, economic, and political marginalization are at the heart of many radicalization narratives. The OSCE and other institutions have a role to play in facilitating communication between civil leaders and government institutions and providing a channel through which grievances can be voiced. 

3. Governments must be careful not to clamp down on entire communities or incarcerate any and all individuals who associate with radical ideologies. Leaders must continue to respect civil liberties and foster dialogue in order for de-radicalization strategies to succeed.

4. Although virtually all the members of the OSCE agree that ISIS and its radical ideology pose a threat, there is broad disagreement regarding how the international community should respond.

5. Collaboration is a process and members of the OSCE are becoming increasingly effective in identifying, monitoring, and preventing the flow of fighters, weapons, and resources into Syria and ISIS held territories.

Strategies for the Future

1. The future is based on interdependence and cooperation. In order to achieve future success and stability, OSCE members must renew their commitment to the principles of state sovereignty, self-determination, and international law.

2. The future that the U.S. and Europe are striving for is not one where Ukraine and other countries will not have to choose between competing “camps” and “spheres of influence;” it is a future without geopolitical divisions.

3. At a time when world powers are incapable of agreeing on basic principles, track II diplomacy and organizations such as the OSCE’s Panel of Eminent Persons are highlighting the role that non-government officials can play in identifying unilateral and shared interests, in addition to fostering understanding.

4. In a world that is powered by results, not ideologies, countries must be willing to utilize the entirety of their workforce and grant women the social, economic, political rights that will allow them to impact their communities and achieve success.

5. Countries cannot succeed without a transparent, inclusive, and rules-based political framework. Events in Ukraine, Syria, and throughout the world have shown that governments who marginalize their citizens and pursue unilateral interests cannot succeed.   
 

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Hosted By

Global Europe Program

The Global Europe Program addresses vital issues affecting the European continent, US-European relations, and Europe’s ties with the rest of the world. We investigate European approaches to critical global issues: digital transformation, climate, migration, global governance. We also examine Europe’s relations with Russia and Eurasia, China and the Indo-Pacific, the Middle East and Africa. Our program activities cover a wide range of topics, from the role of NATO, the European Union and the OSCE to European energy security, trade disputes, challenges to democracy, and counter-terrorism. The Global Europe Program’s staff, scholars-in-residence, and Global Fellows participate in seminars, policy study groups, and international conferences to provide analytical recommendations to policy makers and the media.  Read more

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