Making the OSCE fit for purpose

From 2017 to 2020 Thomas Greminger was Secretary General of the OSCE. During his tenure he promoted the reform agenda “Fit for Purpose” with the aim of better equipping the OSCE for confronting the security challenges of the future.

In his contribution to OSCE Insights, the new IFSH publication series, the former Secretary General reflects on the results of the agenda and offers recommendations for how the efficiency of the OSCE could be further strengthened and its instruments such as the field operations be used more effectively. While the OSCE is capable of reform, there is a clear need for more political engagement and also more financial support from the participating States, he argues. His recommendations include streamlining the budget process, providing executive structures with adequate resources, and amending management processes in the Secretariat to strengthen its capacities for strategic planning.

OSCE Insights is the successor to the OSCE Yearbook. Contributions are published online in English, German and Russian throughout the year in open-access format and gathered into a bound volume at the beginning of each year.

The contribution „Making the OSCE More Effective: Practical Recommendations from a Former Secretary General“ by Thomas Greminger is currently available online in English. German and Russian versions will follow shortly.

All three language versions can already be ordered from Nomos-Verlag (German Website).