The OSCE at 50: Reviving the spirit of Helsinki

This article is part of the Special Issue on “The OSCE at 50: Reflections on security, cooperation and human rights”, published on a rolling basis between July and November 2025. The Special Issue was curated and edited Walter Kemp and Christian Strohal, Security and Human Rights Monitor Editorial Board members and guest editors-in chief.

Abstract

This article gives a personal view of the preparatory phase of the negotiations leading to the signing of the Helsinki Final Act on 1st August 1975, and the early stages of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE), seen from the perspective of the nine member states of the European Community (EC) as it was then known. It underlines the impact of the CSCE (and subsequently the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe) as a catalyst for change, and highlights examples of its confidence building role in conflict and post conflict situations, such as the Transdniestrian settlement process and the Western Balkans.

Key words : Finland – OSCE – 50 years – Helsinki Final Act – commitments

DOI: 10.58866/WBBV2505