Book Description

The OSCE Yearbook 2013 comprises a wealth of writing by experts and practitioners on the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, the topics it deals with, and the states that comprise it. After a foreword by the 2013 Chairperson-in-Office, Ukraine's Minister for Foreign Affairs, Leonid Kozhara, three analytical contributions consider Russian-US relations, the evolution of Euro-Atlantic security, and the ongoing Helsinki +40 process. The section on the participating States includes a discussion of relevant developments in Armenia and Kazakhstan and a preview of the 2014 Swiss Chairmanship. A comprehensive review of OSCE conflict prevention activities is followed by a special focus section, which this year covers transnational threats, policing, and border management. It contains detailed considerations of the Strategic Framework for Police-Related Activities, in-depth information on border-related issues such as border policy in Central Asia, an outline of the OSCE's counter-terrorism activities, and descriptions of community policing in Germany and the European Border Surveillance System EUROSUR. The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media considers the challenges of press freedom in the digital age. There is also a review of Ireland's 2012 chairmanship, a discussion of the recently established OSCE Academic Network, and a report on the OSCE's public diplomacy. Finally, external relations in the spotlight include OSCE engagement in Afghanistan and the role of the Arab League in conflict resolution. The Yearbook includes compendious appendixes with data and facts on the 57 OSCE States as well as a full bibliography of recent publications.