What Role Should the OSCE Play in the Refugee Issue?

OrganizationsInternational Organizations ♦ Published: July 21, 2016; 18:00 ♦ (Vindobona)

Possible roles for the OSCE in the context of the migration and refugee flows across the OSCE area were discussed at a special meeting of the Permanent Council in Vienna. The OSCE Permanent Council is one of the main regular decision-making bodies of the Organization bringing together representatives of all 57 OSCE participating States and the 11 Partners for Co-operation.

What role the OSCE should play in the refugee issue? / Picture: © Wikimedia Commons / CDC [Public Domain]

The meeting was a milestone in the process launched in March 2016 by Germany’s 2016 OSCE Chairmanship.

In a series of seven meetings and following an inclusive approach, an Informal Working Group took stock of the migration-related activities of the OSCE and developed proposals for future engagement.

The Working Groups was chaired by Swiss Ambassador to the OSCE Claude…