Ireland To Chair OSCE In 2012

Speaking at the conference which is attended by fifty-six participating States including all the members of the EU, the US, Canada and Russia, the Minister said: "I am delighted that this decision will provide Ireland with an excellent opportunity to once again play a leadership role on the international stage, particularly during these difficult economic times. 

"As an international organisation, the OSCE is unique in terms of its membership and one of its significant benefits is that it brings countries together from Europe, Central Asia and America.

"It will be an honour for Ireland to be in a position to make a tangible contribution to the promotion of European peace and security, drawing particularly on our experience of conflict resolution in the context of the Northern Ireland peace process. 

"Ireland looks forward to assuming this responsibility and will work hard to build on the impressive achievements of the OSCE." 

The OSCE, which was formally established in 1994, emerged out of the Cold War changes in Europe to become the primary instrument for early warning, conflict prevention, crisis management and post-conflict rehabilitation in Europe, Central Asia and North America.  

The OSCE deals with a wide range of security issues, including arms control, preventive diplomacy, confidence and security building measures, human rights, election monitoring and economic and environmental security.