Needed: a more open-minded interpretation.

• Author: Kim, Roman
• Position: Chapter VIII of the UN Charter - Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe

It is beyond any doubt that the United Nations remains an unchallenged universal organization. It may be that not all expectations have been met by the United Nations, yet it continues to be the only forum at hand to address the global agenda overwhelmingly and effectively. No other international organization has the ability or the authority to perform this way.

One should not question the UN power and its raison d'etre, but more likely its effectiveness and the political will of its Member States to entrust it with necessary powers. These are the issues we need to address, which could also benefit from taking into account the ever-expanding UN global agenda, already so difficult to deal with, and the growing importance of regional organizations, which are not only "protecting" and enforcing the principles of the UN Charter but also providing an added value to the Organization. To that effect, Chapter VIII of the Charter (on regional arrangements) is not only the source of legitimacy but also of inspiration and incentive to the work of many international organizations, including the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).

OSCE by definition is a regional organization whose authority is based on Chapter VIII. An institution of European security, it was established in 1975 as a multilateral forum for dialogue and negotiations between West and East; in a historical perspective, it is a reflection of the needs of that international environment. As such, OSCE has ambitiously complemented UN endeavours from the very beginning. The so-called Helsinki process, which brought OSCE (then CSCE) into existence, had essentially been a European process, inspired by the UN Charter. In its 27 years of existence, this process has scored a point of wide OSCE recognition as an organization of great practical value, indispensable for European security and cooperation.

The main problem with the OSCE today is its visibility; that is why many are questioning its strength and efficiency, even its very existence. There is a rather simple explanation for that: it is an organization of low intensity--its main field of activities is of a preventive nature, using instruments of quiet diplomacy (non-event is a success for OSCE)--thus, while being successful in orchestrating one event (i.e. the first Kosovo elections), it sheds less light on OSCE at large (unlike renewed conflicts if elections failed).

The very existence of OSCE, and in particular its...