The OSCE: the Somewhat Different Socializing Agency

Abstract

The Organization for Security and Co-operation (OSCE) is a generally underrated institution. For instance, in a symptomatic statement, a well-known student of European affairs describes it in denigrating manner as a ‘talking shop’ (van Ham, 2001: 404). Yet such a perspective overlooks the power of norms. A talking shop may be a social environment well suited for international socialization. In this chapter, we shall argue that, firstly, the OSCE is an important niche player in the spread of Euro-Atlantic community norms and, secondly, it differs in important ways from other socializing agencies.

The views expressed in this chapter are the views of the authors and do not represent the official position of the Policy Planning and Early Warning Unit of the General Secretariat of the Council of the EU.