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“Creating a Security community for the Benefit of Everyone” – under this leitmotif, during its chairmanship, Switzerland wants to contribute to fostering security and stability, improving people’s lives and to strengthening the OSCE’s capacity to act.

To implement these goals, Switzerland has defined several priority initiatives such as: Combating transnational threats, enhancing the capacity for the management of natural disasters in the OSCE area, strengthening security sector governance, implementing commitments in the human dimension and strengthening the mediation capacities of the OSCE. Switzerland will also pay special attention to the inclusion of civil society in the OSCE. In particular, Switzerland will give young people a voice by organising a series of events.

 

In Kyrgyzstan, Switzerland continues its support for the OSCE's Community Security Initiative (CSI) project, as well as for the OSCE Academy. The CSI project aims at strengthening community policing techniques to restore mutual understanding with the population, to rebuild trust in law enforcement, irrespective of ethnicity, to support the police reform and to prevent criminal acts and a resurgence of violence. This year Switzerland will also support the project of the High Commission on National Minorities on promotion of multi-lingual education as a tool for integration of the Kyrgyzstani society. Thus, the Swiss OSCE Chairmanship will complement ongoing activities of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) to strengthen human rights and democracy and to promote economic and social development.

The Swiss Chairmanship will also seek to strengthen the OSCE’s capacity to act. Every week in 2014 in Vienna, the Swiss representative to the OSCE will chair the Permanent Council that brings together all participating States to look at the latest developments in the OSCE region and take decisions.

The OSCE must be stronger to effectively prevent violent conflicts and mediate lasting solutions. The OSCE is the largest regional security organisation in the world, which works to ensure peace, democracy, and stability for more than one billion people. The OSCE can help address these critical issues through inclusive dialogue to build a true Euro-Atlantic and Eurasian security community with not dividing lines and spheres of influence.