Introduction

Confidence-building measures (CBMs) are often described as the fastest growing business of the post-Cold War era. Given such hyperbolic praise, it is no surprise that CBMs have rapidly become a feature of discussions about international security. Clearly CBMs are not intended to deal with root causes of conflicts, but advocates argue that these measures are the first step in turning hostile relationships into more accommodating ones. The Western states who suggested negotiating CBMs in the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE) did not trust their Eastern counterparts in Warsaw Pact, and they certainly never considered using the tools and techniques of CBMs to bridge the East-West divide. CBMs, it is argued, can reduce the risk of miscalculation or communication failure escalating into war, and can inhibit the use, or the threat of use, of force for political coercion. CBMs are much more complex than is usually recognised. They are not cost-free and do not only bring positive results.